Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Ruth’s Appeal to Boaz

3 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of? ² Now isn’t Boaz our relative?^(A) Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³ Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

⁵ So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.”^[a]

¹³ Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons,^(A) has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him. ¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed.^[a] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Psalm 127

The Blessing of the Lord

A Solomonic song of ascents.

²⁴ For the Messiah did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model^[a] of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that He might now appear in the presence of God for us.^{(A) 25} He did not do this to offer Himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another.^{(B) 26} Otherwise, He would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared one time, at the end of the ages,^(C) for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself.^{(D) 27} And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment^(E)— ²⁸ so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,^(F) will appear a second time,^(G) not to bear sin, but^[b] to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.^(H)

Warning against the Scribes

³⁸ He^(A) also said in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes,^(B) and who want greetings in the marketplaces,^{(C) 39} the front seats^(D) in the synagogues,^(E) and the places of honor^(F) at banquets.^{(G) 40} They devour^(H) widows’^(I) houses and say long prayers^(J) just for show. These will receive harsher punishment.”

The Widow’s Gift

⁴¹ Sitting^(K) across from the temple treasury,^(L) He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich^(M) people were putting in large sums. ⁴² And a poor^(N) widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little.^{[a] 43} Summoning His disciples,^(O) He said to them, “I assure you:^(P) This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury.^{(Q) 44} For they all gave out of their surplus,^(R) but she out of her poverty^(S) has put in everything she possessed^(T)—all she had to live on.”^(U)