Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents. Of David.

³⁷ Now the plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all of his servants.

Joseph Is Made a Ruler of Egypt

³⁸ So Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this [a man equal to Joseph], in whom is the divine spirit [of God]?” ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since [your] God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and clear-headed and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall ^[a]be governed according to your word and pay respect [to you with reverence, submission, and obedience]; only in [matters of] the throne will I be greater than you [in Egypt].” ⁴¹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you [in charge] over all the land of Egypt.” ⁴² Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and dressed him in [official] vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. ⁴³ He had him ride in his second chariot; and runners proclaimed before him, “[Attention,] bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission shall no man raise his hand [to do anything] or set his foot [to go anywhere] in all the land of Egypt [all classes of people shall submit to your authority].” ⁴⁵ Then Pharaoh named Joseph ^[b]Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (Heliopolis in Egypt), as his wife. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt [to inspect and govern it].

⁴⁶ Now Joseph [had been in Egypt thirteen years and] was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Joseph departed from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt [performing his duties]. ⁴⁷ In the seven abundant years the earth produced handfuls [for each seed planted]. ⁴⁸ And Joseph gathered all the [surplus] food of the seven [good] years in the land of Egypt and stored [enormous quantities of] the food in the cities. He stored away in every city the food [collected] from its own surrounding fields. ⁴⁹ Thus Joseph gathered and stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting it, for it could not be measured.

The Sons of Joseph

⁵⁰ Now two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. ⁵¹ Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (causing to forget), for he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and hardship and all [the sorrow of the loss of] my father’s household.” ⁵² He named the second [son] Ephraim (fruitfulness), for “God has caused me to be fruitful and very successful in the land of my suffering.”

⁵³ When the seven years of plenty came to an end in the land of Egypt, ⁵⁴ the seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said [they would]; the famine was in all the [surrounding] lands, but in the land of Egypt there was bread (food). ⁵⁵ So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; do whatever he says to you.” ⁵⁶ When the famine was spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold [surplus grain] to the Egyptians; and the famine grew [extremely] severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ And [the people of] all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the [known] earth.

¹⁹ But Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.^{(A) 20} But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up and went back into the city; and the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ They preached the good news to that city and made many disciples, then they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening and establishing the hearts of the disciples; encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, saying, “It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they believed [and joyfully accepted as the Messiah].

²⁴ Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ When they had spoken the word [of salvation through faith in Christ] in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed back to ^[a]Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the ^[b]work which they had now completed. ²⁷ Arriving there, they gathered the church together and began to report [in great detail] everything that God had done with them and how He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith [in Jesus as the Messiah and Savior]. ²⁸ And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.