Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

The Death of Jacob

²⁹ Then he gave them these instructions:^(A) “I am about to be gathered to my people.^(B) Bury me with my fathers^(C) in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,^{(D) 30} the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(E) near Mamre^(F) in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field^(G) as a burial place^(H) from Ephron the Hittite. ³¹ There Abraham^(I) and his wife Sarah^(J) were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah^(K) were buried, and there I buried Leah.^{(L) 32} The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.^[a](M)”

³³ When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.^(N)

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.^{(O) 2} Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,^{(P) 3} taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.^(Q)

⁴ When the days of mourning^(R) had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,^(S) “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(T) speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, ⁵ ‘My father made me swear an oath^(U) and said, “I am about to die;^(V) bury me in the tomb I dug for myself^(W) in the land of Canaan.”^(X) Now let me go up and bury my father;^(Y) then I will return.’”

⁶ Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

⁷ So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials^(Z) accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court^(AA) and all the dignitaries of Egypt— ⁸ besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.^(AB) Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.^{(AC) 9} Chariots^(AD) and horsemen^[b] also went up with him. It was a very large company.

¹⁰ When they reached the threshing floor^(AE) of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;^(AF) and there Joseph observed a seven-day period^(AG) of mourning^(AH) for his father.^{(AI) 11} When the Canaanites^(AJ) who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”^(AK) That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.^[c]

¹² So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:^{(AL) 13} They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,^(AM) near Mamre,^(AN) which Abraham had bought along with the field^(AO) as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.^{(AP) 14} After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.^(AQ)

¹³ Therefore let us stop passing judgment^(A) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.^{(B) 14} I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.^(C) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.^{(D) 15} If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.^(E) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.^{(F) 16} Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.^{(G) 17} For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,^(H) but of righteousness, peace^(I) and joy in the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 18} because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.^(K)

¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace^(L) and to mutual edification.^{(M) 20} Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.^(N) All food is clean,^(O) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.^{(P) 21} It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.^(Q)

²² So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn^(R) himself by what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts^(S) is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.^[a]

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak^(T) and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us should please our neighbors for their good,^(U) to build them up.^(V)