Old/New Testament
1 Long ago when the ·judges [leaders; C not courtroom judges, but leaders who guided the nation through difficult times; Judg. 2:16; a very dark time in Israel’s history] ruled Israel, there was a ·shortage of food [famine] in the land. So a man from the town of Bethlehem in Judah left to ·live [sojourn; reside as a resident alien] in the ·country [region] of Moab [C east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea; Gen. 19:37] with his wife and his two sons. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife was named Naomi, and his two sons were named Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathahites from Bethlehem in Judah. When they came to Moab, they settled there.
3 Then Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These sons married women from Moab. One was named Orpah, and the other was named Ruth. Naomi and her sons had lived in Moab about ten years 5 when Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left alone without her husband or her two ·sons [offspring; 4:16].
6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had ·come to help [L visited] his people and had given them food again. So she and her daughters-in-law ·got ready [L arose] to leave Moab and return home. 7 Naomi and her daughters-in-law left the place where they had lived and ·started back [set off on the road to return] to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back home, each of you to your own mother’s house. May the Lord ·be as kind [show mercy/lovingkindness] to you as you have been to me and ·my sons who are now dead [L with the dead]. 9 May the Lord give you ·another happy home and a new [L to find rest/security, each in the house of her] husband.”
When Naomi kissed the women good-bye, they ·began to cry out loud [L raised their voices and wept]. 10 They said to her, “No, we ·want to go [will return] with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “My daughters, ·return to your own homes [L return]. Why ·do you want to [should you] go with me? ·I cannot give birth to more sons [L Do I have sons in my womb…?] to give you new husbands; 12 go back, my daughters, to your own homes. [L …because] I am too old to have another husband. Even if I told myself, ‘I still have hope’ and had another husband tonight, and even if I had more sons, 13 ·should [or would] you wait until they were grown into men [Deut. 25:5–10]? ·Should [or Would] you ·live for so many years without husbands [remain unmarried]? Don’t do that, my daughters. ·My life is much too sad for you to share [or It is more bitter for me than for you], because the Lord has been against me!”
14 The women ·cried together out loud [L raised their voices and wept] again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law Naomi good-bye, but Ruth ·held on [clung] to her tightly.
15 Naomi said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and her own ·gods [or god; C Chemosh was the chief god of the Moabites; 1 Kin. 11:33]. Go back with her.”
Ruth Stays with Naomi
16 But Ruth said, “Don’t ·beg [urge] me to ·leave [abandon] you or to ·stop following [L turn back from] you. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord ·punish me terribly [L do to me and even more] if I do not keep this promise: ·Not even [or Nothing but] death will separate us.”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth ·had firmly made up her mind [was resolved/determined] to go with her, she stopped ·arguing with [urging; talking to] her. 19 So Naomi and Ruth went on until they came to the town of Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, ·all the people became very excited [the whole town was abuzz/stirred up]. The women of the town said, “Is this really Naomi?”
20 Naomi answered the people, “Don’t call me Naomi [C “pleasant” or “happy”]. Call me Mara [C “bitter” or “sad”], because ·the Almighty [L Shaddai] has ·made my life very sad [dealt bitterly/harshly with me]. 21 ·When I left, I had all I wanted [L I went out full], but now, the Lord has brought me home ·with nothing [empty]. Why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has ·spoken against [testified against; or afflicted; opposed] me and the Almighty [1:20] has ·given me so much trouble [brought calamity/misfortune/evil on me]?”
22 So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite, returned from the land of Moab and arrived at Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest [C April or May].
Ruth Meets Boaz
2 Now Naomi had a ·rich [or influential; L man of great wealth/standing] relative named Boaz, from Elimelech’s ·family [clan].
2 One day Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi, “[L Please] Let me go to the fields. Maybe someone ·will be kind enough to [L in whose eyes/sight I find grace/favor will] let me ·gather the grain he leaves behind [L glean among the sheaves/bundles; Deut. 24:21–22].”
Naomi said, “Go, my daughter.”
3 So Ruth went ·to the fields and gathered the grain that the workers cutting the grain had left behind [L and gleaned in the field behind the reapers/harvesters]. It just so happened that the field belonged to Boaz, from Elimelech’s ·family [clan; C a chance event from Ruth’s perspective, but part of God’s plan].
4 ·Soon [or Just then; L And look/T behold] Boaz came from Bethlehem and greeted his ·workers [reapers; harvesters], “The Lord be with you!”
