Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 25[a]
By David.
25 O Lord, I come before you in prayer.[b]
2 My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me.
3 Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.
Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted[c] and humiliated.
4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord.
Teach me your paths.[d]
5 Guide me into your truth[e] and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
6 Remember[f] your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner.[g]
7 Do not hold against me[h] the sins of my youth[i] or my rebellious acts.
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord.[j]
8 The Lord is both kind and fair;[k]
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live.[l]
9 May he show[m] the humble what is right.[n]
May he teach[o] the humble his way.
10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable[p]
to those who follow the demands of his covenant.[q]
14 Then Pharaoh summoned[a] Joseph. So they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; he shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream,[b] and there is no one who can interpret[c] it. But I have heard about you, that[d] you can interpret dreams.”[e] 16 Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power,[f] but God will speak concerning[g] the welfare of Pharaoh.”[h]
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing[i] by the edge of the Nile. 18 Then seven fat and fine-looking cows were coming up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the reeds.[j] 19 Then[k] seven other cows came up after them; they were scrawny, very bad looking, and lean. I had never seen such bad-looking cows[l] as these in all the land of Egypt! 20 The lean, bad-looking cows ate up the seven[m] fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them,[n] no one would have known[o] that they had done so, for they were just as bad-looking as before. Then I woke up. 22 I also saw in my dream[p] seven heads of grain growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then[q] seven heads of grain, withered and thin and burned with the east wind, were sprouting up after them. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. So I told all this[r] to the diviner-priests, but no one could tell me its meaning.”[s]
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning.[t] God has revealed[u] to Pharaoh what he is about to do.[v] 26 The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning.[w] 27 The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent[x] seven years of famine. 28 This is just what I told[y] Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. 30 But seven years of famine will occur[z] after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate[aa] the land. 31 The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered[ab] because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe.[ac] 32 The dream was repeated to Pharaoh[ad] because the matter has been decreed[ae] by God, and God will make it happen soon.[af]
33 “So now Pharaoh should look[ag] for a wise and discerning man[ah] and give him authority[ai] over all the land of Egypt. 34 Pharaoh should do[aj] this—he should appoint[ak] officials[al] throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt[am] during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should gather all the excess food[an] during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority[ao] they should store up grain so the cities will have food,[ap] and they should preserve it.[aq] 36 This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”[ar]
Faith and Works Together
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,[a] if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith[b] save him?[c] 15 If a brother or sister[d] is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs,[e] what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”[f] Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by[g] my works. 19 You believe that God is one; well and good.[h] Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear.[i]
20 But would you like evidence,[j] you empty fellow,[k] that faith without works is useless?[l] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,”[m] and he was called God’s friend.[n] 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
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