Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Joseph’s Dreams
37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.(A) 2 These are the family records of Jacob.
At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives,(B) and he brought a bad report about them to their father.(C)
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age,(D) and he made a long-sleeved robe[a] for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him.
Joseph Sold into Slavery
12 His brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers, you know, are pasturing the flocks at Shechem. Get ready. I’m sending you to them.”
“I’m ready,” Joseph replied.
14 Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Hebron(A) Valley, and he went to Shechem.
15 A man found him there, wandering in the field, and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph said. “Can you tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”
17 “They’ve moved on from here,” the man said. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”(B) So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him.(C) 19 They said to one another, “Oh, look, here comes that dream expert![a] 20 So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[b] We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them.[c] He said, “Let’s not take his life.”(D) 22 Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from them and return him to his father.
23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off Joseph’s robe, the long-sleeved robe that he had on. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty, without water.(E)
25 They sat down to eat a meal,(F) and when they looked up, there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.(G) Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt.(H)
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed. 28 When Midianite(I) traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.(J)
Psalm 105
God’s Faithfulness to His People
1 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name;
proclaim his deeds among the peoples.(A)
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell about all his wondrous works!(B)
3 Boast in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.(C)
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.(D)
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
his wonders, and the judgments he has pronounced,[a](E)
6 you offspring of Abraham his servant,
Jacob’s descendants—his chosen ones.(F)
16 He called down famine against the land
and destroyed the entire food supply.(A)
17 He had sent a man ahead of them—
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.(B)
18 They hurt his feet with shackles;
his neck was put in an iron collar.(C)
19 Until the time his prediction came true,
the word of the Lord tested him.(D)
20 The king sent for him and released him;
the ruler of peoples set him free.(E)
21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all his possessions(F)—
22 binding[a] his officials at will
and instructing his elders.(G)
45 All this happened
so that they might keep his statutes
and obey his instructions.(A)
Hallelujah!
5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.[a](A) 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith(B) speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”[b](C) that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?”[c](D) that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.(E) 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.[d](F) This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(G) and believe in your heart(H) that God raised him from the dead,(I) you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,[e](J) 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,(K) because the same Lord(L) of all(M) richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[f](N)
Israel’s Rejection of the Message
14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him?(O) And how can they hear without a preacher?(P) 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful[g] are the feet of those who bring good news.[h](Q)
Walking on the Water
22 Immediately(A) he[a] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone.(B) 24 Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance[b] from land,[c] battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. 25 Jesus came toward them walking on the sea(C) very early in the morning.[d] 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.
27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”(D)
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.”
And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind,[e] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”(E)
32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”(F)
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