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RUTH 1

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Naomi Widowed
  1:1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and 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. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you 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, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
    
15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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 will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Naomi and Ruth Return
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
    
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.



RUTH 2

« Ruth 1 | Ruth 2 | Ruth 3 »

Ruth Meets Boaz
  2:1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”
    
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
    
14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”
    
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.



PROVERBS 28

« Proverbs 27 | Proverbs 28 | Proverbs 29 »

28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2
When a land transgresses, it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3
A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
5
Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.
6
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.
7
The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8
Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit
gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.
9
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10
Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.
11
A rich man is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.
12
When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14
Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,
but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16
A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17
If one is burdened with the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;
let no one help him.
18
Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19
Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20
A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21
To show partiality is not good,
but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22
A stingy man hastens after wealth
and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
23
Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than he who flatters with his tongue.
24
Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is a companion to a man who destroys.
25
A greedy man stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.
26
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27
Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28
When the wicked rise, people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.



PSALM 49

« Psalm 48 | Psalm 49 | Psalm 50 »

Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
49:1
Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2
both low and high,
rich and poor together!
3
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

5
Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6
those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7
Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
8
for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9
that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

10
For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11
Their graves are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
12
Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13
This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah
14
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15
But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah

16
Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18
For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19
his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
20
Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

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