Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Threshing Floor

3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, maybe I should find a husband and a good home for you. That would be good for you. ² Boaz is our close relative.^[a] You worked with his women servants. Tonight he will be working at the threshing floor. ³ Go wash yourself and get dressed. Put on a nice dress, and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating his dinner. ⁴ After he eats, he will lie down to rest. Watch him so that you will know where he lies down. Go there and lift the cover off his feet.^[b] Then lie down there with Boaz. He will tell you what you should do about marriage.”

⁵ Then Ruth answered, “I will do what you say.”

¹³ So Boaz married Ruth. The Lord allowed Ruth to become pregnant, and she had a son. ¹⁴ The women there said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord who gave you this child.^[a] May he become famous in Israel. ¹⁵ He will make you alive again and care for you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law made it happen because she bore this child for you. She loves you, and she is better for you than seven sons.”

¹⁶ Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared for him. ¹⁷ The neighbors gave the boy his name. These women said, “Naomi has a son now!”^[b] They named him Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.

A song from Solomon for going up to the Temple.

²⁴ Christ went into the Most Holy Place. But it was not the man-made one, which is only a copy of the real one. He went into heaven, and he is there now before God to help us.

²⁵ The high priest enters the Most Holy Place once every year. He takes with him blood to offer. But he does not offer his own blood like Christ did. Christ went into heaven, but not to offer himself many times like the high priest offers blood again and again. ²⁶ If Christ had offered himself many times, he would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But he came to offer himself only once. And that once is enough for all time. He came at a time when the world is nearing an end. He came to take away all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice.

²⁷ Everyone must die once. Then they are judged. ²⁸ So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, but not to offer himself for sin. He will come the second time to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Jesus Criticizes the Teachers of the Law^(A)

³⁸ Jesus continued teaching. He said, “Be careful of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing clothes that look important. And they love for people to show respect to them in the marketplaces. ³⁹ They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ But they cheat widows and take their homes. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish them very much.”

True Giving^(B)

⁴¹ Jesus sat near the Temple collection box^[a] and watched as people put money into it. Many rich people put in a lot of money. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth less than a penny.

⁴³ Jesus called his followers to him and said, “This poor widow put in only two small coins. But the truth is, she gave more than all those rich people. ⁴⁴ They have plenty, and they gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had. It was money she needed to live on.”