Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 127

God’s Blessings in the Home

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth

4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin^[a] of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over;^[b] sit down here.” And he went over and sat down.^{(A) 2} Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the town and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. ³ He then said to the next-of-kin,^[c] “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech.^{(B) 4} So I thought I would tell you of it and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you^[d] will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.”^{(C) 5} Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth^[e] the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”^{(D) 6} At this, the next-of-kin^[f] said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”^(E)

⁷ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm a transaction: the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel.^{(F) 8} So when the next-of-kin^[g] said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.”^(G)

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.^{(A) 7} Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.^{(B) 9} Much more surely, therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.^{[a](C) 10} For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.^{(D) 11} But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.