Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord—Our Shepherd

23 The Lord is my Shepherd. I will have everything I need. ² He lets me rest in fields of green grass. He leads me beside the quiet waters. ³ He makes me strong again. He leads me in the way of living right with Himself which brings honor to His name. ⁴ Yes, even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of anything, because You are with me. You have a walking stick with which to guide and one with which to help. These comfort me. ⁵ You are making a table of food ready for me in front of those who hate me. You have poured oil on my head. I have everything I need. ⁶ For sure, You will give me goodness and loving-kindness all the days of my life. Then I will live with You in Your house forever.

⁸ When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” ⁹ Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” So Israel said, “Bring them to me, so I may pray that good will come to them.”

¹⁰ Now Israel’s eyes had become weak from being old, and he could not see. So Joseph brought them near to him. And Israel kissed them and put his arms around them. ¹¹ Israel said to Joseph, “I never thought I would see your face. But see, God has let me see your children also.” ¹² Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed to the ground. ¹³ Then taking Ephraim with his right hand, Joseph put him at Israel’s left side. And with his left hand he put Manasseh at Israel’s right side, placing them near him. ¹⁴ But Israel put out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, the younger son. And he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands. But Manasseh was the first-born. ¹⁵ Then he prayed that good would come to Joseph, and said, “The God with Whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God Who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, ¹⁶ the Angel Who has set me free from all sin, bring good to the boys. May my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac live on in them. May they become a great nation on the earth.”

¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he was not pleased. He took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. ¹⁸ Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father, for this one is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head.” ¹⁹ But his father would not, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He will become a nation also, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be greater than he. His children and their children’s children will become many nations.”

The Feeding of the Five Thousand ^(A)

³⁰ The followers of Jesus came back to Him. They told Jesus all they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away from the people. Be by yourselves and rest.” There were many people coming and going. They had had no time even to eat. ³² They went by themselves in a boat to a desert. ³³ Many people saw them leave and knew who they were. People ran fast from all the cities and got there first. ³⁴ When Jesus got out of the boat, He saw many people gathered together. He had loving-pity for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He began to teach them many things.