Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A song for going up to worship.
130 O Lord, out of the depths I call to you.
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be open to my pleas for mercy.
3 O Lord, who would be able to stand
if you kept a record of sins?
4 But with you there is forgiveness
so that you can be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and with hope I wait for his word.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
because with the Lord there is mercy
and with him there is unlimited forgiveness.
8 He will rescue Israel from all its sins.
Pharaoh Invites Jacob’s [Israel’s] Family to Live in Egypt
16 When Pharaoh’s household heard the news that Joseph’s brothers had come, Pharaoh and his officials were pleased. 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Load up your animals, and go back to Canaan. 18 Take your father and your families, and come to me. I will give you the best land in Egypt. Then you can enjoy the best food in the land.’
19 “Give them this order: ‘Take wagons with you from Egypt for your children and your wives. Bring your father, and come back. 20 Don’t worry about your belongings because the best of everything in Egypt is yours.’ ”
21 Israel’s sons did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons and supplies for their trip as Pharaoh had ordered. 22 He gave each of them a change of clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of clothes. 23 He sent his father ten male donkeys carrying Egypt’s best products and ten female donkeys carrying grain, bread, and food for his father’s trip. 24 So Joseph sent his brothers on their way. As they were leaving, he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on your way back!”
25 So they left Egypt and came to their father Jacob in Canaan. 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! Yes, he is ruler of Egypt.” Jacob was stunned and didn’t believe them. 27 Yet, when they told their father everything Joseph had said to them and he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to bring him back, his spirits were lifted.
28 “You have convinced me!” Israel said. “My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
Jesus Cures a Man with a Skin Disease(A)
8 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.
2 A man with a serious skin disease came and bowed down in front of him. The man said to Jesus, “Sir, if you’re willing, you can make me clean.” [a]
3 Jesus reached out, touched him, and said, “I’m willing. So be clean!” Immediately, his skin disease went away, and he was clean.
4 Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this! Instead, show yourself to the priest. Then offer the sacrifice Moses commanded as proof to people that you are clean.”
A Believing Army Officer(B)
5 When Jesus went to Capernaum, a Roman army officer came to beg him for help. 6 The officer said, “Sir, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.”
7 Jesus said to him, “I’ll come to heal him.”
8 The officer responded, “Sir, I don’t deserve to have you come into my house. But just give a command, and my servant will be healed. 9 As you know, I’m in a chain of command and have soldiers at my command. I tell one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I tell my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
10 Jesus was amazed when he heard this. He said to those who were following him, “I can guarantee this truth: I haven’t found faith as great as this in anyone in Israel. 11 I can guarantee that many will come from all over the world. They will eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 The citizens of that kingdom will be thrown outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.”
13 Jesus told the officer, “Go! What you believed will be done for you.” And at that moment the servant was healed.
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