Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 94^[a]

God, Judge, and Avenger

¹⁴ So she laid at his feet until the morning, and she arose before it was possible to recognize another person. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ He also said, “Bring over your shawl and hold it open.” As she held it, he measured out six measures of barley and laid it upon her. She then 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 Then she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ” ¹⁸ Then she said, “Wait here, my daughter, until the matter has worked itself out, for the man will not rest until he has brought it to a conclusion today.”^[a]

Chapter 4

Boaz Marries Ruth. ¹ So Boaz went to the city gate and sat down there. The relative of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he came over and sat down.^{[b] 2} He gathered ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down,” and they sat down.

³ Then he said to the next of kin, “Naomi has come back from the land of Moab and is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴ I thought that I would tell this to you. Buy it in the presence of those who dwell here and in the presence of the elders. If you intend to redeem it as next of kin, then redeem it. If you do not intend to redeem it, then tell me so that I can know, for there is no one else besides you to redeem the land, and then I am next in line.” He said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “When you acquire the field, you also receive the hand of Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the deceased, to raise up the name of the deceased for an inheritance.” ⁶ But the kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. You can exercise my right of next of kin, for I cannot redeem it.”

⁹ A woman should not be enrolled as a widow if she is not at least sixty years old. In addition, she must have been married only once, ¹⁰ and have a reputation for good works by bringing up her children, offering hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints,^[a] helping those in distress, and being active in all kinds of good work.

¹¹ However, refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions distract them from the service of Christ, they will want to marry again ¹² and will incur condemnation for having broken their original vow. ¹³ In addition, they fall into the habit of being idle, as they go around from house to house, and also become gossips and busybodies, saying things that would better be left unsaid.

¹⁴ Therefore, I think younger widows should marry again, bear children, and manage their households, so as not to give our enemies any occasion to revile us. ¹⁵ Indeed, some have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ If any woman believer has relatives who are widows, she must assist them herself. The Church should be free of such burdens and consequently able to assist those who are widows in the true sense.