Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 133[a]
A song of ascents;[b] by David.
133 Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers truly live in unity.[c]
2 It is like fine oil poured on the head,
which flows down the beard[d]—
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments.[e]
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,[f]
which flows down upon the hills of Zion.[g]
Indeed,[h] that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available—eternal life.[i]
8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he asked, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are the[a] sons God has given me in this place.” His father[b] said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”[c] 10 Now Israel’s eyes were failing[d] because of his age; he was not able to see well. So Joseph[e] brought his sons[f] near to him, and his father[g] kissed them and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected[h] to see you[i] again, but now God has allowed me to see your children[j] too.”
12 So Joseph moved them from Israel’s knees[k] and bowed down with his face to the ground. 13 Joseph positioned them;[l] he put Ephraim on his right hand across from Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh on his left hand across from Israel’s right hand. Then Joseph brought them closer to his father.[m] 14 Israel stretched out his right hand and placed it on Ephraim’s head, although he was the younger.[n] Crossing his hands, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said,
“May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked—
the God who has been my shepherd[o]
all my life long to this day,
16 the angel[p] who has protected me[q]
from all harm—
bless these boys.
May my name be named in them,[r]
and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac.
May they grow into a multitude on the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him.[s] So he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.”
19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a nation and he too will become great. In spite of this, his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will become a multitude[t] of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you[u] will Israel bless,[v] saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.[w]
21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you[x] and will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 As one who is above your[y] brothers, I give to you the mountain slope,[z] which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him[a] for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ[b] to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on[c] the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood,[d] so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.
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