Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Help
130 O Lord, I have cried to You out of the deep places. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears hear the voice of my prayers. 3 If you, Lord, should write down our sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But You are the One Who forgives, so You are honored with fear.
5 I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure. 8 And He will save Israel from all their sins.
Jacob’s Brothers Go to Egypt the Second Time
43 The time of no food was hard in the land. 2 When they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again and buy us a little food.” 3 But Judah told him, “The man said to us with sharp words, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go to Egypt and buy you food. 5 But if you do not send him, we will not go. For the man said, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6 Israel said, “Why did you do me such a wrong by telling the man that you had another brother?” 7 And they said, “The man asked questions about us and our family. He said, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How could we know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”
8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me. And we will get up and go, so we and you and our children may live and not die. 9 I will put myself as trust for him. You may put him in my care. If I do not return him to you and set him in front of you, then let the blame be on me forever. 10 For if we had not waited, we would have returned twice by now.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best things of the land in your bags. Carry them to the man as a gift. Give him perfume and honey and spices and special things to eat. 12 Take twice as much money with you to take the place of the money that was returned in your bags. It may be that it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also. Get up, and return to the man. 14 May the All-powerful God give you such favor with the man that he may let your other brother and Benjamin return. If my children are taken from me, I am filled with sorrow.”
15 So the men took the gift, and twice as much money, and Benjamin. They got up and went to Egypt, and stood in front of Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the man who took care of his house, “Bring the men into the house. And kill an animal and make it ready. For the men will eat with me at noon.” 17 So the man did what Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 The men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house. They said, “We are being brought in because of the money that was returned in our bags the first time we came. He is looking for something against us. He will come down on us and take us for servants with our donkeys.” 19 So they came near the man who took care of Joseph’s house, and spoke to him at the door of the house. 20 They said, “O, my lord, we came here the first time to buy food. 21 When we came to the place where we stayed the night, we opened our bags. And we found that the full weight of each man’s money was at the top of the bag. So we have brought it again with us. 22 We have brought other money with us also to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our bags.”
23 But he answered, “Peace be with you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you riches in your bags. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. 24 The man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet. And he fed their donkeys. 25 So they made the gift ready to give to Joseph when he came at noon. For they had heard that they were to eat there.
26 When Joseph came home, they gave him the gift they had brought with them. They bowed to the ground in front of him. 27 Then Joseph asked them about their well-being. He said, “Is your father well, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?” 28 And they said, “Your servant, our father is well. He is still alive.” Then they bowed their heads low in honor to Joseph.
29 As he looked up, he saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son. He said, “Is this your youngest brother whom you told me about? May God show you loving-favor, my son.” 30 Then Joseph went out in a hurry. For he had much feeling for his brother. He went in his room and cried. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. Hiding his feelings, he said, “Bring the food.”
32 So they brought food to Joseph by himself, and to them by themselves, and to the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves. The Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews because they thought it would be sinful. 33 Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him by the way they were born, from the oldest to the youngest. And the men looked at each other in wonder. 34 Joseph took food to them from his own table. But Benjamin’s food was five times as much as any of theirs. And they were free in eating and drinking with him.
A Meeting of Church Leaders in Jerusalem
15 Some men came down from the country of Judea and started to teach the Christians. They said, “Unless you go through the religious act of becoming a Jew as Moses taught, you cannot be saved from the punishment of sin.” 2 Paul and Barnabas argued with them. Then Paul and Barnabas and some other men were chosen to go up to Jerusalem. They were to talk to the missionaries and church leaders about this teaching. 3 The church sent them on their way. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria and told how those who were not Jews were turning to God. This made the Christians very happy.
4 When they got to Jerusalem, the church and the missionaries and the church leaders were glad to see them. Paul and Barnabas told them what God had done through them.
5 Some of the Christians there had been proud religious law-keepers. They got up and said, “Doing the religious act of becoming a Jew and keeping the Law of Moses are two things that must be done.” 6 The missionaries and church leaders got together to talk about this. 7 After a long time of much talking, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know in the early days God was pleased to use me to preach the Good News to the people who are not Jews so they might put their trust in Christ. 8 God knows the hearts of all men. He showed them they were to have His loving-favor by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as He gave to us. 9 He has made no difference between them and us. They had their hearts made clean when they put their trust in Him also. 10 Why do you test God by putting too heavy a load on the back of the followers? It was too heavy for our fathers or for us to carry. 11 We believe it is by the loving-favor of the Lord Jesus that we are saved. They are saved from the punishment of sin the same way.”
12 All those who were gathered together said nothing. They listened to Paul and Barnabas who told of the powerful works God had done through them among the people who are not Jews.
God’s Call Is Also for the People Who Are Not Jews
13 When they finished speaking, James said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon Peter has told how God first visited the people who are not Jews. He was getting a people for Himself. 15 This agrees with what the early preacher said, 16 ’After this I will come back and build again the building of David that fell down. Yes, I will build it again from the stones that fell down. I will set it up again. 17 Then all the nations may look for the Lord, even all the people who are not Jews who are called by My name. The Lord said this. He does all these things. 18 God has made all His works known from the beginning of time.’ (A)
The People Who Are Not Jews Are Not Under the Law
19 “So we should not trouble these people who are not Jews who are turning to God. 20 We should write to them that they should keep away from everything that is given to gods. They should keep away from sex sins and not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. 21 For the Law of Moses has been read in every city from the early days. It has been read in the Jewish places of worship on every Day of Rest.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.