Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Mercy
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
130 Lord, ·I am in great trouble [L from the depths],
so I ·call out [pray] to you.
2 Lord, hear my voice;
·listen to my prayer for help [L let your ear pay attention to the sound of my supplication].
3 Lord, if you ·punished people for all their sins [L observed/watched/guarded against iniquity],
·no one would be left [L who could stand…?], Lord.
4 But you forgive ·us [L your people],
so you are ·respected [feared; Prov. 1:7].
5 I ·wait [hope] for the Lord ·to help me [L my soul hopes],
and I ·trust [hope in] his word.
6 I ·wait for the Lord to help me [hope for the Lord]
more than night watchmen wait for the ·dawn [morning],
more than night watchmen wait for the ·dawn [morning].
7 People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord
because he is ·loving [loyal]
and ·able to save [L with him is abundant redemption].
8 He will ·save [redeem] Israel
from all their ·sins [iniquities].
The Brothers Go Back to Egypt
43 ·Still no food grew in the land of Canaan [L The famine was heavy/severe in the land]. 2 When ·Jacob’s family [L they] had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go to Egypt again and buy a little more ·grain [L food] for us to eat.”
3 But Judah said to Jacob, “The ·governor of that country [man] strongly warned us, ‘·If you don’t bring your brother back with you, you will not be allowed to see me [L You may not see my face unless your brother is with you].’ 4 If you will send ·Benjamin [L our brother] with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you ·refuse to send Benjamin [L are not sending], we will not go. The ·governor of that country [L man] ·warned [L said to] us that ·we would not see him if we didn’t bring Benjamin with us [L you will not see my face unless your brother is with you].”
6 Israel [C another name for Jacob; 32:28] said, “Why did you tell the man you had another brother? You have ·caused me a lot of trouble [wronged/harmed me].”
7 The brothers answered, “He questioned us ·carefully [or specifically] about ourselves and our family. He asked us, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. How could we know he would ask us to bring our other brother to him?”
8 Then Judah said to his father ·Jacob [L Israel; 32:28], “Send ·Benjamin [L the lad/child] with me, and we will ·go at once [L rise up and go] so that we, you, and our ·children [little ones] may live and not die. 9 I will ·guarantee you that he will be safe [L be a guarantee for him], and I will be personally ·responsible [accountable] for him. If I don’t bring him back to you, ·you can blame me [L I will be condemned before you] all my life. 10 If we had not ·wasted all this time [been delayed], we could have already ·made two trips [returned twice].”
11 Then their father ·Jacob [L Israel; 32:28] said to them, “If it has to be that way, then do this: Take some of the best ·foods [products] in our land in your packs. Give them to the man as a gift: some balm, some honey, ·spices [or gum], ·myrrh [or resin], pistachio nuts, and almonds. 12 Take twice as much ·money [silver] ·with you this time [L in your hands], and take back the ·money [silver] that was returned to you in [L the mouth of] your sacks last time. Maybe it was a ·mistake [L error; oversight]. 13 And take ·Benjamin [L your brother] with you. Now ·leave and go [L rise up and return] to the man. 14 I pray that God Almighty will cause the ·governor [L man] to be ·merciful to [compassionate toward] you and that he will allow ·Simeon [L your other brother] and Benjamin to come back with you. If I am ·robbed of my children [bereaved], then I am ·robbed of them [bereaved]!”
15 So the ·brothers [L men] took the ·gifts [or tribute]. They also took twice ·as much money as they had taken the first time [L the money/silver in their hand], and they took Benjamin. They ·hurried [L rose up and went] down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] his house, “Bring those men into my house. ·Kill [Slaughter] an animal and prepare a meal. Those men will eat with me today at noon.” 17 The ·servant [L man] did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph’s house.
18 The ·brothers [L men] were afraid when they were brought to Joseph’s house and thought, “We were brought here because of the money that was ·put [returned; replaced] in our sacks on the first trip. He wants to ·attack [L fall on] us, make us slaves, and take our donkeys.” 19 So the brothers went to the ·servant in charge of [L one over] Joseph’s house and spoke to him at the ·door [entrance] of the house. 20 They said, “·Master [Lord], we came here ·once before [the first time] to buy food. 21 While we were going home, ·we stopped for the night and [L at the lodging place] when we opened our sacks each of us found all his ·money [silver in its weight] in his sack [42:26–28]. We brought that ·money [silver] ·with us to give it [L in our hands] back to you. 22 And we have brought ·more [additional] money to pay for the food we want to buy this time. We don’t know who put that money in our sacks.”
23 But the servant answered, “·It’s all right [L Peace be with you]. Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, must have put the ·money [silver; L treasure] in your sacks. I got the ·money [silver] you paid me for the grain last time.” Then the servant brought Simeon out to them.
24 The ·servant [L man] ·led [brought] the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet. Then he gave their donkeys ·food to eat [fodder]. 25 The men prepared their ·gift [tribute] to give to Joseph when he arrived at noon, because they had heard they were going to eat with him there.
