How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

Boaz Redeems Ruth

4 Now Boaz had gone up to ^(A)the gate and sat down there. And behold, ^(B)the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. ² And he took ten men ^(C)of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ^(D)‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you^[a] will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth^[b] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order ^(E)to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” ^6 (F)Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

^7 (G)Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸ So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to ^(H)Chilion and to Mahlon. ¹⁰ Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, ^(I)to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” ¹¹ Then all the people who were ^(J)at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, ^(K)who together ^(L)built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in ^(M)Ephrathah and ^(N)be renowned in Bethlehem, ¹² and may your house be like the house of Perez, ^(O)whom Tamar bore to Judah, because ^(P)of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

Ruth and Boaz Marry

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, ^(Q)and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. ^14 (R)Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without ^(S)a redeemer, and may his name ^(T)be renowned in Israel! ¹⁵ He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, ^(U)who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. ^17 (V)And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹³ Since we have ^(A)the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^(B)“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(C)he who raised the Lord Jesus ^(D)will raise us also with Jesus and ^(E)bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For ^(F)it is all for your sake, so that as ^(G)grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, ^(H)to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. ^(I)Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, ^(J)our inner self ^(K)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(L)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ^18 (M)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our Heavenly Dwelling

5 For we know that if ^(N)the tent that is ^(O)our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, ^(P)a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this tent ^(Q)we groan, longing to ^(R)put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it on^[b] we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal ^(S)may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, ^(T)who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶ So we are always of good courage. We know that ^(U)while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for ^(V)we walk by faith, not ^(W)by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we ^(X)would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to ^(Y)please him. ¹⁰ For ^(Z)we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(AA)so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Giving to the Needy

6 “Beware of ^(A)practicing your righteousness before other people in order ^(B)to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

^2 (C)“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may ^(D)be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have ^(E)received their reward. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. ^(F)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Lord's Prayer

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love ^(G)to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. ^(H)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. ⁶ But when you pray, ^(I)go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. ^(J)And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as ^(K)the Gentiles do, for ^(L)they think that they will be heard ^(M)for their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, ^(N)for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ^9 (O)Pray then like this:

^14 (AA)For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ^15 (AB)but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Fasting

¹⁶ “And ^(AC)when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. ^(AD)Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.