Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 94
1 O Yahweh, El of vengeance,
O El of vengeance, appear!
2 Arise, O Shophet of the earth.
Give arrogant people what they deserve.
3 How long, O Yahweh, will wicked people triumph?
How long?
4 They ramble.
They speak arrogantly.
All troublemakers brag about themselves.
5 They crush your people, O Yahweh.
They make those who belong to you suffer.
6 They kill widows and foreigners, and they murder orphans.
7 They say, “Yah doesn’t see it.
The Elohim of Jacob doesn’t even pay attention to it.”
8 Pay attention, you stupid people!
When will you become wise, you fools?
9 Elohim created ears.
Do you think he can’t hear?
He formed eyes.
Do you think he can’t see?
10 He disciplines nations.
Do you think he can’t punish?
He teaches people.
Do you think he doesn’t know anything?
11 Yahweh knows that people’s thoughts are pointless.
12 O Yah, blessed is the person
whom you discipline and instruct from your teachings.
13 You give him peace and quiet from times of trouble
while a pit is dug to trap wicked people.
14 Yahweh will never desert his people
or abandon those who belong to him.
15 The decisions of judges will again become fair,
and everyone whose motives are decent will pursue justice.[a]
16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will stand by my side against troublemakers?
17 If Yahweh had not come to help me,
my soul would have quickly fallen silent in death.
18 When I said, “My feet are slipping,”
your mercy, O Yahweh, continued to hold me up.
19 When I worried about many things,
your assuring words soothed my soul.
20 Are wicked rulers who use the law to do unlawful things
able to be your partners?
21 They join forces to take the lives of righteous people.
They condemn innocent people to death.
22 Yahweh has become my stronghold.
My Elohim has become my rock of refuge.
23 He has turned their own wickedness against them.
He will destroy them because of their sins.
Yahweh our Elohim will destroy them.
Ruth Returns to Bethlehem
14 So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up early before anyone could be recognized. At that moment Boaz thought to himself, “I hope that no one will ever know that this woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 Then Boaz told Ruth, “Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight.” So she held it tight while he measured out six measures of barley. Then he placed it on her back and went into the town.
16 When Ruth returned, her mother-in-law Naomi asked, “How did things go, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley and told me not to come back to you empty-handed.”
18 Naomi replied, “Stay here, my daughter, until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest unless he settles this matter today.”
Boaz Assumes Responsibility for Ruth
4 Boaz went to the city gate and sat there. Just then, the relative about whom he had spoken was passing by. Boaz said, “Please come over here and sit, my friend.” So the man came over and sat down.
2 Then Boaz chose ten men who were leaders of that city and said, “Sit here.” So they also sat down.
3 Boaz said to the man, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I said that I would inform you. Buy it in the presence of these men sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of our people. If you wish to buy back the property, you can buy back the property. But if you do not wish to buy back the property, tell me. Then I will know that I am next in line because there is no other relative except me.”
The man said, “I’ll buy back the property.”
5 Boaz continued, “When you buy the field from Naomi, you will also assume responsibility for the Moabite Ruth, the dead man’s widow. This keeps the inheritance in the dead man’s name.”
6 The man replied, “In that case I cannot assume responsibility for her. If I did, I would ruin my inheritance. Take all my rights to buy back the property for yourself, because I cannot assume that responsibility.”
9 Any widow who had only one husband and is at least 60 years old should be put on your list of widows. 10 People should tell about the good things she has done: raising children, being hospitable, taking care of believers’ needs, helping the suffering, or always doing good things.
11 Don’t include younger widows on your list. Whenever their natural desires become stronger than their devotion to Christ, they’ll want to marry. 12 They condemn themselves by rejecting the Christian faith, the faith they first accepted. 13 At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, saying things they shouldn’t say.
14 So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. 15 Some of them have already turned away to follow Satan. 16 If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. In this way the church is not burdened and can help widows who have no families.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.