Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 133
Living in Harmony
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 How delightfully good
when brothers live together in harmony!(A)
2 It is like fine oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down Aaron’s beard
onto his robes.(B)
3 It is like the dew of Hermon[a]
falling on the mountains of Zion.(C)
For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—
life forevermore.(D)
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon.[a](A) He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.(B)
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”(C)
16 “I am not able to,”(D) Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”[b](E)
17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows—weak, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such sickly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, sickly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. 21 When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. 22 In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, coming up on one stalk. 23 After them, seven heads of grain—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven good ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.”(F)
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.(G) 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.(H)
28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land.(I) 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.
33 “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”
Preparation for the Bowl Judgments
15 Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign[a] in heaven:(A) seven angels with the seven last plagues; for with them God’s wrath will be completed.(B) 2 I also saw something like a sea of glass(C) mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, its image,[b] and the number of its name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.(D) 3 They sang the song of God’s servant Moses(E) and the song of the Lamb:
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