And the workers answered, “May the Lord bless you!”
5 Then Boaz asked his ·servant [young man; foreman] in charge of the ·workers [reapers; harvesters], “·Whose girl is that [To whom does that young woman belong; C referring, in this patriarchal culture, to her husband or father]?”
6 The ·servant [young man; foreman] answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the ·country [land] of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me follow the ·workers cutting grain [reapers; harvesters] and ·gather what they leave behind [L glean among the sheaves/bundles].’ She came and has remained here, from morning until just now. She ·has stopped only a few moments [or just now stopped for a moment] to rest in the ·shelter [hut; house].”
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “·Listen [L Have you not heard…?], my daughter. Don’t go to ·gather grain for yourself [glean] in another field. Don’t even leave this field at all, but ·continue following closely behind [stay close to; cling to] my ·women workers [servant girls; young women]. 9 Watch to see into which fields ·they [the men reaping; C the Hebrew pronoun is masculine] go to ·cut grain [reap] and follow ·them [the women gathering; C the Hebrew pronoun is feminine]. I ·have warned [or will warn] the young men not to ·bother [harass; touch] you. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the water jugs that the young men have ·filled [L drawn (from the well)].”
10 Then Ruth bowed low with her face to the ground and said to him, “I am ·not an Israelite [L a foreigner]. Why have ·you been so kind to notice me [L I found favor/grace in your eyes]?”
11 Boaz answered her, “I ·know [have been fully informed] about all ·the help you have given [that you have done for] your mother-in-law after your husband died. You left your father and mother and your ·own country [native land] to come to a ·nation [people] where you did not know anyone. 12 May the Lord reward you for all you have done. May your wages be paid in full by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for shelter [C like a protective mother bird].”
13 Then Ruth said, “·I hope I can continue to please you [May I continue to find grace/favor in your eyes; or I have found favor/grace in your eyes], ·sir [my lord]. [L Because] You have ·said kind and encouraging words to [L comforted and spoken to the heart of] me, your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”
14 At mealtime Boaz told Ruth, “Come here. Eat some of our bread and dip it in ·our sauce [the vinegar/wine-vinegar].”
So Ruth sat down beside the ·workers [reapers; harvesters]. Boaz ·handed [offered; served] her some roasted grain, and she ate until she was ·full [satisfied]; she even had some food left over. 15 When Ruth rose and went back to work, Boaz commanded his ·workers [young men], “Let her ·gather [glean] even around the ·piles of cut grain [sheaves]. Don’t ·tell her to go away [reprimand/insult/humiliate her]. 16 In fact, pull out some full heads of grain for her from the bundles and let her gather them. Don’t ·tell her to stop [rebuke/scold her].”
17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she ·separated the grain from the chaff [threshed/beat out what she had gleaned], and there was about ·one-half bushel [L an ephah; C about 30 pounds] of barley. 18 Ruth carried the grain into town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had ·gathered [gleaned]. Ruth also took out the food that was left over ·from lunch [L after she was full/satisfied] and gave it to Naomi.
19 ·Naomi [L Her mother-in-law] asked her, “Where did you ·gather all this grain [glean] today? Where did you work? Blessed be whoever noticed you!”
Ruth told her mother-in-law in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 Naomi told her daughter-in-law, “The Lord bless him! ·He continues to be kind to us—both [L …who has not abandoned] the living and the dead!” Then Naomi told Ruth, “Boaz is one of our close relatives, one ·who should take care of us [of our guardians/T kinsmen-redeemers; C a relative who would care for a bereaved family in various ways: looking after destitute members (Lev. 25:35); avenging a murdered relative (Num. 35:19); marrying a sister-in-law to raise up children for her deceased husband (Deut. 25:5–10; called “levirate” marriage); buying back family land (Lev. 25:25) or redeeming family members who had been sold as slaves (Lev. 25:47–49)].”
21 Then Ruth, the Moabite, said, “Boaz ·also [even] told me, ‘Keep close to my ·workers [young men] until they have finished my whole harvest.’”
22 But Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is better for you to continue working with his ·women workers [female servants; young women]. If you work in another field, someone might ·hurt [harm; or harass] you.” 23 So Ruth continued working closely with the ·workers [female workers; young women] of Boaz, gathering grain until the barley harvest [C March-April] and the wheat harvest [C April-May] were finished. And she continued to live with Naomi, her mother-in-law.
