Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Those who live far away are afraid of Your great works. You make morning and evening call out for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it. You make it very rich. The river of God is full of water. You give the people grain when You have made the earth ready. 10 You water where the plow has been used. You cover the seeds with earth. You make it soft with rain. And You make the plants grow well. 11 You crown the year with Your good gifts. There is more than enough where You have been. 12 The fields of the desert are filled with water. And the hills dress themselves with joy. 13 The grass lands are covered with birds. And the valleys are covered with grain. They call out for joy and sing.
2 God spoke to Israel in special dreams in the night, saying, “Jacob, Jacob.” And Jacob answered, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt. For I will make you a great nation there. 4 I will go with you to Egypt. I will bring you out again. And Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”
5 Then Jacob left Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. 6 They took their animals and all the things they owned from the land of Canaan. And they came to Egypt, Jacob and all his children with him, 7 his sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters. He brought all his children with him to Egypt.
8 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, 9 and Reuben’s sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvvah, Iob, and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These are the sons who were born to Leah and Jacob in Paddan-aram, with his daughter Dinah. He had thirty-three sons and daughters.
16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel. 18 These are the sons of Jacob and Zilpah, the woman whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. She gave birth to sixteen of Jacob’s children.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 20 The sons of Joseph in the land of Egypt were Manasseh and Ephraim. Their mother was Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the religious leader of On. 21 The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. 22 These are the sons of Jacob and Rachel, fourteen sons in all. 23 Dan’s son was Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. 25 These are the sons of Jacob and Bilhah, the woman whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel. There were seven sons in all.
26 All the people who came to Egypt with Jacob, the children of his own body, were sixty-six people in all. Added to this were the wives of Jacob’s sons. 27 Two sons were born to Joseph in Egypt. So all the people of Jacob’s family when he came to Egypt were seventy.
Jacob Lives in Goshen
28 Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to learn the way to Goshen. And they came to the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph made his wagon ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. When he came to him, they put their arms around each other and cried for a long time. 30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s family have come to me from the land of Canaan. 32 And the men are shepherds, for they have taken care of animals. They have brought their flocks and cattle and all they have.’ 33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your work?’ 34 you answer, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle since we were young, both we and our fathers.’ Then he will let you live in the land of Goshen. For the Egyptians look down upon every shepherd.”
47 Then Joseph went to Pharaoh and said, “My father and my brothers and their flocks and cattle and all they own have come from the land of Canaan. See, they are in the land of Goshen.” 2 He took five men from among his brothers, and brought them to Pharaoh. 3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your work?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.” 4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land, for there is no field with food for our flocks. The time without food is hard in the land of Canaan. So now we ask of you, let your servants live in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. 6 The land of Egypt is in front of you. Have your father and your brothers live in the best of the land. Let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know any able men among them, put my cattle in their care.”
7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob to Pharaoh. Jacob prayed that good would come to Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” 9 Jacob answered Pharaoh, “I have traveled on this earth for 130 years. The years of my life have been few and full of sorrow, and less than the years that my fathers lived.” 10 Then Jacob prayed that good would come to Pharaoh, and went away from him.
11 So Joseph made a place for his father and his brothers. He gave them a part of the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had told him. 12 Joseph gave food to his father and his brothers and all his father’s family, for the needs of their children.
The Picture-Story of the Mustard Seed
30 Jesus said, “In what way can we show what the holy nation of God is like? Or what picture-story can we use to help you understand? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed that is planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds. 32 After it is put in the ground, it grows and becomes the largest of the spices. It puts out long branches so birds of the sky can live in it.” 33 As they were able to understand, He spoke the Word to them by using many picture-stories. 34 Jesus helped His followers understand everything when He was alone with them.
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