Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Security of Those Who Trust in the Lord, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

A Psalm of David.

The Brothers Are Brought Back

44 ^(A)Then he commanded his house steward, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the opening of his sack. ² And put my cup, the silver cup, in the opening of the sack of the youngest, and his money for the grain.” And he did ^[a]as Joseph had told him. ^3 [b]As soon as it was light, the men were sent away, they with their donkeys. ⁴ They had just left ^(B)the city, and were not far away, when Joseph said to his house steward, “Up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? ⁵ Is this not that from which my lord drinks, and which he indeed uses for ^(C)divination? You have done wrong in doing this!’”

⁶ So ^[c]he overtook them and spoke these words to them. ⁷ And they said to him, “Why does my lord say such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! ⁸ Behold, ^(D)the money which we found in the opening of our sacks we have brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? ^9 (E)With whomever of your servants it is found, he shall die, and we also shall be my lord’s ^(F)slaves.” ¹⁰ So he said, “Now let it indeed be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, but the rest of you shall be considered innocent.” ¹¹ Then they hurried, each man lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. ¹² And he searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest; and ^(G)the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³ Then they ^(H)tore their clothes in grief, and when each man had loaded his donkey, they returned to ^(I)the city.

¹⁴ When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, he was still there, and ^(J)they fell down to the ground before him. ¹⁵ Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice ^(K)divination?” ¹⁶ So Judah said, “What can we say to my lord? What words can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s ^(L)slaves, both we and the one in whose ^[d]possession the cup has been found.” ¹⁷ But he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose ^[e]possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.”

¹² I am writing to you, ^(A)little children, because ^(B)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him ^(C)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because ^(D)you have overcome ^(E)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because ^(F)you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him ^(G)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are ^(H)strong, and the ^(I)word of God remains in you, and ^(J)you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love ^(K)the world nor the things in the world. ^(L)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, ^(M)the lust of the flesh and ^(N)the lust of the eyes and ^(O)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ^17 (P)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who ^(Q)does the will of God continues to live forever.