Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Davidic Song of Ascents
The Significance of Unity
133 Look how good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil on the head,
descending to the beard—
even to Aaron’s beard—
and flowing down to the edge of his robes.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon
falling on Zion’s mountains.
For there the Lord commanded his blessing—
life everlasting.
Pharaoh Appoints Joseph as Regent
37 What Joseph proposed pleased Pharaoh and all of his advisors, 38 so Pharaoh asked his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—someone in whom the Spirit of God lives? 39 Since God has revealed all of this to you,” Pharaoh told Joseph, “there is no one so wise and discerning as you. 40 So you are to be appointed in charge over my palace, and all of my people are to do whatever you command them to do. Only the throne will have greater authority than you.”
41 “Look!” Pharaoh confirmed[a] to Joseph, “I’ve put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt!”
42 Then Pharaoh[b] removed his signet ring from his hand, placed it on Joseph’s hand, had him clothed in fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 Then he provided him with a chariot as his second-in-command, outfitted with a group of people who shouted out in front of him, “Bow your knees!” And that’s how Pharaoh set Joseph over the entire land of Egypt.
Pharaoh Rewards Joseph
44 Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I’m still Pharaoh, but without your permission nobody in all of the land of Egypt will so much as lift up their hands or take a step!” 45 Pharaoh also changed Joseph’s name to Zaphenath-paneah[c] and gave Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, to him as his wife. And that’s how Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.
Joseph Begins Gathering Grain
46 Joseph was 30 years old when he began to serve Pharaoh, king of Egypt, by traveling throughout the land of Egypt, independent from Pharaoh’s oversight.[d] 47 While bumper crops grew during the seven abundant years, 48 Joseph[e] collected the surplus food throughout the land of Egypt, storing food in cities; that is, he gathered the food from fields that surrounded every city and stored it there. 49 Joseph stored up so much grain—like sand on the seashore in so much abundance!—that he stopped keeping records because it was proving to be impossible to measure how much they were gathering.
Joseph’s Children are Born
50 Before the years of famine arrived, Joseph fathered two sons with Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn son[f] Manasseh because, he said, “God has made me forget all of my hard life and my father’s house.” 52 He named his second son Ephraim because, he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my troubles.”
The Famine Begins
53 As soon as the seven years of abundance throughout the land of Egypt ended, 54 the seven years of famine started, just as Joseph had predicted.[g] It was an international famine, but there was food everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. 55 Eventually, the land of Egypt began to feel the effects of the famine, so the people[h] cried out to Pharaoh for food. “Go see Joseph,” Pharaoh announced to all the Egyptians, “and do whatever he tells you to do.”
56 Joseph opened all of the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, because the famine was beginning to be severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57 In addition, all of the surrounding nations[i] came to Joseph to buy grain from Egypt, because the famine had become severe throughout the world.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria
19 But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds by persuasion. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking he was dead. 20 But the disciples formed a circle around him, and he got up and went back to town. The next day, he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 As they were proclaiming the good news in that city, they discipled a large number of people. Then they went back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships,” they said, “to get into the kingdom of God.” 23 Paul and Barnabas[a] appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 They spoke the word[b] in Perga and went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had completed. 27 When they arrived, they called the church together and told them everything that God had done with them and how he had opened a door so that gentiles would believe. 28 Then they spent a long time with the disciples.
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