Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the 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 Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. 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 themselves 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 also, both of them; and the woman was left without her two sons and 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 the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread.
7 Therefore 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 to your mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 The Lord 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, “Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.”
11 And Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters. Why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband also tonight and should also bear sons,
13 would ye tarry for them until they were grown? Would ye refrain for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”
14 And they lifted up their voice and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth cleaved unto her.
15 And she said, “Behold, thy sister-in-law has gone back unto her people and unto her gods. Return thou after thy sister-in-law.”
16 And Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or 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; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.”
18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left off speaking unto her.
146 Praise ye the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in a son of man in whom there is no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is, who keepeth truth for ever;
7 who executeth judgment for the oppressed, who giveth food to the hungry; the Lord looseth the prisoners.
8 The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; the Lord loveth the righteous.
9 The Lord preserveth the strangers, He relieveth the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked He turneth upside down.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever, even Thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord!
11 But Christ, having come a High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (that is to say, not of this building),
12 neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if sprinkling the unclean with the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
29 And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength;’ this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 And the scribe said unto Him, “Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other than He.
33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is 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 dared ask Him any question.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.