Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
David wrote this song.
Trust the Lord[a]
37 Do not become upset
because of what wicked people do.
Do not be jealous of people that do bad things.
2 Remember that they are soon gone!
They are like grass that quickly becomes dry.
They will soon die like green plants in hot weather.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good things.
Then you will live safely in the land.
4 Be happy that the Lord is your friend.
He will give you what you most want.
5 Let the Lord be your guide into the future.
Trust in him and he will help you.
6 He will show everyone that you are righteous.
People will know that you are a good person,
as clearly as the sun shines at noon.
7 Be patient as you wait for the Lord to help you.
Trust him to bring help.
Do not become upset when bad people seem to do well,
when their wicked ideas really happen.
8 Do not become angry or upset!
It will only bring trouble for you.
9 Wicked people will disappear one day!
But people who trust the Lord for help
will live safely in the land that he has given to them.
10 Evil people will soon be gone.
You may look for them,
but you will not find them.
11 Humble people will live safely in the land.
They will live in peace and they will enjoy good things.
12 Wicked people think about how to hurt righteous people.
They show their teeth to frighten good people.
13 But my Lord laughs at those wicked people,
because he knows that their day of punishment will come.
14 Wicked people get out their swords,
and they prepare to shoot their arrows.
They try to make poor and helpless people fall down.
They try to destroy people who do what is right.
15 But their swords will go into their own hearts.
Their bows will break in pieces.
16 It is better to do what is right and only have a few things,
than to be wicked and have many things.
17 The Lord keeps righteous people safe,
but he will destroy the power of wicked people.
Ruth and Boaz
3 One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you. There you will have everything that you need. 2 You have worked with Boaz's women workers, and he is our relative. Tonight, he will be at the threshing floor where he prepares the barley seeds.[a] 3 So wash yourself carefully. Put some perfume on yourself. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor. Do not let Boaz know that you are there. Wait quietly until he has finished his food and drink. 4 After that, he will lie down to sleep. Then you will see where he is lying. Go and lift the cloth from over his feet. Lie down there. Then he will tell you what you should do.’
5 Ruth said, ‘I will do what you have said to me.’ 6 So she went down to the threshing floor. She did everything that Naomi had told her to do.
7 Boaz felt very happy when he had finished his food and drink. He lay down next to the heap of barley seeds. Ruth went to him very quietly. She lifted the cloth that covered his feet. Then she lay down there. 8 In the middle of the night, something caused Boaz to wake up suddenly. When he turned over, he saw a woman who was lying there at his feet!
9 He asked, ‘Who are you?’ Ruth replied, ‘I am your servant, Ruth. You are our family-redeemer, so please cover me with the corner of your cloth.’[b]
10 Boaz replied, ‘Young woman, I pray that the Lord will bless you. You have already been very kind to Naomi. Now you have been even more kind to me. You have not tried to marry a man who is younger than me, whether he is rich or poor. 11 So, young woman, do not be afraid. All the people in this town know that you are a good woman. I will do everything for you that you have asked me to do. 12 It is true that I am a family-redeemer for your family. But there is another relative who is nearer to your family than I am. 13 Stay here for this night. In the morning, we will see what to do. If this relative wants to take care of you, let him do it. If he does not agree, then I will do it. As surely as the Lord lives, I will do it. So just lie here until the morning.’
Ruth gives birth to a son
13 So Boaz married Ruth. He lived with her as his wife. The Lord blessed her so that she became pregnant. She gave birth to a son. 14 The women of Bethlehem said to Naomi, ‘We praise the Lord! Today, he has given to you a relative to take care of you! We pray that the child will become famous everywhere in Israel! 15 He will help you to feel young again. He will take care of you when you are old. Your son's wife, Ruth, has given birth to this boy. She loves you and she has helped you more than seven sons could ever do.’
16 Naomi took the child and she held him near to her. She took care of him as if he was her own son. 17 The women who lived there said, ‘Now Naomi has a son again!’ They called the boy Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David.
King David's family
18 These are the descendants of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron.
19 Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
21 Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
22 Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.
Jesus teaches people
17 After Jesus had chosen these 12 men, they all came down the mountain. He stopped and he stood on a flat place. A large crowd of his disciples stood around him. There were also many people from Jerusalem, and from other towns of Judea, and from places on the coast near Tyre and Sidon. 18 These people had all come to hear Jesus teach. Those people who were ill wanted him to make them well. He also made well those people who had bad spirits. 19 All the people were trying to touch him, because he was using great power to make each person well.
20 Jesus looked at his disciples. He spoke this message to them:
‘Happy are you people that are poor. The kingdom of God belongs to you.[a]
21 Happy are you people that are hungry now. God will feed you until you are full.[b]
Happy are you people that are crying now. Later, you will laugh.[c]
22 People may hate you, because you believe in me, the Son of Man. They may say bad things against you and make you go away from them. They may say that you are very bad. When that happens, be happy. 23 God will prepare many good things for you in heaven. So be very happy when people do these bad things to you! Jump up and down because you are so happy. Their ancestors did the same bad things to God's prophets long ago.
24 Listen, you that are rich.
You have a comfortable life now, but it will be very bad for you.
25 Listen, you that are full with food now.
It will be very bad for you and you will be hungry.
Listen, you that are laughing now.
It will be very bad for you. You will be sad and you will cry.
26 If people always say good things about you now, it will be very bad for you. Their ancestors also said good things about the false prophets long ago.’
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.