Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the ^[a]country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. ² And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife ^[b]Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. ³ And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. ⁴ And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. ⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

⁶ Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread. ⁷ And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. ⁸ And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. ⁹ Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. ¹⁰ And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. ¹¹ And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? ¹² Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; ¹³ would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it ^[c]grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. ¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. ¹⁶ And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; ¹⁷ where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. ¹⁸ And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

Praise to Jehovah the abundant Helper.

¹¹ But Christ having come a high priest of ^[a]the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, ¹² nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through ^[b]the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse ^[c]your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

²⁸ And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all? ²⁹ Jesus answered, The first is, ^[a]Hear, O Israel; ^[b]The Lord our God, the Lord is one: ³⁰ and thou shalt love the Lord thy God ^[c]with all thy heart, and ^[d]with all thy soul, and ^[e]with all thy mind, and ^[f]with all thy strength. ³¹ The second is this, ^[g]Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. ³² And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he: ³³ and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. ³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.