First Reading

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30

1And Israel, setting out with all that he had, arrived at the Well of the Oath. And sacrificing victims there to the God of his father Isaac, 2he heard him, by a vision in the night, calling him, and saying to him: “Jacob, Jacob.” And he answered him, “Behold, here I am.” 3God said to him: “I am the most strong God of your father. Do not be afraid. Descend into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. 4I will descend with you to that place, and I will lead you back from there, returning. Also, Joseph will place his hands over your eyes. 5Then Jacob rose up from the Well of the Oath. And his sons took him, with their little ones and wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry the old man, 6along with all that he possessed in the land of Canaan. And he arrived in Egypt with all his offspring: 7his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and all his progeny together. 8Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who entered into Egypt, he with his children. The firstborn is Reuben. 9The sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi. 10The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad, and Jachin and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. 11The sons of Levi: Gershon and Kohath, and Merari. 12The sons of Judah: Er and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez and Zerah. Now Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And sons were born to Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13The sons of Issachar: Tola and Puvah, and Job and Shimron. 14The sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel. 15These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore, along with his daughter Dinah, in Mesopotamia of Syria. All the souls of her sons and daughters are thirty-three. 16The sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, and Shuni and Ezbon, and Eri and Arodi, and Areli. 17The sons of Asher: Imnah and Jesua, and Jessui and Beriah, and also their sister Sarah. The sons of Beria: Heber and Malchiel. 18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah. And these she bore to Jacob: sixteen souls. 19The sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin. 20And sons were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis, bore for him: Manasseh and Ephraim. 21The sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher, and Ashbel and Gera, and Naaman and Ehi, and Rosh and Moppim, and Huppim and Ard. 22These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob: all these souls are fourteen. 23The sons of Dan: Hushim. 24The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni, and Jezer and Shillem. 25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel, and these she bore to Jacob: all these souls are seven. 26All the souls who went into Egypt with Jacob and who went out from his thigh, besides the wives of his sons, were sixty-six. 27Now the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in the land of Egypt, were two souls. All the souls of the house of Jacob, who went into Egypt, were seventy. 28Then he sent Judah ahead of himself, to Joseph, in order to report to him, and so that he would meet him in Goshen. 29And when he had arrived there, Joseph harnessed his chariot, and he went up to meet his father at the same place. And seeing him, he fell upon his neck, and, amid embraces, he wept. 30And the father said to Joseph, “Now I will die happy, because I have seen your face, and I am leaving you behind alive.”

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 36

3Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and so you shall be pastured with its riches. 4Delight in the Lord, and he will grant to you the petitions of your heart. 5Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it. 6And he will bring forth your justice like the light, and your judgment like the midday. 7Be subject to the Lord and pray to him. Do not choose to compete with him who prospers in his way, with the man who does injustice. 8Cease from wrath and leave behind rage. Do not choose to imitate the malicious. 9For those who are malicious will be exterminated. But those who remain with the Lord, these will inherit the land. 10Yet still a little while, and the sinner will not be. And you will search his place and find nothing. 11But the meek shall inherit the earth, and they will delight in the multitude of peace. 12The sinner will observe the just, and he will gnash his teeth over him. 13But the Lord will laugh at him: for he knows in advance that his day will come. 14The sinners have drawn the sword, they have bent their bow, so as to cast down the poor and the needy, so as to massacre the upright of heart. 15Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken. 16A little is better to the just than the many riches of sinners. 17For the arms of sinners will be crushed, but the Lord confirms the just. 18The Lord knows the days of the immaculate, and their inheritance will be in eternity. 19They will not be confounded in an evil time; and in days of famine, they will be satisfied: 20for sinners will perish. Truly, the adversaries of the Lord, soon after they have been honored and exalted, will fade away, in the same way that smoke fades away. 21The sinner will lend and not release, but the just one shows compassion and donates. 22For those who bless him will inherit the earth, but those who curse him will perish. 23The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will choose his way. 24When he falls, he will not be harmed, because the Lord places his hand under him. 25I have been young, and now I am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his offspring seeking bread. 26He shows compassion and lends, all day long, and his offspring will be in blessing. 27Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever. 28For the Lord loves judgment, and he will not abandon his saints. They will be kept safe in eternity. The unjust will be punished, and the offspring of the impious will perish. 29But the just will inherit the earth, and they will dwell upon it forever and ever. 30The mouth of the just one will express wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. 31The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted. 32The sinner considers the just one and seeks to put him to death. 33But the Lord will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him, when he will be judged. 34Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way. And he will exalt you, so as to inherit the land that you may seize. When the sinners will have passed away, then you shall see. 35I have seen the impious over-exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon. 36And I passed by, and behold, he was not. And I sought him, and his place was not found. 37Keep to innocence, and gaze upon fairness: because there are allotments for the peaceful man. 38But the unjust will be destroyed together: the allotments of the impious will pass away. 39But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in time of tribulation. 40And the Lord will help them and free them. And he will rescue them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in him.

Gospel

Matthew 10:16-23

16Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be as prudent as serpents and as simple as doves. 17But beware of men. For they will hand you over to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues. 18And you shall be led before both rulers and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they hand you over, do not choose to think about how or what to speak. For what to speak shall be given to you in that hour. 20For it is not you who will be speaking, but the Spirit of your Father, who will speak in you. 21And brother will hand over brother to death, and father will hand over son. And children will rise up against parents and bring about their deaths. 22And you will be hated by all for the sake of my name. But whoever will have persevered, even to the end, the same shall be saved. 23Now when they persecute you in one city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you will not have exhausted all the cities of Israel, before the Son of man returns.