Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 Those who live far away are awed by Your signs;
You make east and west shout for joy.(A)
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly,
enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water,
for You prepare the earth[a] in this way,
providing people with grain.(B)
10 You soften it with showers and bless its growth,
soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.(C)
11 You crown the year with Your goodness;
Your ways overflow with plenty.[b](D)
12 The wilderness pastures overflow,
and the hills are robed with joy.(E)
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks
and the valleys covered with grain.(F)
They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.(G)
2 That night God spoke to Israel in a vision:(A) “Jacob, Jacob!” He said.
And Jacob replied, “Here I am.”
3 God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.(B) 4 I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back.(C) Joseph will put his hands on your eyes.”[a](D)
5 Jacob left Beer-sheba. The sons of Israel took their father Jacob in the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him,(E) along with their children and their wives. 6 They also took their cattle and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan. Then Jacob and all his children went with him to Egypt.(F) 7 His sons and grandsons, his daughters and granddaughters, indeed all his offspring, he brought with him to Egypt.
Jacob’s Family
8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his sons, who went to Egypt:(G)
Jacob’s firstborn: Reuben.
9 Reuben’s sons:(H) Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
10 Simeon’s sons:(I) Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
11 Levi’s sons:(J) Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
12 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Perez’s sons:(K) Hezron and Hamul.
13 Issachar’s sons:(L) Tola, Puvah,[b] Jashub,[c] and Shimron.
14 Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
15 These were Leah’s sons born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, as well as his daughter Dinah. The total number of persons:[d] 33.
16 Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
17 Asher’s sons:(M) Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah.
Beriah’s sons were Heber and Malchiel.
18 These were the sons of Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—that she bore to Jacob: 16 persons.
19 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
20 Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. They were born to him by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, a priest at On.[e]
21 Benjamin’s sons:(N) Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
22 These were Rachel’s sons who were born to Jacob: 14 persons.
23 Dan’s son:[f] Hushim.
24 Naphtali’s sons:(O) Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.
25 These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel.(P) She bore to Jacob: seven persons.
26 The total number of persons belonging to Jacob—his direct descendants,[g] not including the wives of Jacob’s sons—who came to Egypt: 66.
27 And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons.
All those of Jacob’s household who had come to Egypt: 70[h] persons.(Q)
Jacob Arrives in Egypt
28 Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to prepare for his arrival[i] at Goshen.(R) When they came to the land of Goshen, 29 Joseph hitched the horses to his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel. Joseph presented himself to him, threw his arms around him, and wept for a long time.(S)
30 Then Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die, now that I have seen your face and know you are still alive!”
31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and inform Pharaoh, telling him: My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.(T) 32 The men are shepherds; they also raise livestock. They have brought their sheep and cattle and all that they have. 33 When Pharaoh addresses you and asks, ‘What is your occupation?’ 34 you are to say, ‘Your servants, both we and our fathers, have raised livestock[j] from our youth until now.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are abhorrent to Egyptians.”(U)
Pharaoh Welcomes Jacob
47 So Joseph went and informed Pharaoh: “My father and my brothers, with their sheep and cattle and all that they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in the land of Goshen.”(V)
2 He took five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.(W) 3 Then Pharaoh asked his brothers, “What is your occupation?”
And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants, both we and our fathers, are shepherds.”(X) 4 Then they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to live in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe.(Y) So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.”
5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Now that your father and brothers have come to you, 6 the land of Egypt is open before you; settle your father and brothers in the best part of the land.(Z) They can live in the land of Goshen. If you know of any capable men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”(AA)
7 Joseph then brought his father Jacob and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 Then Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”[k]
9 Jacob said to Pharaoh, “My pilgrimage(AB) has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard,(AC) and they have not surpassed the years of my fathers during their pilgrimages.”(AD) 10 So Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from Pharaoh’s presence.
11 Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses,(AE) as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food for their dependents.(AF)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And(A) He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,(B) or what parable(C) can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed(D) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown,(E) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,(F) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky(G) can nest in its shade.”
Using Parables
33 He would speak the word(H) to them with many parables(I) like these, as they were able to understand.(J) 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.(K)
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