Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Naomi Widowed

1 Now it came about in the days ^(A)when the judges ^[a]governed, that there was ^(B)a famine in the land. And a certain man ^(C)of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab ^[b]with his wife and his two sons. ² The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they ^(D)entered the land of Moab and remained there. ³ Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. ⁵ Then ^[c]both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.

⁶ Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had ^(E)visited His people in ^(F)giving them food. ⁷ So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. ⁸ And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. ^(G)May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. ⁹ May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. ¹⁰ And they said to her, “No, but we will surely return with you to your people.” ¹¹ But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that ^(H)they may be your husbands? ¹² Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, ¹³ would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is ^[d]harder for me than for you, for ^(I)the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.”

Ruth’s Loyalty

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵ Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her ^(J)gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may ^(K)the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” ¹⁸ When ^(L)she saw that she was determined to go with her, she ^[e]said no more to her.

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a ^(A)high priest of the ^(B)good things ^[a]to come, He entered through ^(C)the greater and more perfect ^[b]tabernacle, ^(D)not made with hands, that is to say, ^(E)not of this creation; ¹² and not through ^(F)the blood of goats and calves, but ^(G)through His own blood, He ^(H)entered the holy place ^(I)once for all, ^[c]having obtained ^(J)eternal redemption. ¹³ For if ^(K)the blood of goats and bulls and ^(L)the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the ^[d]cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will ^(M)the blood of Christ, who through ^[e](N)the eternal Spirit ^(O)offered Himself without blemish to God, ^(P)cleanse ^[f]your conscience from ^(Q)dead works to serve ^(R)the living God?

^28 (A)One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and ^(B)recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the ^[a]foremost of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘^(C)Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; ^30 (D)and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘^(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that ^(F)He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; ^33 (G)and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, ^(H)is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ^(I)After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.