Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁴ So she stayed at his feet until morning. But she got up before anyone could be recognized. Boaz thought, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

¹⁵ He said to Ruth, “Bring me the coat you have around you. Hold it out.” So she did. He poured more than fifty pounds of barley into it and helped her pick it up. Then he went back to town.

¹⁶ Ruth came to her mother-in-law. Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had done for her. ¹⁷ She said, “He gave me all this barley. He said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law with your hands empty.’ ”

¹⁸ Naomi said, “My daughter, sit down until you find out what happens. The man won’t rest until he settles the whole matter today.”

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Right then, the family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend. Sit down.” So the man went over and sat down.

² Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, “Sit down here.” So they did. ³ Then he spoke to the family protector. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab. She’s selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land. Buy it while those sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.”

“I’ll buy it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “When you buy the property from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth. She is from Moab and is the dead man’s widow. So you must marry her. That’s because his property must continue to belong to his family.”

⁶ When the family protector heard that, he said, “Then I can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can’t do it.”

⁹ No widow should be put on the list of widows unless she is more than 60 years old. She must also have been faithful to her husband. ¹⁰ She must be well known for the good things she does. That includes bringing up children. It includes inviting guests into her home. It includes washing the feet of the Lord’s people. It includes helping those who are in trouble. A widow should spend her time doing all kinds of good things.

¹¹ Don’t put younger widows on that kind of list. They might want pleasure more than they want Christ. Then they would want to get married again. ¹² If they do that, they will be judged. They have broken their first promise. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of having nothing to do. They go around from house to house. They waste their time. They also bother other people and say things that make no sense. They shouldn’t say those things. ¹⁴ So here is the advice I give to younger widows. Get married. Have children. Take care of your own homes. Don’t give the enemy the chance to tell lies about you. ¹⁵ In fact, some have already turned away to follow Satan.

¹⁶ Suppose a woman is a believer and takes care of widows. She should continue to help them. She shouldn’t let the church pay the expenses. Then the church can help the widows who really need it.