Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

¹⁴ So Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh.

¹⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream to interpret it.”

¹⁶ Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream, I stood on the bank of the Nile. ¹⁸ And suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fattened and fine-looking, and they grazed in the reeds. ¹⁹ Then seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt. I have never seen such ugliness in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. ²¹ And when they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

²² “I also saw in my dreams seven ears of grain, full and good, suddenly come up on one stalk. ²³ Then seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprang up after them. ²⁴ And the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

²⁵ Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. ²⁷ The seven gaunt and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.

²⁸ “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. ²⁹ Seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt. ³⁰ However, there will arise after them seven years of famine. All the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. ³¹ The abundance will be unknown in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. ³² The reason the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice is because the matter is established by God, and God will soon bring it to pass.

³³ “Now, therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a man who is discerning and wise and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officials over the land and collect the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven abundant years. ³⁵ Let them gather all the food from those good years that come and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. ³⁶ This food will be for a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will be in the land of Egypt, so that the land does not perish during the famine.”

The Angels With the Last Plagues

15 I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. ² And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. ³ They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: