Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God Is Good to His People

127 Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders work for nothing. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the men who watch over it stay awake for nothing. ² You rise up early, and go to bed late, and work hard for your food, all for nothing. For the Lord gives to His loved ones even while they sleep.

³ See, children are a gift from the Lord. The children born to us are our special reward. ⁴ The children of a young man are like arrows in the hand of a soldier. ⁵ Happy is the man who has many of them. They will not be put to shame when they speak in the gate with those who hate them.

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. He saw the in-law of the family that he had spoken about pass by. So Boaz said, “Come here, friend, and sit down.” So the man came and sat down. ² And Boaz took ten of the leaders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then Boaz said to the close in-law, “Naomi has returned from the land of Moab. She is selling the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ I thought I should let you know about it. Buy it in front of those who are sitting here, and in front of the leaders of my people. If you will buy it, then buy it. But if not, tell me you do not want to buy it, so I may know. For you have the right to be the first one to buy it. And I am after you.” The man said, “I will buy it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from Naomi, you must take Ruth, the Moabite woman, also. She is the wife of the dead man. You must keep alive the name of the dead man on his land.” ⁶ Then the close in-law said, “I cannot buy it for myself because it might be that my own children would not be able to own my land later. Take it for yourself. I give you my right to buy it, for I cannot buy it.”

⁷ This is what was done before in Israel to show that the buying or trading of land was decided upon. A man would take off his shoe and give it to another. This would make sure what was decided. ⁸ So he said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he took off his shoe. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You have seen today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, to Chilion and to Mahlon. ¹⁰ And I have taken Ruth, the Moabite woman who was Mahlon’s wife, to be my wife. I will keep alive the name of the dead man on his land. His name will not be forgotten among his brothers or from the gate of his birth-place. You have heard this today.”

⁶ We were weak and could not help ourselves. Then Christ came at the right time and gave His life for all sinners. ⁷ No one is willing to die for another person, but for a good man someone might be willing to die. ⁸ But God showed His love to us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Now that we have been saved from the punishment of sin by the blood of Christ, He will save us from God’s anger also. ¹⁰ We hated God. But we were saved from the punishment of sin by the death of Christ. He has brought us back to God and we will be saved by His life. ¹¹ Not only that, we give thanks to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have been brought back to God.