Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ In the farthest corners of the earth the glorious acts of God shall startle everyone. The dawn and sunset shout for joy! ⁹ He waters the earth to make it fertile. The rivers of God will not run dry! He prepares the earth for his people and sends them rich harvests of grain. ¹⁰ He waters the furrows with abundant rain. Showers soften the earth, melting the clods and causing seeds to sprout across the land. ^11-12 Then he crowns it all with green, lush pastures in the wilderness; hillsides blossom with joy. ¹³ The pastures are filled with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. All the world shouts with joy and sings.

² During the night God spoke to him in a vision.

“Jacob! Jacob!” he called.

“Yes?” Jacob answered.

^3-4 “I am God,” the voice replied, “the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will see to it that you become a great nation there. And I will go down with you into Egypt and I will bring your descendants back again; but you shall die in Egypt with Joseph at your side.”

⁵ So Jacob left Beer-sheba, and his sons brought him to Egypt, along with their little ones and their wives, in the wagons Pharaoh had provided for them. ⁶ They brought their livestock, too, and all their belongings accumulated in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt—Jacob and all his children, ⁷ sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters—all his loved ones.

^8-14 Here are the names of his sons and grandchildren who went with him into Egypt:

¹⁵ So these descendants of Jacob and Leah, not including their daughter Dinah, born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, were thirty-three in all.

^16-17 Also accompanying him were:

¹⁸ These sixteen persons were the sons of Jacob and Zilpah, the slave girl given to Leah by her father, Laban.

^19-22 Also in the total of Jacob’s household were these fourteen sons and descendants of Jacob and Rachel:

^23-25 Also in the group were these seven sons and descendants of Jacob and Bilhah, the slave girl given to Rachel by her father, Laban:

²⁶ So the total number of those going to Egypt, of his own descendants, not counting the wives of Jacob’s sons, was sixty-six. ²⁷ With Joseph and his two sons included, the total number of people in Jacob’s household there in Egypt was seventy.

²⁸ Jacob sent Judah on ahead to tell Joseph that they were on the way, and would soon arrive in Goshen—which they did. ²⁹ Joseph jumped into his chariot and journeyed to Goshen to meet his father and they fell into each other’s arms and wept a long while.

³⁰ Then Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, for I have seen you again and know you are alive.”

³¹ And Joseph said to his brothers and to all their households, “I’ll go and tell Pharaoh that you are here, and that you have come from the land of Canaan to join me. ³² And I will tell him, ‘These men are shepherds. They have brought with them their flocks and herds and everything they own.’ ³³ So when Pharaoh calls for you and asks you about your occupation, ³⁴ tell him, ‘We have been shepherds from our youth, as our fathers have been for many generations.’ When you tell him this, he will let you live here in the land of Goshen.” For shepherds were despised and hated in other parts of Egypt.

47 Upon their arrival, Joseph went in to see Pharaoh.

“My father and my brothers are here from Canaan,” he reported, “with all their flocks and herds and possessions. They wish to settle in the land of Goshen.”

² He took five of his brothers with him, and presented them to Pharaoh.

³ Pharaoh asked them, “What is your occupation?”

And they replied, “We are shepherds like our ancestors. ⁴ We have come to live here in Egypt, for there is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan—the famine is very bitter there. We request permission to live in the land of Goshen.”

^5-6 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Choose anywhere you like for them to live. Give them the best land of Egypt. The land of Goshen will be fine. And if any of them are capable, put them in charge of my flocks, too.”

⁷ Then Joseph brought his father Jacob to Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

⁸ “How old are you?” Pharaoh asked him.

⁹ Jacob replied, “I have lived 130 long, hard years, and I am not nearly as old as many of my ancestors.” ¹⁰ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh again before he left.

¹¹ So Joseph assigned the best land of Egypt—the land of Rameses—to his father and brothers, just as Pharaoh had commanded. ¹² And Joseph furnished food to them in accordance with the number of their dependents.

³⁰ Jesus asked, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story shall I use to illustrate it? ^31-32 It is like a tiny mustard seed! Though this is one of the smallest of seeds, yet it grows to become one of the largest of plants, with long branches where birds can build their nests and be sheltered.”

³³ He used many such illustrations to teach the people as much as they were ready to understand.^{[a] 34} In fact, he taught only by illustrations in his public teaching, but afterwards, when he was alone with his disciples, he would explain his meaning to them.