Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi^(A) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home^[a](B) for you, where you will be well provided for. ² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative^(C) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.^{(D) 3} Wash,^(E) put on perfume,^(F) and get dressed in your best clothes.^(G) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.^{(H) 4} When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵ “I will do whatever you say,”^(I) Ruth answered. ⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor^(J) and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,^(K) he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.^(L) Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

⁹ “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment^(M) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer^[b](N) of our family.”

¹⁰ “The Lord bless you,^(O) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:^(P) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.^{(Q) 12} Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,^(R) there is another who is more closely related than^(S) I. ¹³ Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,^(T) good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives^(U) I will do it.^(V) Lie here until morning.”

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.^(W)”^(X)

¹⁵ He also said, “Bring me the shawl^(Y) you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he^[c] went back to town.

¹⁶ When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her ¹⁷ and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸ Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”^(Z)

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate^(AA) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[d](AB) he had mentioned^(AC) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders^(AD) of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.^{(AE) 3} Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.^{(AF) 4} I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[e] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,^(AG) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,^(AH) the^[f] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”^(AI)

⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem^(AJ) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”^(AK)

⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption^(AL) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal^(AM) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions^(AN) in Israel.)^(AO)

⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.^(AP)

⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses^(AQ) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,^(AR) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,^(AS) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.^(AT) Today you are witnesses!^(AU)”

¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate^(AV) said, “We are witnesses.^(AW) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,^(AX) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah^(AY) and be famous in Bethlehem.^{(AZ) 12} Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,^(BA) whom Tamar^(BB) bore to Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,^(BC) and she gave birth to a son.^{(BD) 14} The women^(BE) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,^(BF) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.^(BG) May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,^(BH) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,^(BI) has given him birth.”

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,^(BJ) the father of David.^(BK)

The Genealogy of David^(BL)

¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez^(BM):

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets^(A) of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination:^(B) ‘Hear the word of the Lord!^{(C) 3} This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish^[a] prophets^(D) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!^{(E) 4} Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. ⁵ You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair^(F) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.^{(G) 6} Their visions are false^(H) and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent^(I) them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.^{(J) 7} Have you not seen false visions^(K) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

⁸ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,^(L) declares the Sovereign Lord. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying^(M) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records^(N) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.^(O)

¹⁰ “‘Because they lead my people astray,^(P) saying, “Peace,”^(Q) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,^{(R) 11} therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones^(S) hurtling down,^(T) and violent winds will burst forth.^{(U) 12} When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

¹³ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones^(V) and torrents of rain^(W) will fall with destructive fury.^{(X) 14} I will tear down the wall^(Y) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation^(Z) will be laid bare. When it^[b] falls,^(AA) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. ¹⁵ So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, ¹⁶ those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AB)”’

¹⁷ “Now, son of man, set your face^(AC) against the daughters^(AD) of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them^{(AE) 18} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? ¹⁹ You have profaned^(AF) me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.^(AG) By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.^(AH)

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.^{(AI) 21} I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.^{(AJ) 22} Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,^(AK) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,^{(AL) 23} therefore you will no longer see false visions^(AM) or practice divination.^(AN) I will save^(AO) my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.^(AP)’”

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2} in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3} All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(Y)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(Z) to the covenants of the promise,^(AA) without hope^(AB) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(AC) were far away have been brought near^(AD) by the blood of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(AF) who has made the two groups one^(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.^(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one^(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(AK) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace^(AL) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(AM) 18} For through him we both have access^(AN) to the Father^(AO) by one Spirit.^(AP)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(AQ) but fellow citizens^(AR) with God’s people and also members of his household,^{(AS) 20} built^(AT) on the foundation^(AU) of the apostles and prophets,^(AV) with Christ Jesus himself^(AW) as the chief cornerstone.^{(AX) 21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AY) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AZ)