Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love.
A Song of Ascents.
130 Out of the (A)depths I have cried to You, O Lord.
2 Lord, (B)hear my voice!
Let (C)Your ears be attentive
To the (D)voice of my supplications.
3 If You, [a]Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could (E)stand?
4 But there is (F)forgiveness with You,
That You may be (G)feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my (H)soul does wait,
And [b](I)in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen (J)for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, (K)hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is (L)lovingkindness,
And with Him is (M)abundant redemption.
8 And He will (N)redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
The Return to Egypt
43 (A)Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 So it came about when they had finished eating the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” 3 Judah spoke to him, however, saying, “(B)The man solemnly warned [a]us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you do not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.’” 6 Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so badly [b]by telling the man whether you still had another brother?” 7 But they said, “The man questioned particularly about us and our relatives, saying, ‘(C)Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ So we [c]answered his questions. Could we possibly know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” 8 Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, (D)that we may live and not die, we as well as you and our little ones. 9 (E)I myself will be surety for him; [d]you may hold me responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then [e]let me bear the blame before you forever. 10 For if we had not delayed, surely by now we could have returned twice.”
11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your [f]bags, and carry down to the man (F)as a present, a little [g](G)balm and a little honey, [h]aromatic gum and [i]myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double the money in your hand, and take back in your hand (H)the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was a mistake. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, return to the man; 14 and may [j](I)God Almighty (J)grant you compassion in the sight of the man, so that he will release to you (K)your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, (L)if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.” 15 So the men took (M)this present, and they took double the money in their hand, and Benjamin; then they arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
Joseph Sees Benjamin
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his (N)house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” 17 So the man did as Joseph said, and [k]brought the men to Joseph’s house. 18 Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he may [l]seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” 19 So they came near to Joseph’s house steward, and spoke to him at the entrance of the house, 20 and said, “Oh, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food, 21 and it came about when we came to the lodging place, that we opened our sacks, and behold, (O)each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in [m]full. So (P)we have brought it back in our hand. 22 We have also brought down other money in our hand to buy food; we do not know who put our money in our sacks.” 23 He said, “[n]Be at ease, do not be afraid. (Q)Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; [o]I had your money.” Then (R)he brought Simeon out to them. 24 Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and (S)gave them water, and they (T)washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. 25 So they prepared (U)the present [p]for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat [q]a meal there.
26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present which was in their hand and (V)bowed to the ground before him. 27 Then he asked them about their welfare, and said, “(W)Is your old father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” (X)They bowed down [r]in homage. 29 As he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, he said, “Is this (Y)your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “(Z)May God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Joseph hurried out for [s](AA)he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and (AB)wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he (AC)controlled himself and said, “[t]Serve the meal.” 32 So they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is [u](AD)loathsome to the Egyptians. 33 Now they [v]were seated before him, (AE)the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at one another in astonishment. 34 He took portions to them from [w]his own table, (AF)but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they feasted and drank freely with him.
The Council at Jerusalem
15 (A)Some men came down from Judea and began teaching (B)the brethren, “Unless you are (C)circumcised according to (D)the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had [a]great dissension and (E)debate with them, (F)the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the (G)apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being (H)sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both (I)Phoenicia and Samaria, (J)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all (K)the brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and (L)the apostles and the elders, and they (M)reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of (N)the sect of the (O)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to (P)circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
6 (Q)The apostles and the elders came together to [b]look into this [c]matter. 7 After there had been much (R)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that [d]in the early days (S)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of (T)the gospel and believe. 8 And God, (U)who knows the heart, testified to them (V)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and (W)He made no distinction between us and them, (X)cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you (Y)put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which (Z)neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through (AA)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were (AB)relating what (AC)signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
James’s Judgment
13 After they had stopped speaking, [e](AD)James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 (AE)Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of (AF)the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 ‘(AG)After these things (AH)I will return,
And I will rebuild the [f]tabernacle of David which has fallen,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 (AI)So that the rest of [g]mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles [h](AJ)who are called by My name,’
18 (AK)Says the Lord, who [i](AL)makes these things known from long ago.
19 Therefore it is (AM)my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from [j](AN)things contaminated by idols and from (AO)fornication and from (AP)what is strangled and from blood. 21 For (AQ)Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since [k]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
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