Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 Now Naomi had ^(A)a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was ^(B)Boaz. ² And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and ^(C)glean among the ears of grain after him ^(D)in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So she set out 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 clan of Elimelech. ⁴ And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, ^(E)“The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” ⁵ Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” ⁶ And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, ^(F)who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”^[a]

⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. ⁹ Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” ¹⁰ Then ^(G)she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should ^(H)take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” ¹¹ But Boaz answered her, ^(I)“All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. ^12 (J)The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” ¹³ Then she said, ^(K)“I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until ^(L)she was satisfied, and she had some left over. ¹⁵ When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah^[b] of barley. ¹⁸ And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over ^(M)after being satisfied. ¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man ^(N)who 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 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ^(O)“May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken ^(P)the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of ^(Q)our redeemers.” ²¹ And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” ²² And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” ²³ So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Bear One Another's Burdens

6 Brothers,^{[a] (A)}if anyone is caught in any transgression, ^(B)you who are spiritual should restore him in ^(C)a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ^2 (D)Bear one another's burdens, and ^(E)so fulfill ^(F)the law of Christ. ³ For ^(G)if anyone thinks he is something, ^(H)when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one ^(I)test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For ^(J)each will have to bear his own load.

^6 (K)Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. ^7 (L)Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for ^(M)whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸ For ^(N)the one who sows to his own flesh ^(O)will from the flesh reap corruption, but ^(P)the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹ And ^(Q)let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, ^(R)if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, ^(S)as we have opportunity, let us ^(T)do good to everyone, and especially to those who are ^(U)of the household of faith.

Final Warning and Benediction

¹¹ See with what large letters I am writing to you ^(V)with my own hand. ^12 (W)It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh ^(X)who would force you to be circumcised, and only ^(Y)in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But far be it from me to boast ^(Z)except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[b] the world ^(AA)has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For ^(AB)neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but ^(AC)a new creation. ¹⁶ And as for all who walk by this rule, ^(AD)peace and mercy be upon them, and upon ^(AE)the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

^18 (AF)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be ^(AG)with your spirit, brothers. Amen.