26 When Joseph came home, the brothers gave him the ·gift [tribute] ·they had brought [L in their hand] into the house and bowed down to the ground in front of him. 27 Joseph asked them how they were doing. He said, “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still alive?”
28 The brothers answered, “Your servant, our father, is well. He is still alive.” And they bowed low ·before Joseph to show him respect [L and did obeisance].
29 When ·Joseph [L he lifted his eyes and] saw his brother Benjamin, ·who had the same mother as he [L the son of his mother], Joseph asked, “Is this your ·youngest [smallest] brother you told me about?” Then he said to Benjamin, “God be ·good [gracious] to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried off because he ·had to hold back the tears [L was overwhelmed with affection] when he saw his brother Benjamin. So Joseph went into his room and cried there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out. He controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”
32 So they served Joseph ·at one table [L by himself], his brothers ·at another table [L by themselves], and the Egyptians who ate with him ·at another table [L by themselves]. ·This was because Egyptians did not like Hebrews and never ate with them [L For the Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for it was an abomination to the Egyptians]. 33 Joseph’s brothers were seated in front of him ·in order of their ages [L the firstborn according to his birthright], ·from oldest to youngest [L the youngest according to his youth]. They looked at each other because they were so amazed. 34 ·Food [Portions] from Joseph’s table was taken to them, but Benjamin was given five times more food than the others. Joseph’s brothers ate and ·drank freely [celebrated with drinking] with him.
The Meeting in Jerusalem
15 Then some people came to Antioch from Judea and began teaching the Gentile believers [L brothers (and sisters)]: “You cannot be saved if you are not circumcised ·as Moses taught us [L according to the custom of Moses; compare Gen. 17:9–14].” 2 Paul and Barnabas ·were against this teaching and argued [L had no small argument and debate] with them about it. So the church ·decided to send [commissioned; appointed] Paul, Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem where they could talk more about this disagreement with the apostles and elders.
3 The church ·helped them leave [sent them] on the trip, and they went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about ·how the other nations had turned to God [L the conversion of the Gentiles]. This made all the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] very ·happy [joyful]. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, the elders, and the church. They told about everything God had done with them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee ·group [sect; party; faction] ·came forward [L stood up] and said, “·The Gentile believers [L They] must be circumcised. They must be ·told to obey [ordered to keep] the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this ·problem [matter]. 7 After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “[L Men,] Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me from among you to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] to the ·nations [Gentiles]. They heard the ·Good News [Gospel] from ·me [L my mouth], and they believed. 8 God, who knows the ·thoughts of everyone [L heart], ·accepted [showed his approval of; L testified for] them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts ·pure [clean]. 10 So now why are you testing God by putting a ·heavy load around [L yoke on] the necks of the ·Gentile believers [L disciples]? It is a ·load [yoke] that neither we nor our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] were ·able [strong enough] to ·carry [bear]. 11 But we believe that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
12 Then the whole ·group [assembly] became quiet. They listened to Paul and Barnabas tell about all the [miraculous] signs and ·miracles [wonders] that God did through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James said, “[L Men,] Brothers, listen to me. 14 ·Simon [C Peter; v. 7] has told us how God ·showed his love for [cared for; intervened with; visited] the Gentiles [Acts 10—11]. For the first time he is ·accepting [taking; selecting] from among them a people ·to be his own [L for his name]. 15 The words of the prophets agree with this too [L as it is written]:
16 ‘After these things I will return.
And I will rebuild the tent of David, which has fallen [C either the Davidic dynasty of kings (the “house of David”), or the nation Israel generally].
But I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will ·set it up [restore it].
17 Then ·those people who are left alive [the remnant; L the rest of the people] may ·ask the Lord for help [L seek the Lord],
and the ·other nations [Gentiles] ·that belong to me [L who are called by my name],
says the Lord,
who will make it happen.
18 And these things have been known ·for a long time [from long ago; Amos 9:11–12; C a reference to God’s promise that he would restore the “remnant” of Israel and save the Gentiles].’
19 “So I ·think [conclude; judge] we should not ·bother [trouble; cause trouble for] the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write a letter to them telling them these things: Stay away from food ·that has been offered to idols (which makes it unclean) [L polluted by idols], ·any kind of sexual sin [or prohibited marriages; C the Greek word could mean any sexual sin, or marriages viewed as incestuous by OT law], eating animals that have been strangled [C leaving the blood inside, which the OT law prohibited; Gen. 9:4], and blood [C consuming blood was forbidden in the OT law; Lev. 17:10–12]. 21 They should do these things, because for a long time in every city ·the law of Moses has been taught [L Moses has been preached/proclaimed; C referring to the Torah (the Law)]. And it is still read in the synagogue every Sabbath day.” [C These guidelines were to keep from offending pious Jews in the community and so promote unity in the Church.]
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