ק Qoph

ר Resh

ש Sin and Shin

ת Taw

Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field

2 Now Naomi had a relative^(A) on her husband’s side, a man of standing^(B) from the clan of Elimelek,^(C) whose name was Boaz.^(D)

² And Ruth the Moabite^(E) said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain^(F) behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.^(G)”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” ³ So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.^(H) As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.^(I)

⁴ Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!^(J)”

“The Lord bless you!^(K)” they answered.

⁵ Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

⁶ The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite^(L) who came back from Moab with Naomi. ⁷ She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves^(M) behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest^(N) in the shelter.”

⁸ So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. ⁹ Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

¹⁰ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.^(O) She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me^(P)—a foreigner?^(Q)”

¹¹ Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law^(R) since the death of your husband^(S)—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know^(T) before.^{(U) 12} May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord,^(V) the God of Israel,^(W) under whose wings^(X) you have come to take refuge.^(Y)”

¹³ “May I continue to find favor in your eyes,^(Z) my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”

²³ I call God as my witness^(A)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you^(B) that I did not return to Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we lord it over^(C) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.^(D) 2 ¹ So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.^{(E) 2} For if I grieve you,^(F) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? ³ I wrote as I did,^(G) so that when I came I would not be distressed^(H) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence^(I) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. ⁴ For I wrote you^(J) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

⁵ If anyone has caused grief,^(K) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment^(L) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,^(M) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. ⁹ Another reason I wrote you^(N) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.^{(O) 10} Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, ¹¹ in order that Satan^(P) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.^(Q)

Ministers of the New Covenant

¹² Now when I went to Troas^(R) to preach the gospel of Christ^(S) and found that the Lord had opened a door^(T) for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind,^(U) because I did not find my brother Titus^(V) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.^(W)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God,^(X) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma^(Y) of the knowledge^(Z) of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma^(AA) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.^{(AB) 16} To the one we are an aroma that brings death;^(AC) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?^{(AD) 17} Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.^(AE) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,^(AF) as those sent from God.^(AG)

Murder^(A)

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a](B) and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry^(C) with a brother or sister^[b][c] will be subject to judgment.^(D) Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’^[d] is answerable to the court.^(E) And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.^(F)

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵ “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶ Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.