Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes

A Song of Ascents.

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

The Joy of Going to the House of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

Prayer for Relief from Contempt

A Song of Ascents.

¹⁵ And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to ^(A)her people and to her gods; ^(B)return after your sister-in-law.”

¹⁶ But Ruth said:

^18 (F)When she saw that she ^[b]was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

¹⁹ Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that ^(G)all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, ^(H)“Is this Naomi?”

²⁰ But she said to them, “Do not call me ^[c]Naomi; call me ^[d]Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. ²¹ I went out full, ^(I)and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and ^[e]the Almighty has afflicted me?”

²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem ^(J)at the beginning of barley harvest.

Paul’s Sincerity

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in ^[a]simplicity and ^(A)godly sincerity, ^(B)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. ¹³ For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end ¹⁴ (as also you have understood us in part), ^(C)that we are your boast as ^(D)you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sparing the Church

¹⁵ And in this confidence ^(E)I intended to come to you before, that you might have ^(F)a second benefit— ¹⁶ to pass by way of you to Macedonia, ^(G)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan ^(H)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? ¹⁸ But as God is ^(I)faithful, our ^[b]word to you was not Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(J)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, ^(K)Silvanus, and ^(L)Timothy—was not Yes and No, ^(M)but in Him was Yes. ^20 (N)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and ^(O)has anointed us is God, ²² who ^(P)also has sealed us and ^(Q)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Believers Are Salt and Light^(A)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; ^(B)but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

^14 (C)“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they ^(D)light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, ^(E)that they may see your good works and ^(F)glorify your Father in heaven.

Christ Fulfills the Law

^17 (G)“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, ^(H)till heaven and earth pass away, one ^[a]jot or one ^[b]tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ^19 (I)Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds ^(J)the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.