One Year Bible Expressions - Flipbook - Page 87
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selves as slaves for Pharaoh. Just give us
grain so we may live and not die, and so
the land does not become empty and
desolate.”
20So Joseph bought all the land of
Egypt for Pharaoh. All the Egyptians sold
him their fields because the famine was
so severe, and soon all the land belonged
to Pharaoh. 21As for the people, he made
them all slaves,* from one end of Egypt to
the other. 22 The only land he did not buy
was the land belonging to the priests.
They received an allotment of food directly from Pharaoh, so they didn’t need
to sell their land.
23 Then Joseph said to the people,
“Look, today I have bought you and
your land for Pharaoh. I will provide
you with seed so you can plant the
fields. 24Then when you harvest it, onefifth of your crop will belong to Pharaoh. You may keep the remaining
four-fifths as seed for your fields and
as food for you, your households, and
your little ones.”
25“You have saved our lives!” they
exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord,
to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.” 26 Joseph
then issued a decree still in effect in the
land of Egypt, that Pharaoh should receive one-fifth of all the crops grown on
his land. Only the land belonging to the
priests was not given to Pharaoh.
27Meanwhile, the people of Israel settled in the region of Goshen in Egypt.
There they acquired property, and they
were fruitful, and their population grew
rapidly. 28 Jacob lived for seventeen
years after his arrival in Egypt, so he
lived 147 years in all.
29As the time of his death drew near,
Jacob* called for his son Joseph and said
to him, “Please do me this favor. Put
your hand under my thigh and swear
that you will treat me with unfailing love
by honoring this last request: Do not
bury me in Egypt. 30When I die, please
take my body out of Egypt and bury me
with my ancestors.”
So Joseph promised, “I will do as you
ask.”
31“Swear that you will do it,” Jacob in-
J A N U A R Y
2 3
sisted. So Joseph gave his oath, and Jacob bowed humbly at the head of his
bed.*
46:1 Hebrew Israel; also in 46:29, 30. See note on 35:21.
46:3 Hebrew I am El. 46:13a As in Syriac version and
Samaritan Pentateuch (see also 1 Chr 7:1); Hebrew reads
Puvah. 46:13b As in some Greek manuscripts and
Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Num 26:24; 1 Chr 7:1);
Hebrew reads Iob. 46:16 As in Greek version and
Samaritan Pentateuch (see also Num 26:15); Hebrew reads
Ziphion. 46:20 Greek version reads of Heliopolis.
46:27a Greek version reads nine sons, probably including
Joseph’s grandsons through Ephraim and Manasseh (see
1 Chr 7:14-20). 46:27b Greek version reads seventy-five;
see note on Exod 1:5. 47:21 As in Greek version and
Samaritan Pentateuch; Hebrew reads he moved them all into
the towns. 47:29 Hebrew Israel; also in 47:31b. See note on
35:21. 47:31 Greek version reads and Israel bowed in
worship as he leaned on his staff. Compare Heb 11:21.
MATTHEW 15:1-28
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious
law now arrived from Jerusalem to see
Jesus. They asked him, 2“Why do your
disciples disobey our age-old tradition?
For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by
your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4For instance, God
says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’*
and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully
of father or mother must be put to
death.’* 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t
help you. For I have vowed to give to God
what I would have given to you.’ 6In this
way, you say they don’t need to honor
their parents.* And so you cancel the
word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right
when he prophesied about you, for he
wrote,
‘These people honor me with their
lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas
as commands from God.’*”
8
10Then Jesus called to the crowd to
come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and
try to understand. 11It’s not what goes
into your mouth that defiles you; you are
defiled by the words that come out of
your mouth.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and
