Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

127 Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He giveth His beloved sleep.

³ Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

⁴ As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth.

⁵ Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies at the gate.

4 Then went Boaz up to the gate and sat himself down there; and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, unto whom he said, “Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

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

³ And he said unto the kinsman, “Naomi, who hath come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech’s.

⁴ And I thought to advise thee, saying, ‘Buy 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 none to redeem it besides thee, and I am after thee.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

⁵ Then said Boaz, “What day thou buyest the field from the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.”

⁶ And the kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance. Redeem thou my right for thyself, for I cannot redeem it.”

⁷ Now this was the manner in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was a testimony in Israel.

⁸ Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, “Buy it for 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 from the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰ Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Ye are witnesses this day.”

⁶ For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

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

⁸ But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹ Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

¹¹ And not only that, but we shall also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.