Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi^(A) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home^[a](B) for you, where you will be well provided for. ² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative^(C) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.^{(D) 3} Wash,^(E) put on perfume,^(F) and get dressed in your best clothes.^(G) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.^{(H) 4} When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵ “I will do whatever you say,”^(I) Ruth answered.

Naomi Gains a Son

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,^(A) and she gave birth to a son.^{(B) 14} The women^(C) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,^(D) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.^(E) May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,^(F) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,^(G) has given him birth.”

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,^(H) the father of David.^(I)

²⁴ For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;^(A) he entered heaven itself,^(B) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^{(C) 25} Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(D) every year with blood that is not his own.^{(E) 26} Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(F) But he has appeared^(G) once for all^(H) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(I) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(J) and after that to face judgment,^{(K) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(L) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(M) not to bear sin,^(N) but to bring salvation^(O) to those who are waiting for him.^(P)

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(A) 40} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering^(B)

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put^(C) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”^(D)