Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prosperity Comes from the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

The Marriage of Ruth

4 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, ^(A)the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, ^[a]friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. ² Then he took ten men of the ^(B)elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land ^(C)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought that I would ^[b]inform you, saying, ‘^(D)Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if ^[c]not, tell me so that I may know; for ^(E)there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order ^(F)to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” ⁶ Then ^(G)the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would ^[d]jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”

⁷ Now this was ^(H)the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel. ⁸ So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so ^(I)that the name of the deceased will not be eliminated from his brothers or from the ^[e]court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

⁶ For while we were still ^(A)helpless, ^(B)at the right time ^(C)Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous person; ^[a]though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God ^(D)demonstrates ^(E)His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, ^(F)Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified ^[b](G)by His blood, we shall be saved ^(H)from the wrath of God through Him. ¹⁰ For if while we were ^(I)enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved ^[c](J)by His life. ^11 (K)And not only this, but ^[d]we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received ^(L)the reconciliation.