Daily Readings

¹ Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?² And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.³ And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.⁴ But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.⁵ And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.⁶ And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.⁷ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.⁸ And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.⁹ And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.¹⁰ And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.¹¹ We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.¹² And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.¹³ And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.¹⁴ And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:¹⁵ Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.¹⁶ Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.¹⁷ And he put them all together into ward three days.¹⁸ And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:¹⁹ If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:²⁰ But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.²¹ And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.²² And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.²³ And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.²⁴ And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.²⁵ Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.²⁶ And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.²⁷ And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.²⁸ And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?²⁹ And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,³⁰ The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.³¹ And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:³² We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.³³ And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:³⁴ And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.³⁵ And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.³⁶ And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.³⁷ And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.³⁸ And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

¹ And the famine was sore in the land.² And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.³ And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.⁴ If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:⁵ But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.⁶ And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?⁷ And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?⁸ And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.⁹ I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:¹⁰ For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.¹¹ And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:¹² And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:¹³ Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:¹⁴ And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.¹⁵ And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.¹⁶ And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.¹⁷ And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.¹⁸ And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.¹⁹ And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,²⁰ And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food:²¹ And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.²² And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks.²³ And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.²⁴ And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.²⁵ And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.²⁶ And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.²⁷ And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?²⁸ And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.²⁹ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son.³⁰ And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.³¹ And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.³² And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.³³ And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marvelled one at another.³⁴ And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. And they drank, and were merry with him.

¹ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.² Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;³ Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.⁴ There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.⁶ The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.⁹ He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

¹ O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.² For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.³ He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.⁴ He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.⁵ God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.⁷ For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.⁸ God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.⁹ The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

¹ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.² Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.³ God is known in her palaces for a refuge.⁴ For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.⁵ They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.⁶ Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.⁷ Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.⁸ As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.⁹ We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.¹⁰ According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.¹¹ Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.¹² Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.¹³ Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.¹⁴ For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

¹ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.¹⁰ Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.¹¹ Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.¹² And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,¹³ Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.¹⁴ And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.¹⁵ So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.¹⁷ And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.