Formation Journal Reading Plan

Genesis 50

50:1 Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him.
50:2 Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.
50:3 Forty days were fulfilled for him, for that is how many the days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for him for seventy days.
50:4 When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,
50:5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”
50:6 Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”
50:7 Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt,
50:8 all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.
50:9 There went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company.
50:10 They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.
50:11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore, its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.
50:12 His sons did to him just as he commanded them,
50:13 for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.
50:14 Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
50:15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him.”
50:16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying,
50:17 ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
50:18 His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
50:19 Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
50:21 Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
50:22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years.
50:23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees.
50:24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
50:25 Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”
50:26 So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Psalm 40

40:1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.
40:2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.
40:3 He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh.
40:4 Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
40:5 Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
40:6 Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.
40:7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll.
40:8 I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.”
40:9 I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.
40:10 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.
40:11 Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me.
40:12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.
40:13 Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh.
40:14 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.
40:15 Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!”
40:16 Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!”
40:17 But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

Matthew 17:1-13

17:1 After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
17:2 He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
17:3 Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
17:4 Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
17:6 When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.
17:7 Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.”
17:8 Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
17:10 His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
17:11 Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,
17:12 but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.”
17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.