Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁸ Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. ⁹ And he said, “Who are you?”

So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. ^(A)Take^[a] your maidservant under your wing, for you are ^(B)a ^[b]close relative.”

¹⁰ Then he said, ^(C)“Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than ^(D)at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a ^(E)virtuous woman. ¹² Now it is true that I am a ^(F)close relative; however, ^(G)there is a relative closer than I. ¹³ Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will ^(H)perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, ^(I)as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, ^(J)“Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ Also he said, “Bring the ^[c]shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then ^[d]she went into the city.

¹⁶ When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, ^[e]“Is that you, my daughter?”

Then she told her all that the man had done for her. ¹⁷ And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

¹⁸ Then she said, ^(K)“Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

The New Commandment

³¹ So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, ^(A)“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and ^(B)God is glorified in Him. ³² If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and ^(C)glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I shall be with you a ^(D)little while longer. You will seek Me; ^(E)and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. ^34 (F)A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ^35 (G)By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”