Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Naomi’s Husband and Sons Die
1 Now it happened in the days (A)when the judges judged, that there was (B)a famine in the land. And a certain man (C)of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab [a]with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they (D)came to the fields of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then [b]both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and her husband.
Ruth Is Determined to Go with Naomi
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law and returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that [c]Yahweh had (E)visited His people to (F)give them [d]food. 7 So she went forth from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. (G)May Yahweh [e]show lovingkindness with you as you have [f]shown with the dead and with me. 9 May Yahweh grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that (H)they may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is more bitter for me than for you, for (I)the hand of Yahweh has gone forth against me.” 14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her (J)gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may (K)Yahweh do to me, and more, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 So (L)she saw that she was determined to go with her, and she [g]said no more to her.
I Will Praise Yahweh Throughout My Life
146 [a]Praise Yah!
(A)Praise Yahweh, O my soul!
2 I will praise Yahweh (B)throughout my life;
I will (C)sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (D)Do not trust in nobles,
In merely a son of (E)man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 His (G)spirit departs, he (H)returns to [b]the earth;
In that very day his (I)plans perish.
5 How (J)blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose (K)hope is in Yahweh his God,
6 Who (L)made heaven and earth,
The (M)sea and all that is in them;
Who (N)keeps truth forever;
7 Who (O)does justice for the oppressed;
Who (P)gives food to the hungry.
Yahweh (Q)sets the prisoners free.
8 Yahweh (R)opens the eyes of the blind;
Yahweh (S)raises up those who are bowed down;
Yahweh (T)loves the righteous;
9 Yahweh (U)keeps the sojourners;
He [c](V)helps up the orphan and the widow,
But He bends (W)the way of the wicked.
10 Yahweh will (X)reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, [d]from generation to generation.
[e]Praise Yah!
The New Covenant
11 But when Christ appeared as a (A)high priest of the (B)good things [a]to come, He entered through (C)the greater and more perfect tabernacle, (D)not made with hands, that is to say, (E)not of this creation, 12 and not through (F)the blood of goats and calves, but (G)through His own blood, He (H)entered the holy places (I)once for all, [b]having obtained (J)eternal redemption. 13 For if (K)the blood of goats and bulls and (L)the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the [c]cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will (M)the blood of Christ, who through [d](N)the eternal Spirit (O)offered Himself without blemish to God, (P)cleanse [e]your conscience from (Q)dead works to serve (R)the living God?
The Foremost Commandment
28 (A)And when one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, he (B)recognized that He had answered them well and asked Him, “What commandment is the [a]foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘(C)Hear, O Israel! The [b]Lord our God is one [c]Lord; 30 (D)and you shall love the [d]Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘(E)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that (F)He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 33 (G)and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, (H)is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (I)After that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.
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