Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

How Good and Pleasant Is Unity

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

Joseph’s Brothers Sent to Egypt

42 Now ^(A)Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?” ² Then he said, “Behold, ^(B)I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from there, ^(C)so that we may live and not die.” ³ So ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt. ⁴ But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother ^(D)Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, “^(E)Lest any harm befall him.” ⁵ So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, ^(F)for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.

⁶ Now ^(G)Joseph was the one in power over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and ^(H)bowed down to him with their ^[a]faces to the ground. ⁷ And Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he disguised himself to them and ^(I)spoke to them harshly. And he said to them, “Where have you come from?” And they said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.”

⁸ But Joseph recognized his brothers, although ^(J)they did not recognize him. ⁹ And Joseph ^(K)remembered the dreams which he ^[b]had about them and said to them, “You are spies; you have come to look at the ^[c]nakedness of the land.” ¹⁰ Then they said to him, “No, ^(L)my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. ¹¹ We are all sons of one man; we are ^(M)honest men; your servants are not spies.” ¹² And he said to them, “No, but you have come to look at the ^[d]nakedness of our land!” ¹³ So they said, “Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with ^(N)our father today, and ^(O)one is no more.” ¹⁴ And Joseph said to them, “It is as I said ^[e]to you, you are spies; ¹⁵ by this you will be tested: ^(P)by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! ¹⁶ Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is ^(Q)truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.” ¹⁷ Then he put them all together in ^(R)prison for three days.

¹⁸ And Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and live, for ^(S)I fear God: ¹⁹ if you are honest men, let one of your brothers be confined in ^[f]your prison; but as for the rest of you, go, bring grain for the famine of your households, ²⁰ and ^(T)bring your youngest brother to me, so your words may be proven true, and you will not die.” And they did so. ²¹ Then they said to one another, “^(U)Surely we are guilty concerning our brother because we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us, yet we would not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.” ²² And Reuben answered them, saying, “^(V)Did I not tell you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the boy’; yet you would not listen? ^(W)So also his blood, behold, it is required of us.” ²³ Now they did not know that Joseph was listening, for there was an interpreter between them. ²⁴ And he turned away from them and ^(X)wept. Then he returned to them and spoke to them. And he ^(Y)took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes. ^25 (Z)Then Joseph gave a command to fill their bags with grain and to restore every man’s money in his sack and to give them provisions for the journey. And thus it was done for them.

²⁶ So they loaded their donkeys with their grain and went from there. ²⁷ Then one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place. And he saw his ^(AA)money; and behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. ²⁸ So he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts ^[g]sank, and they turned ^[h]trembling to one another, saying, “^(AB)What is this that God has done to us?”

^34 (A)And when they had crossed over, they came to land at ^(B)Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place ^[a]recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; ³⁶ and they were pleading with Him that they might just touch ^(C)the fringe of His garment; and as many as ^(D)touched it were cured.