Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

⁶ She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need by providing them food.^{(A) 7} She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

⁸ She said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home.^(B) May the Lord show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. ⁹ May the Lord enable each of you to find security^(C) in the house of your new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

¹⁰ “No,” they said to her. “We will go with you to your people.”

¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons^[a] who could become your husbands?^{(D) 12} Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, ¹³ would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying?^[b] No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share,^[c] because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”^{(E) 14} Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. ¹⁵ Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god.^[d](F) Follow your sister-in-law.”

¹⁶ But Ruth replied:

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter^(A) I have written to you; in both letters, I want to develop a genuine^(B) understanding with a reminder, ² so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. ³ First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days^(C) to scoff, living according to their own desires, ⁴ saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?^(D) Ever since the fathers fell asleep,^(E) all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” ⁵ They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water^(F) by the word of God.^{(G) 6} Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded.^{(H) 7} But by the same word,^(I) the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment^(J) and destruction of ungodly men.

⁸ Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.^{(K) 9} The Lord does not delay His promise,^(L) as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any^(M) to perish^(N) but all to come to repentance.^(O)

¹⁰ But the Day of the Lord^(P) will come like a thief;^[a](Q) on that day the heavens will pass away^(R) with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved,^(S) and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.^[b]