Book of Common Prayer

4 Meanwhile, Bo‘az had gone up to the gate and had sat down there, when the redeemer of whom Bo‘az had spoken passed by. “Such-and-such,” he said, “come over, and sit down”; so he came over and sat down. ² He took ten of the city’s leaders and said, “Sit down here”; and they sat down. ³ Then he said to the redeeming kinsman, “The parcel of land which used to belong to our relative Elimelekh is being offered for sale by Na‘omi, who has returned from the plain of Mo’av. ⁴ I thought I should tell you about it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of the people sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of my people. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if it is not to be redeemed, then tell me, so that I can know, because there is no one else in line to redeem it, and I’m after you.” He said, “I want to redeem it.” ⁵ Then Bo‘az said, “The same day you buy the field from Na‘omi, you must also buy Rut the woman from Mo’av, the wife of the deceased [son], in order to raise up in the name of the deceased an heir for his property.” ⁶ The redeemer said, “Then I can’t redeem it for myself, because I might put my own inheritance at risk. You, take my right of redemption on yourself; because I can’t redeem it.”

⁷ In the past, this is what was done in Isra’el to validate all transactions involving redemption and exchange: a man took off his shoe and gave it to the other party; this was the form of attestation in Isra’el. ⁸ So the redeemer said to Bo‘az, “Buy it for yourself,” and took off his shoe. ⁹ Bo‘az addressed the leaders and all the people: “You are witnesses today that I am purchasing from Na‘omi all that belonged to Elimelekh and all that belonged to Kilyon and Machlon. ¹⁰ Also I am acquiring as my wife Rut the woman from Mo’av, the wife of Machlon, in order to raise up in the name of the deceased an heir for his property; so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his kinsmen and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” ¹¹ All the people at the gate and the leaders said, “We are witnesses. May Adonai make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Le’ah, who between them built up the house of Isra’el. Do worthy deeds in Efrat; become renowned in Beit-Lechem. ¹² May your house, because of the seed Adonai will give you from this young woman, become like the house of Peretz, whom Tamar bore to Y’hudah.”

¹³ So Bo‘az took Rut, and she became his wife. He had sexual relations with her, Adonai enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Na‘omi, “Blessed be Adonai, who today has provided you a redeemer! May his name be renowned in Isra’el. ¹⁵ May he restore your life and provide for your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Na‘omi took the child, laid it on her breast and became its nurse. ¹⁷ The women who were her neighbors gave it a name; they said, “A son has been born to Na‘omi,” and called it ‘Oved. He was the father of Yishai the father of David.

¹⁷ The leaders who lead well should be considered worthy of double honor, especially those working hard at communicating the Word and at teaching. ¹⁸ For the Tanakh says, “You are not to muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain,”^[a] in other words, “The worker deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Never listen to any accusation against a leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.^{[b] 20} Rebuke before the whole assembly those leaders who continue sinning, as a warning to the others. ²¹ Before God, the Messiah Yeshua and the chosen angels, I solemnly charge you to observe these instructions, not pre-judging and not doing anything out of favoritism. ²² Do not be hasty in granting s’mikhah to anyone, and do not share in other people’s sins — keep yourself pure.

²³ Stop drinking water; instead, use a little wine for the sake of your digestion and because of your frequent illnesses.

²⁴ The sins of some people are obvious and go ahead of them to judgment, but the sins of others follow afterwards. ²⁵ Likewise, good deeds are obvious; and even when they are not, they can’t stay hidden.

14 One Shabbat Yeshua went to eat in the home of one of the leading P’rushim, and they were watching him closely. ² In front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid. ³ Yeshua spoke up and asked the Torah experts and P’rushim, “Does the Torah allow healing on Shabbat or not?” ⁴ But they said nothing. So, taking hold of him, he healed him and sent him away. ⁵ To them he said, “Which of you, if a son or an ox falls into a well, will hesitate to haul him out on Shabbat?” ⁶ And to these things they could give no answer.

⁷ When Yeshua noticed how the guests were choosing for themselves the best seats at the table, he told them this parable: ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, don’t sit down in the best seat; because if there is someone more important than you who has been invited, ⁹ the person who invited both of you might come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then you will be humiliated as you go to take the least important place. ¹⁰ Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the least important place; so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Go on up to a better seat.’ Then you will be honored in front of everyone sitting with you. ¹¹ Because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”