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Psalm 3

1  Lord, how many are my adversaries; ♦︎
   many are they who rise up against me.
2  Many are they who say to my soul, ♦︎
   ‘There is no help for you in your God.’
3  But you, Lord, are a shield about me; ♦︎
   you are my glory, and the lifter up of my head.
4  When I cry aloud to the Lord, ♦︎
   he will answer me from his holy hill;
5  I lie down and sleep and rise again, ♦︎
   because the Lord sustains me.
6  I will not be afraid of hordes of the peoples ♦︎
   that have set themselves against me all around.
7  Rise up, O Lord, and deliver me, O my God, ♦︎
   for you strike all my enemies on the cheek
      and break the teeth of the wicked.
8  Salvation belongs to the Lord: ♦︎
   may your blessing be upon your people.

Psalm 6

1  O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath; ♦︎
   neither chasten me in your fierce anger.
2  Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; ♦︎
   Lord, heal me, for my bones are racked.
3  My soul also shakes with terror; ♦︎
   how long, O Lord, how long?
4  Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul; ♦︎
   save me for your loving mercy’s sake.
5  For in death no one remembers you; ♦︎
   and who can give you thanks in the grave?
6  I am weary with my groaning; ♦︎
   every night I drench my pillow
      and flood my bed with my tears.
7  My eyes are wasted with grief ♦︎
   and worn away because of all my enemies.
8  Depart from me, all you that do evil, ♦︎
   for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
9  The Lord has heard my supplication; ♦︎
   the Lord will receive my prayer.
10  All my enemies shall be put to shame and confusion; ♦︎
   they shall suddenly turn back in their shame.

Joseph Detains Benjamin

44Then he commanded the steward of his house, ‘Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the top of his sack. ²Put my cup, the silver cup, in the top of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.’ And he did as Joseph told him. ³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. ⁴When they had gone only a short distance from the city, Joseph said to his steward, ‘Go, follow after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, “Why have you returned evil for good? Why have you stolen my silver cup?^{* 5}Is it not from this that my lord drinks? Does he not indeed use it for divination? You have done wrong in doing this.” ’

6 When he overtook them, he repeated these words to them. ⁷They said to him, ‘Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants that they should do such a thing! ⁸Look, the money that we found at the top of our sacks, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan; why then would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? ⁹Should it be found with any one of your servants, let him die; moreover, the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.’ ¹⁰He said, ‘Even so; in accordance with your words, let it be: he with whom it is found shall become my slave, but the rest of you shall go free.’ ¹¹Then each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. ¹²He searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. ¹³At this they tore their clothes. Then each one loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

14 Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house while he was still there; and they fell to the ground before him. ¹⁵Joseph said to them, ‘What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that one such as I can practise divination?’ ¹⁶And Judah said, ‘What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; here we are then, my lord’s slaves, both we and also the one in whose possession the cup has been found.’ ¹⁷But he said, ‘Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the one in whose possession the cup was found shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.’

The Unmarried and the Widows

25 Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. ²⁶I think that, in view of the impending^* crisis, it is well for you to remain as you are. ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But if you marry, you do not sin, and if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will experience distress in this life,^* and I would spare you that. ²⁹I mean, brothers and sisters,^* the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, ³⁰and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, ³¹and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.