¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before one person could recognize another; for he said, ‘It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.’ ¹⁵ Then he said, ‘Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out.’ So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city. ¹⁶ She came to her mother-in-law, who said, ‘How did things go with you,^[a] my daughter?’ Then she told her all that the man had done for her, ¹⁷ saying, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’ ¹⁸ She replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.’

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth

4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin,^[b] of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, ‘Come over, friend; sit down here.’ And he went over and sat down. ² Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, ‘Sit down here’; so they sat down. ³ He then said to the next-of-kin,^[c] ‘Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: 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 will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.’ So he said, ‘I will redeem it.’ ⁵ Then Boaz said, ‘The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth^[d] the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.’ ⁶ At this, the next-of-kin^[e] said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.’

Psalm 94

God the Avenger of the Righteous

⁹ Let a widow be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old and has been married only once;^{[a] 10} she must be well attested for her good works, as one who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the saints’ feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. ¹¹ But refuse to put younger widows on the list; for when their sensual desires alienate them from Christ, they want to marry, ¹² and so they incur condemnation for having violated their first pledge. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to be idle, gadding about from house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not say. ¹⁴ So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, and manage their households, so as to give the adversary no occasion to revile us. ¹⁵ For some have already turned away to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman^[b] has relatives who are really widows, let her assist them; let the church not be burdened, so that it can assist those who are real widows.