Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 124

The Lord Is on Our Side

A song of ascents. Of David.

Jacob’s Burial Instructions

²⁹ Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(A) Bury me with my ancestors^(B) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite.^{(C) 30} The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property.^{(D) 31} Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there,^(E) Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there,^(F) and I buried Leah there.^{(G) 32} The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” ³³ When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

Jacob’s Burial

50 Then Joseph, leaning over his father’s face, wept and kissed him. ² He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. ³ They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(H)

⁴ When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that ⁵ my father made me take an oath,^(I) saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.’^(J) Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.”

⁶ So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.”

⁷ Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh’s servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, ⁸ along with all Joseph’s family, his brothers, and his father’s family. Only their dependents, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. ⁹ Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. ¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. ¹¹ When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim.^[a] It is across the Jordan.

¹² So Jacob’s sons did for him what he had commanded them. ¹³ They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hethite.^{(K) 14} After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

¹² For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves with some who commend^(A) themselves. But in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves,^(B) they lack understanding.^{(C) 13} We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned^(D) to us, which reaches even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We are not boasting beyond measure about other people’s labors. On the contrary, we have the hope^(E) that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel to the regions beyond you^(F) without boasting about what has already been done in someone else’s area of ministry.^{(G) 17} So let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.^{[a](H) 18} For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one the Lord commends.^(I)