Ruth 1; Ruth 2; Ruth 3; Ruth 4; Luke 8:1-25

Ruth 1

1 During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while.

2 The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife's name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the land of Moab and [settled] there.

3 Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons.

4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about 10 years,

5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband.

6 She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to His people's [need] by providing them food.

7 She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

8 She said to them, "Each of you go back to your mother's home. May the Lord show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me.

9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the house of your [new] husband." She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

10 "No," they said to her. "We will go with you to your people."

11 But Naomi replied, "Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands?

12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was [still] hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,

13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, [my life] is much too bitter for you [to share], because the Lord's hand has turned against me."

14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law."

16 But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me, and even more, if anything but death separates you and me.

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

19 The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and [the local women] exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"

20 "Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," she answered, "for the Almighty has made me very bitter.

21 I left full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has pronounced [judgment] on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

22 So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Ruth 2

1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side named Boaz. He was a prominent man of noble character from Elimelech's family.

2 Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, "Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone who allows me to?" Naomi answered her, "Go ahead, my daughter."

3 So Ruth left and entered the field to gather [grain] behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech's family.

4 Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, "The Lord be with you." "The Lord bless you," they replied.

5 Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, "Whose young woman is this?"

6 The servant answered, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.

7 She asked, 'Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?' She came and has remained from early morning until now, except that she rested a little in the shelter."

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Don't go and gather [grain] in another field, and don't leave this one, but stay here close to my young women.

9 See which field they are harvesting, and follow [them]. Haven't I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled."

10 She bowed with her face to the ground and said to him, "Why are you so kind to notice me, although I am a foreigner?"

11 Boaz answered her, "Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband's death has been fully reported to me: [how] you left your father and mother, and the land of your birth, and [how] you came to a people you didn't previously know.

12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

13 "My lord," she said, "you have been so kind to me, for you have comforted and encouraged your slave, although I am not like one of your female servants."

14 At mealtime Boaz told her, "Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce." So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had [some] left over.

15 When she got up to gather [grain], Boaz ordered his young men, "Be sure to let her gather [grain] among the bundles, and don't humiliate her.

16 Pull out [some] stalks from the bundles for her and leave [them] for her to gather. Don't rebuke her."

17 So Ruth gathered [grain] in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about 26 quarts of barley.

18 She picked up [the grain] and went into the city, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. Then she brought out what she had left over from her meal and gave [it] to her.

19 Then her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you gather [barley] today, and where did you work? May [the Lord] bless the man who noticed you." Ruth told her mother-in-law about the men she had worked [with] and said, "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz."

20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the Lord, who has not forsaken his kindness to the living or the dead." Naomi continued, "The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers."

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also told me, 'Stay with my young men until they have finished all of my harvest.' "

22 So Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, "My daughter, it is good for you to work with his young women, so that nothing will happen to you in another field."

23 Ruth stayed close to Boaz's young women and gathered [grain] until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth 3

1 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? Haven't you been working with his young women? 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."

6 She went down [to] the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her.

7 After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley. Then she went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!

9 So he asked, "Who are you?" "I am Ruth, your slave," she replied. "Spread your cloak over me, for you are a family redeemer."

10 Then he said, "May the Lord bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor.

11 Now don't be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am.

13 Stay [here] tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, [that's] good. Let him redeem [you]. But if he doesn't want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now, lie down until morning."

14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor."

15 And he told [Ruth], "Bring the shawl you're wearing and hold it out." When she held it out, he shoveled six [measures] of barley into her shawl, and she went into the city.

16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked [her], "How did it go, my daughter?" Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her.

17 She said, "He gave me these six [measures] of barley, because he said, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "

18 "Wait, my daughter," she said, "until you find out how things go, for he won't rest unless he resolves this today."

Ruth 4

1 Boaz went to the gate [of the town] and sat down there. Soon, the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, "Come over here and sit down." So he went over and sat down.

2 Then Boaz took 10 men of the city's elders and said, "Sit here." And they sat down.

3 He said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4 I thought I should inform you: Buy [it] back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem [it], do so. But if you do not want to redeem [it], tell me, so that I will know, because there isn't anyone other than you to redeem [it], and I am next after you." "I want to redeem [it]," he answered.

5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man's name on his property."

6 The redeemer replied, "I can't redeem [it] myself, or I will ruin my [own] inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can't redeem it."

7 At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to the other party in order to make any matter [legally] binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was [the method of] legally binding a transaction in Israel.

8 So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, "Buy back [the property] yourself."

9 Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.

10 I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man's name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today."

11 The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

12 May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman."

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 be famous 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, 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. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron.

19 Hezron fathered Ram, who fathered Amminadab.

20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, who fathered Salmon.

21 Salmon fathered Boaz, who fathered Obed.

22 And Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David.

Luke 8:1-25

1 Soon afterwards He was traveling from one town and village to another, preaching and telling the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary, called Magdalene (seven demons had come out of her);

3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others who were supporting them from their possessions.

4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:

5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture.

7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times [what was sown]." As He said this, He called out, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"

9 Then His disciples asked Him, "What does this parable mean?"

10 So He said, "The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. "

11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

12 The seeds along the path are those who have heard. Then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

13 And the seeds on the rock are those who, when they hear, welcome the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and depart in a time of testing.

14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.

15 But the seed in the good ground-these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, bear fruit.

16 "No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light.

17 For nothing is concealed that won't be revealed, and nothing hidden that won't be made known and come to light.

18 Therefore, take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

19 Then His mother and brothers came to Him, but they could not meet with Him because of the crowd.

20 He was told, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You."

21 But He replied to them, "My mother and My brothers are those who hear and do the word of God."

22 One day He and His disciples got into a boat, and He told them, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." So they set out,

23 and as they were sailing He fell asleep. Then a fierce windstorm came down on the lake; they were being swamped and were in danger.

24 They came and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to die!" Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm.

25 He said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were fearful and amazed, asking one another, "Who can this be? He commands even the winds and the waves, and they obey Him!"