Saturday, 03 February

37.   So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38.   And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" 39.   Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40.   "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." 41.   And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." 42.   Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43.   And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44.   Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." 45.   And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath–Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti–Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 46.   Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47.   Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. 48.   So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. 49.   Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. 50.   And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti–Pherah priest of On, bore to him. 51.   Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house." 52.   And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." 53.   Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, 54.   and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55.   So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do." 56.   The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57.   So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain , because the famine was severe in all lands.

1.   "Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. 2.   He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. 3.   And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring me to judgment with Yourself? 4.   Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! 5.   Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. 6.   Look away from him that he may rest, Till like a hired man he finishes his day. 7.   "For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. 8.   Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, 9.   Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. 10.   But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? 11.   As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, 12.   So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. 13.   "Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14.   If a man dies, shall he live again ? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. 15.   You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands. 16.   For now You number my steps, But do not watch over my sin. 17.   My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And You cover my iniquity. 18.   "But as a mountain falls and crumbles away, And as a rock is moved from its place; 19.   As water wears away stones, And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth; So You destroy the hope of man. 20.   You prevail forever against him, and he passes on; You change his countenance and send him away. 21.   His sons come to honor, and he does not know it ; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it . 22.   But his flesh will be in pain over it, And his soul will mourn over it."

1.   And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2.   "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3.   "and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4.   "Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."’ 5.   "But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6.   "And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them . 7.   "But when the king heard about it , he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8.   "Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9.   ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10.   "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11.   "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12.   "So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13.   "Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14.   "For many are called, but few are chosen." 15.   Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16.   And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17.   "Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" 18.   But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19.   "Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius. 20.   And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?" 21.   They said to Him, "Caesar’s." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." 22.   When they had heard these words , they marveled, and left Him and went their way.