Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

5 Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. ² For there were some who said, “We, our sons and our daughters, are many. Let us get grain, that we may eat and live.” ³ There were also some who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses. Let us get grain, because of the famine.” ⁴ There were also some who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute using our fields and our vineyards as collateral. ⁵ Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold,^[a] we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

⁶ I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. ⁷ Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. ⁸ I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. ⁹ Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? ¹⁰ I likewise, my brothers and my servants, lend them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. ¹¹ Please restore to them, even today, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, that you are charging them.”

¹² Then they said, “We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. We will do so, even as you say.”

Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. ¹³ Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.”

All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise.

³⁹ When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. ⁴⁰ The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

⁴¹ His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast; ⁴³ and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it, ⁴⁴ but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day’s journey; and they looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances. ⁴⁵ When they didn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I were anxiously looking for you.”

⁴⁹ He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ They didn’t understand the saying which he spoke to them. ⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.