Matthew 10:1-20
[1]
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every
affliction. [2] The names of the twelve apostles are these: first,
Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and
Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4]
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
[5]
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the
Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And proclaim as you go, saying,
‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give
without pay. [9] Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts,
[10] no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for
the laborer deserves his food. [11] And whatever town or village you
enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
[12] As you enter the house, greet it. [13] And if the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace
return to you. [14] And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your
words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or
town. [15] Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of
judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
[16]
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be
wise as serpents and innocent as doves. [17] Beware of men, for they
will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, [18]
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear
witness before them and the Gentiles. [19] When they deliver you over,
do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what
you are to say will be given to you in that hour. [20] For it is not you
who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Acts 15:1-21
[1]
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers,
“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot
be saved.” [2] And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were
appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about
this question. [3] So, being sent on their way by the church, they
passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the
conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
[4] When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and
the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done
with them. [5] But some believers who belonged to the party of the
Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to
order them to keep the law of Moses.”
[6]
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this
matter. [7] And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and
said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a
choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of
the gospel and believe. [8] And God, who knows the heart, bore witness
to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, [9] and he
made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts
by faith. [10] Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by
placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor
we have been able to bear? [11] But we believe that we will be saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
[12]
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and
Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them
among the Gentiles. [13] After they finished speaking, James replied,
“Brothers, listen to me. [14] Simeon has related how God first visited
the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. [15] And with
this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
[16] “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
[17] that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things [18] known from of old.’
[19] Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the
Gentiles who turn to God, [20] but should write to them to abstain from
the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what
has been strangled, and from blood. [21] For from ancient generations
Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every
Sabbath in the synagogues.”
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
[3] He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
[5] You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Genesis 50
[1]
Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him.
[2] And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his
father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. [3] Forty days were required
for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the
Egyptians wept for him seventy days.
[4]
And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the
household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes,
please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, [5] ‘My father made me
swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for
myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore,
let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” [6] And
Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.”
[7] So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the
servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of
the land of Egypt, [8] as well as all the household of Joseph, his
brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks,
and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. [9] And there went up
with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. [10]
When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the
Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation,
and he made a mourning for his father seven days. [11] When the
inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the
threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the
Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the
Jordan. [12] Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, [13]
for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the
cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham
bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying
place. [14] After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt
with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.
[15]
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It
may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we
did to him.” [16] So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your
father gave this command before he died: [17] ‘Say to Joseph, “Please
forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they
did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the
servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
[18] His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold,
we are your servants.” [19] But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for
am I in the place of God? [20] As for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be
kept alive, as they are today. [21] So do not fear; I will provide for
you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to
them.
[22]
So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived
110 years. [23] And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third
generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted
as Joseph’s own. [24] And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to
die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the
land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” [25] Then Joseph
made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and
you shall carry up my bones from here.” [26] So Joseph died, being 110
years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
