Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

God Will Pay Back His Enemies

⁷ Long ago in Israel ·when people traded or bought back [for the redemption and transfer of] something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was the ·proof of ownership [or validation of the transaction] in Israel.

⁸ So the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] said to Boaz, “Buy the land yourself,” and he took off his sandal.

⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today. I ·am buying [have bought] from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I ·am also taking [have also acquired] Ruth, the Moabite, who was the wife of Mahlon, as my wife. ·I am doing this so her dead husband’s property will stay in his name and his name will not be separated [^L…so that his name will not be cut off] from his ·family [^Lbrothers] and ·his hometown [^Lthe gate of his place]. You are witnesses today.”

¹¹ So all the people and elders who were at the city gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the ·people [^Lhouse] of Israel [^Cthe twelve sons of Israel were born to Leah, Rachel and their servant girls; Gen. 29:31—30:24]. May you become ·powerful [or wealthy; or renowned] in the district of Ephrathah and ·famous [renowned] in Bethlehem. ¹² As Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez [^Can ancestor of Boaz (v. 18) whose birth resulted from a levirate union (2:20; Gen. 38:27–30; Deut. 25:5–10) and so was parallel to this situation], may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. May your family be great like his.”

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife and ·had sexual relations with [^Lwent in to] her. The Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ The women told Naomi, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord who ·gave you this grandson [^Lhas not left you today without a guardian/kinsman-redeemer]. May ·he [^Lhis name] become ·famous [renowned] in Israel. ¹⁵ He will ·give you new [restore/renew your] life and will take care of you in your old age because of your daughter-in-law who loves you. She is better for you than seven sons, because she has given birth to ·your grandson [^Lhim].”

¹⁶ Naomi took the boy, ·held him in her arms [or put him on her lap; or took him to her breast], and ·cared for him [or became his nurse/caregiver]. ¹⁷ The neighbors gave the boy his name, saying, “·This boy was [^LA son has been] born for Naomi.” They named him Obed [^C“servant”]. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [^CIsrael’s greatest king, through whom the Messiah would come; 2 Sam. 7:11–17; Matt. 1:1, 5–6; Luke 3:32].

¹⁸ This is the family history of Perez, the father of Hezron. ¹⁹ Hezron was the father of Ram, who was the father of Amminadab. ²⁰ Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, who was the father of Salmon. ²¹ Salmon was the father of Boaz, who was the father of Obed. ²² Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [Matt. 1:3–6; Luke 3:31–33].

¹⁶ Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ The ·book [or scroll] of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He ·opened [^Lunrolled] the ·book [or scroll] and found the place where this is written:

²⁰ Jesus ·closed the book [or rolled up the scroll], gave it back to the ·assistant [synagogue attendant], and sat down. ·Everyone [^LAll the eyes] in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely. ²¹ He began to say to them, “·While you heard these words just now, they were coming true [^LToday this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears]!”

²² All the people spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at the ·words of grace [or gracious words] he spoke. They asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

²³ Jesus said to them, “·I know that [No doubt; Surely] you will ·tell [quote] me ·the old saying [this proverb]: ‘·Doctor [^TPhysician], heal yourself.’ You want to say, ‘We heard about the things you did in Capernaum [^Ca town in Galilee where Jesus lived and ministered]. Do those things here in your own town!’” ²⁴ Then Jesus said, “·I tell you the truth [^LTruly/Amen I say to you], a prophet is not ·accepted [welcomed] in his hometown. ²⁵ But I tell you ·the truth [truly], there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah. ·It did not rain [^LThe sky/heavens were shut] in Israel for three and one-half years, and there was ·no food anywhere [^La great famine] in the whole country [1 Kin. 17]. ²⁶ But Elijah was sent to none of those widows, only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon [^Ca Gentile city on the coast north of Israel]. ²⁷ And there were many ·with skin diseases [^Tlepers] living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were ·healed [cured; cleansed], only Naaman, ·who was from the country of Syria [^Lthe Syrian; 2 Kin. 5].”

²⁸ When all the people in the synagogue heard these things, they ·became very angry [were furious; ^Lwere filled with wrath]. ²⁹ They got up, ·forced [drove] Jesus out of town, and took him to the ·edge [brow] of the ·cliff [hill] on which the town was built. They planned to throw him off the ·edge [cliff], ³⁰ but Jesus ·walked [passed] through the crowd and went on his way.