Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Blessing of Unity

Psalm 133

⁸ Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?”

⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They’re my sons, whom God has given me here.”

Then he said, “Please bring them to me, so I may bless them.”

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes had grown heavy with old age—he could not see. So he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and hugged them. ¹¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “To see your face, I didn’t expect—and look, God has let me see your offspring as well!”

¹² Then Joseph took them from his knees and bowed with his face down to the ground. ¹³ Then Joseph took the two of them—Ephraim with his right hand across from Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand across from Israel’s right—and brought them close to him. ¹⁴ But Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it upon Ephraim’s head (though he was the younger), and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands (though Manasseh was the firstborn). ¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand upon Ephraim’s head, it was wrong in his eyes. So his took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, “Not like that, my father, because this one’s the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head.”

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will become great. But his younger brother will become greater than he and his seed will be the fullness of the nations.” ²⁰ Then he blessed them that day saying,

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die. But God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²² Now I myself give you one portion more than your brothers, that which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

²³ By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was an extraordinary child and they were not afraid of the king’s decree. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ Instead he chose to suffer mistreatment along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He considered the disgrace of Messiah^[a] as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt—because he was looking ahead to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger—for he persevered as if seeing the One who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the smearing of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if on dry ground. When the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.