Book of Common Prayer

For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said,

3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? ² Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. ³ Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor; but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

⁵ She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.” ⁶ She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her. ⁷ When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. ⁸ At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. ⁹ He said, “Who are you?”

She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.”

¹⁰ He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. ¹² Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. ¹³ Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until the morning.”

¹⁴ She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city.

¹⁶ When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?”

She told her all that the man had done for her. ¹⁷ She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’”

¹⁸ Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”

4 But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, ² through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, ³ forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. ⁴ For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. ⁵ For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.

⁶ If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed. ⁷ But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness. ⁸ For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now and of that which is to come. ⁹ This saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance. ¹⁰ For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. ¹¹ Command and teach these things.

¹² Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching. ¹⁴ Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elders. ¹⁵ Be diligent in these things. Give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all. ¹⁶ Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

³¹ On that same day, some Pharisees came, saying to him, “Get out of here and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission. ³³ Nevertheless I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.’

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused! ³⁵ Behold, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” ^(A)