Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

This is a song that David wrote.

God takes care of his people^[a]

²⁸ Then Jacob sent Judah to go to Joseph before he got there himself. He learned how to get to Goshen and they arrived there. ²⁹ Joseph prepared his chariot and he went to Goshen to meet Jacob, his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father and he wept for a long time.

³⁰ Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Now I am ready to die. I have seen for myself that you are still alive.’ ³¹ Then Joseph spoke to his brothers and to his father's people. He said, ‘I will go and say to Pharaoh, “My brothers and all my father's people have arrived here from Canaan. ³² The men are shepherds. They take care of their animals. They have brought with them their sheep, goats and cows, and everything that they have.” ³³ Pharaoh will call you to meet him. He will ask you, “What is your job?” ³⁴ Then you should answer, “We have always taken care of cows and sheep since we were young men. Our ancestors have always done this work.” Egyptians do not want to live near people who take care of sheep. So Pharaoh will let you stay in the region called Goshen.’^[a]

Joseph works well for his master Pharaoh

47 Joseph went to Pharaoh. He told him, ‘My father and brothers have arrived from Canaan. They have come with their animals and everything that belongs to them. They are now in Goshen.’ ² Joseph took five of his brothers to go with him to meet Pharaoh. ³ Pharaoh asked the brothers, ‘What is your job?’ The brothers replied, ‘We are shepherds, sir. We take care of animals, just like our ancestors did.’ ⁴ They also said to Pharaoh, ‘We have come to stay here for a short time because there is a bad famine in Canaan. Our animals do not have any grass to eat there. Please sir, let us stay in Goshen.’

⁵ Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Your father and your brothers have now come to you. ⁶ The whole land of Egypt is here for them. Your father and your brothers should stay in the best part of the land. They may live in Goshen. Choose the best shepherds from among them to take care of my own animals.’

The priests put Peter and John in prison

4 Peter and John were still speaking to the crowd in the yard of the temple. Then some priests, the leader of the police in the temple and some Sadducees came to them. ² They were angry because of the things that Peter and John were teaching the people there. They were teaching that Jesus had become alive again after his death. The Jewish leaders did not agree that dead people could become alive again. ³ So they took hold of Peter and John. They put them in prison, because by then it was evening time. They put them in the prison until the next day. ⁴ But many of the people who had heard Peter's message believed what he said. There were now about 5,000 men who believed in Jesus.