Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer for Retribution against Oppressors

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning and got up before anyone could recognize each other.^[a] And he said, “It must not be known that you^[b] came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ And he said, “Bring the cloak that is on you and hold it out.”^[c] And she held it out and he measured six measures of barley and put it on her cloak. Then she went into the city. ¹⁶ And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “How did it go for you,^[d] my daughter?” And she told her all that the man did for her. ¹⁷ And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘You shall not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” ¹⁸ And she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Boaz Redeems Ruth

4 And Boaz had gone up to the city gate and sat there. And look, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. And he said, “Come over here to sit, friend.”^[e] And he came over and sat. ² And he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit here.” And they sat. ³ And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who returned from the countryside of Moab, is selling the tract of land which was for our brother Elimelech. ⁴ And I thought I would tell you^[f] and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of^[g] those sitting and before the elders of my people,’ if you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not want to redeem, tell me so that I may know, for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.” And he said, “I want to redeem it.” ⁵ And Boaz said, “On the day of your acquiring the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to raise up for the name of the dead his inheritance.” ⁶ And the redeemer said, “I am not able to redeem for myself, lest I ruin my inheritance. You redeem for yourself my kinsman-redemption, for I am not able to redeem it.”

⁹ Let a widow be put on the list if she^[a] is not less than sixty years old, the wife of one husband, ¹⁰ being well-attested by good works, if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality, if she has washed the feet of the saints, if she has helped those who are oppressed, if she has devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse younger widows, for whenever their physical desires lead them away from Christ, they want to marry, ¹² thus incurring condemnation because they have broken their former pledge. ¹³ And at the same time also, going around from house to house, they learn to be idle, and not only idle, but also gossipy and busybodies, saying the things that are not necessary. ¹⁴ Therefore I want younger widows to marry, to bear children, to manage a household, to give the adversary no opportunity for reproach. ¹⁵ For already some have turned away and followed after Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman has widows, she must help them, and the church must not be burdened, in order that it may help those who are truly widows.