Do Not Worry^(A)

²² Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, ^(B)do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³ Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and ^(C)God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶ If you then are not able to do the least, why ^[a]are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even ^(D)Solomon in all his glory was not ^[b]arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of ^(E)little faith?

²⁹ “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰ For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father ^(F)knows that you need these things. ^31 (G)But seek ^[c]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for ^(H)it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ^33 (I)Sell what you have and give ^(J)alms; ^(K)provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 There was a ^(A)relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of ^(B)Elimelech. His name was ^(C)Boaz. ² So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the ^(D)field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.”

And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

³ Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

⁴ Now behold, Boaz came from ^(E)Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ^(F)“The Lord be with you!”

And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”

⁵ Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

⁶ So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman ^(G)who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”

⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. ⁹ Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

¹⁰ So she ^(H)fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found ^(I)favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

¹¹ And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, ^(J)all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. ^12 (K)The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, ^(L)under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

¹³ Then she said, ^(M)“Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken ^[a]kindly to your maidservant, ^(N)though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

¹⁴ Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and ^(O)was satisfied, and kept some back. ¹⁵ And when she rose up to ^[b]glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not ^[c]reproach her. ¹⁶ Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of ^(P)barley. ¹⁸ Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her ^(Q)what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who ^(R)took notice of you.”

So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

²⁰ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ^(S)“Blessed be he of the Lord, who ^(T)has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, ^(U)one of ^[d]our close relatives.”

Be Anxious for Nothing; Think These Thoughts

4 Therefore, my beloved and ^(A)longed-for brethren, ^(B)my joy and crown, so ^(C)stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

Be United, Joyful, and in Prayer

² I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche ^(D)to be of the same mind in the Lord. ^3 [a]And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who ^(E)labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in ^(F)the Book of Life.

^4 (G)Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

⁵ Let your ^[b]gentleness be known to all men. ^(H)The Lord is at hand.

^6 (I)Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with ^(J)thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and ^(K)the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are ^(L)true, whatever things are ^(M)noble, whatever things are ^(N)just, ^(O)whatever things are pure, whatever things are ^(P)lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and ^(Q)the God of peace will be with you.

Philippian Generosity

¹⁰ But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last ^(R)your^[c] care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. ¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, ^(S)to be content: ^12 (T)I know how to ^[d]be abased, and I know how to ^[e]abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things ^(U)through ^[f]Christ who strengthens me.

¹⁴ Nevertheless you have done well that ^(V)you shared in my distress. ¹⁵ Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, ^(W)no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. ¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek ^(X)the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I ^[g]have all and abound. I am full, having received from ^(Y)Epaphroditus the things sent from you, ^(Z)a sweet-smelling aroma, ^(AA)an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God ^(AB)shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ^20 (AC)Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Greeting and Blessing

²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren ^(AD)who are with me greet you. ²² All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.

²³ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with ^[h]you all. Amen.