Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer in Troubled Times
Of David.
28 Lord, my Rock, I call out to you for help.
Do not be deaf to me.
If you are silent,
I will be like those in the grave.
2 Hear the sound of my prayer,
when I cry out to you for help.
I raise my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Don’t drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil.
They say “Peace” to their neighbors,
but evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for what they have done,
for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for what they have done;
give them their reward.
5 They don’t understand what the Lord has done
or what he has made.
So he will knock them down
and not lift them up.
6 Praise the Lord,
because he heard my prayer for help.
7 The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him, and he helps me.
I am very happy,
and I praise him with my song.
8 The Lord is powerful;
he gives victory to his chosen one.
9 Save your people
and bless those who are your own.
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
40 After these things happened, two of the king’s officers displeased the king—the man who served wine to the king and the king’s baker. 2 The king became angry with his officer who served him wine and his baker, 3 so he put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was kept. 4 The captain of the guard put the two prisoners in Joseph’s care, and they stayed in prison for some time.
5 One night both the king’s officer who served him wine and the baker had a dream. Each had his own dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they were worried. 7 He asked the king’s officers who were with him, “Why do you look so unhappy today?”
8 The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can explain their meaning to us.”
Joseph said to them, “God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. Tell me your dreams.”
9 So the man who served wine to the king told Joseph his dream. He said, “I dreamed I saw a vine, and 10 on the vine were three branches. I watched the branches bud and blossom, and then the grapes ripened. 11 I was holding the king’s cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave it to the king.”
12 Then Joseph said, “I will explain the dream to you. The three branches stand for three days. 13 Before the end of three days the king will free you, and he will allow you to return to your work. You will serve the king his wine just as you did before. 14 But when you are free, remember me. Be kind to me, and tell the king about me so I can get out of this prison. 15 I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews, and I have done nothing here to deserve being put in prison.”
16 The baker saw that Joseph’s explanation of the dream was good, so he said to him, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three bread baskets on my head. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for the king, but the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my head.”
18 Joseph answered, “I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets stand for three days. 19 Before the end of three days, the king will cut off your head! He will hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat your flesh.”
20 Three days later, on his birthday, the king gave a feast for all his officers. In front of his officers, he released from prison the chief officer who served his wine and the chief baker. 21 The king gave his chief officer who served wine his old position, and once again he put the king’s cup of wine into the king’s hand. 22 But the king hanged the baker on a pole. Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23 but the officer who served wine did not remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
Jesus Calms a Storm
23 Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. 24 A great storm arose on the lake so that waves covered the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. 25 His followers went to him and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We will drown!”
26 Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.” Then Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm.
27 The men were amazed and said, “What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.