Ruth’s Redemption Assured

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, (A)shall I not seek (B)security[a] for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, (C)whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and (D)anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and (E)his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?”

So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. (F)Take[b] your maidservant under your wing, for you are (G)a [c]close relative.”

10 Then he said, (H)“Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than (I)at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a (J)virtuous woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a (K)close relative; however, (L)there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will (M)perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, (N)as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, (O)“Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Also he said, “Bring the [d]shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then [e]she went into the city.

16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, [f]Is that you, my daughter?”

Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

18 Then she said, (P)“Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

Boaz Redeems Ruth

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, (Q)the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, [g]friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of (R)the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land (S)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to [h]inform you, saying, (T)‘Buy it back (U)in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if [i]you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; (V)for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ”

And he said, “I will redeem it.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, (W)to [j]perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”

(X)And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.

(Y)Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, (Z)that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from [k]his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”

11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. (AA)The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who (AB)built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in (AC)Ephrathah and be famous in (AD)Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of (AE)Perez, (AF)whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of (AG)the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”

Descendants of Boaz and Ruth(AH)

13 So Boaz (AI)took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, (AJ)the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then (AK)the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a [l]close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a [m]nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is (AL)better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 (AM)Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 (AN)Now this is the genealogy of Perez: (AO)Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot (AP)Nahshon, and Nahshon begot (AQ)Salmon;[n] 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot (AR)David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 3:1 Lit. rest
  2. Ruth 3:9 Or Spread the corner of your garment over your maidservant
  3. Ruth 3:9 redeemer, Heb. goel
  4. Ruth 3:15 cloak
  5. Ruth 3:15 Many Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. she; MT, LXX, Tg. he
  6. Ruth 3:16 Or How are you,
  7. Ruth 4:1 Heb. peloni almoni, lit. so and so
  8. Ruth 4:4 Lit. uncover your ear
  9. Ruth 4:4 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT he
  10. Ruth 4:5 Lit. raise up
  11. Ruth 4:10 Probably his civic office
  12. Ruth 4:14 redeemer, Heb. goel
  13. Ruth 4:15 sustainer
  14. Ruth 4:20 Heb. Salmah

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm (A)of the sons of Korah.

85 Lord, You have been favorable to Your land;
You have (B)brought back the captivity of Jacob.
You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people;
You have covered all their sin. Selah
You have taken away all Your wrath;
You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

(C)Restore us, O God of our salvation,
And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
(D)Will You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
Will You not (E)revive us again,
That Your people may rejoice in You?
Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And grant us Your salvation.

I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to [a]folly.
Surely (F)His salvation is near to those who fear Him,
(G)That glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together;
(H)Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 (I)Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 85:8 foolishness

Jesus Prays for Himself

17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, (A)the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, (B)as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He [a]should give eternal life to as many (C)as You have given Him. And (D)this is eternal life, that they may know You, (E)the only true God, and Jesus Christ (F)whom You have sent. (G)I have glorified You on the earth. (H)I have finished the work (I)which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together [b]with Yourself, with the glory (J)which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

(K)“I have [c]manifested Your name to the men (L)whom You have given Me out of the world. (M)They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words (N)which You have given Me; and they have received them, (O)and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that (P)You sent Me.

“I pray for them. (Q)I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and (R)Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 (S)Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, (T)keep[d] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one (U)as We are. 12 While I was with them [e]in the world, (V)I kept them in [f]Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and (W)none of them is [g]lost (X)except the son of [h]perdition, (Y)that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; (Z)and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, (AA)just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but (AB)that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 (AC)Sanctify[i] them by Your truth. (AD)Your word is truth. 18 (AE)As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And (AF)for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [j]will believe in Me through their word; 21 (AG)that they all may be one, as (AH)You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the (AI)glory which You gave Me I have given them, (AJ)that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; (AK)that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24 (AL)“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; (AM)for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! (AN)The world has not known You, but (AO)I have known You; and (AP)these have known that You sent Me. 26 (AQ)And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love (AR)with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Footnotes

  1. John 17:2 M shall
  2. John 17:5 Lit. alongside
  3. John 17:6 revealed
  4. John 17:11 NU, M keep them through Your name which You have given Me
  5. John 17:12 NU omits in the world
  6. John 17:12 NU Your name which You gave Me. And I guarded them; (or it;)
  7. John 17:12 destroyed
  8. John 17:12 destruction
  9. John 17:17 Set them apart
  10. John 17:20 NU, M omit will

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