Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song of degrees for Solomon.

¹ ¶ Unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain that build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchmen watch in vain.

² It is vain for you to rise up early, to come home late, to eat the bread of sorrows, because he shall give his beloved sleep.

³ Behold, sons are a heritage of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is to be desired.

⁴ As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the young men.

⁵ Happy is the man that has filled his quiver with them: he shall not be ashamed when he speaks with the enemies in the gate.

4 ¶ And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and, behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke came by unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! Come here and sit down. And he came and sat down.

² Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. And they sat down.

³ And he said unto the redeemer, Naomi, that is come again out of the field of Moab, sold a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s,

⁴ and I decided to cause thee to know this and tell thee to take it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it, but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides thee, and I after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

⁵ Then Boaz replied, The day that thou dost receive the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must also receive Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

⁶ And the redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I ruin my own inheritance; redeem thou; I cede my right to you, for I shall not be able to redeem it.

⁷ Now for a long time in Israel there had been this custom concerning redemption or contracts, that for the confirmation of all matters: one plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour, and this was a testimony in Israel.

⁸ Therefore, the former owner of the right of redemption said unto Boaz, Buy it thyself. So he drew off his shoe.

⁹ ¶ And Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰ Moreover, I also take Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Ye shall be witnesses of this today.

⁶ ¶ For the Christ, when we were yet weak, in his time died for the ungodly.

⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

⁸ But God increased the price of his charity toward us in that while we were yet sinners the Christ died for us.

⁹ Then much more now justified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath by him.

¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled with God by the death of his Son, much more, now reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

¹¹ And not only this, but we even glory in God through our Lord Jesus, the Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation.