Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 37[a]
Fate of the Wicked and Reward of the Righteous
1 Of David.
Do not fume because of evildoers
or envy those who do wrong.
2 They will wither quickly like the grass
and fade away like the green herb.[b]
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good,
that you may dwell in the land[c] and be secure.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will grant you what your heart[d] desires.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
place your trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause, like the noonday.[e]
7 Wait quietly for the Lord
and be patient until he comes.
Do not fret over the man who prospers
because of his evil schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath;
do not fret—it does nothing but harm.
9 For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land.[f]
10 In a short while, the wicked will be no more;
no matter how diligently you search, you will not be able to find him.
11 But the meek[g] will possess the land
and enjoy an abundance of peace.
12 The wicked man plots against the righteous
and grinds his teeth at the sight of them.
13 But the Lord laughs at them,
knowing that their day[h] is approaching.
14 The wicked draw their swords
and string their bows
to bring down the poor[i] and the needy
and to slaughter those who are upright.
15 Their swords will enter their own hearts,[j]
and their bows will be shattered.
16 Preferable is the little that the righteous possess
than the great wealth of the wicked.
17 For the power of the wicked will be overcome,
but the Lord protects the righteous.
Chapter 3[a]
Naomi Instructs Ruth. 1 Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a home for you so that you may find security? 2 Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you were, our relative? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Bathe and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Go down to the floor, but do not let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down to sleep, note the place where he is lying. Go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.” 5 She said to her, “I will do whatever you say.”
6 She went down to the floor and did everything just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was feeling a bit merry, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. She quietly approached, uncovered his feet and lay down.
8 In the middle of the night, the man was startled when he turned over and there was a woman at his feet. 9 He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth, your handmaid. Spread your covering[b] over your handmaid, for you are my next of kin.” 10 He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. This latter kindness you have shown is greater than the former, for you have not sought after the young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will give you whatever you ask, for all of my people in the city know that you are a virtuous woman. 12 It is true that we are close relatives, but there is another relative closer than I. 13 Remain this night. When morning comes, if he fulfills his duty as next of kin, then good, let him do it. But if he will not fulfill his duty as next of kin, then I will fulfill that duty for you. I swear, as the Lord lives. Now lie down until the morning.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted that she conceive, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a next of kin; may his name be famous throughout Israel.[a] 15 He will renew your life and support you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is worth more than seven sons to you, has borne him.”
16 Naomi then took the child and laid him in her lap. She became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi.” They called him Obed.[b] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 [c]This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron; 19 Hezron was the father of Ram; Ram was the father of Amminadab; 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon; Nahshon was the father of Salmon; 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz; Boaz was the father of Obed; 22 Obed was the father of Jesse; and Jesse was the father of David.
17 The Crowds Seek Out Jesus.[a] He then came down with them and stood on a spot of level ground, where there was a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all sections of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come there to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who were afflicted by unclean spirits were cured. 19 And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, because power came forth from him and healed them all.
The Sermon on the Plain[b]
20 The Beatitudes.[c] Then, turning to his disciples, he began to speak:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will have your fill.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and ostracize you, when they insult you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on that day and dance for joy, for your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the Prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in the same fashion.
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