Naomi’s Plan
3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, ·I must [L Should I not…?] find ·a suitable home [L rest; C a husband and a home to provide security] for you, ·one that will be good for you [or so you will be secure; L that it will go/be well for you]. 2 Now Boaz, whose ·young women [female servants] you worked with, is our close relative [C and so an appropriate guardian/kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth; 2:20]. [L Look; T Behold] Tonight he will be ·working [L winnowing barley] at the threshing floor. 3 Wash yourself, put on perfume, ·change your clothes [or get dressed up; or put on your cloak], and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished ·his dinner [L eating and drinking]. 4 Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and ·lift the cover off [uncover] his ·feet [or legs; C evidently an appeal for marriage] and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”
5 Then Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”
6 So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law ·told [instructed; commanded] her to do. 7 After ·his evening meal [L he had eaten and drunk], ·Boaz felt good [L his heart was good/pleased] and went to sleep lying ·beside [at the end of] the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.
8 About midnight Boaz ·was startled [or shuddered] and rolled over. [L And look/T behold] There was a woman lying near his feet! 9 Boaz asked, “Who are you?”
She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread ·your cover [or the corner of your garment; or your wings; 2:12] over me [C a request for the provision and protection of marriage], because you are a ·relative who is supposed to take care of me [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20].”
10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This [second; L last] act of kindness is greater than the ·kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning [L first]. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a ·good [worthy; noble] woman [Prov. 31:10]. 12 It is true that I am a ·relative who is to take care of you [guardian; kinsmen-redeemer; 2:20], but you have a closer relative than I. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if he will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you. If he decides to ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So ·stay here [L lie down] until morning.”
14 So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, “People in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing floor.” 15 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring me your ·shawl [cloak] and hold it open.”
So Ruth held her ·shawl [cloak] open, and Boaz poured six portions of barley into it. Boaz then put it on ·her head [or her back; L her] and went[a] back to the city.
16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did ·you do [things go], my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything that ·Boaz [L the man] did for her. 17 She said, “Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, saying, ‘You must not go home ·without a gift for [L empty to] your mother-in-law.’”
18 Naomi answered, “·Wait [Stay here; or Be patient], my daughter, until you see what happens. ·Boaz [L The man] will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today.”
Boaz Marries Ruth
4 Boaz went to the city gate [C the hub of the town for judicial, business, and social interaction] and sat there until the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20] he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “·Come here [L Turn aside], ·friend [or so-and-so; C the man is not named, perhaps ironically because he refused to preserve Naomi’s family name], and sit down.” So the man ·came over [turned aside] and sat down. 2 Boaz gathered ten of the elders of the city and told them, “Sit down here!” So they sat down.
3 Then Boaz said to the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer], “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, ·wants to sell [is selling] the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech [C it was important in Israel to keep property in the family]. 4 So I ·decided [or thought it my obligation] to tell you about it: If you want to ·buy back the land [redeem it], then ·buy it [redeem] in front of the people who are sitting here and in front of the elders of my people. But if you don’t want to buy it, tell me, because you are the ·only one [or first in line] who can buy it, and I am next after you.”
The close relative answered, “I will ·buy back the land [redeem it].”
5 Then Boaz explained, “When you ·buy [acquire] the land from [L the hand of] Naomi, you must also ·marry [acquire] Ruth, the Moabite, the dead man’s wife. ·That way, the land will stay in the dead man’s name [L …to raise up a name for the dead man upon his inheritance].”
6 The ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] answered, “I can’t ·buy back the land [redeem it]. If I did, I might ·harm [destroy; endanger; put in jeopardy] ·what I can pass on to my own sons [my inheritance]. I cannot ·buy the land back [redeem it], so ·buy it [redeem it for] yourself.”
7 Long ago in Israel ·when people traded or bought back [for the redemption and transfer of] something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was the ·proof of ownership [or validation of the transaction] in Israel.
8 So the ·close relative [guardian; kinsman-redeemer] said to Boaz, “Buy the land yourself,” and he took off his sandal.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today. I ·am buying [have bought] from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I ·am also taking [have also acquired] Ruth, the Moabite, who was the wife of Mahlon, as my wife. ·I am doing this so her dead husband’s property will stay in his name and his name will not be separated [L …so that his name will not be cut off] from his ·family [L brothers] and ·his hometown [L the gate of his place]. You are witnesses today.”
11 So all the people and elders who were at the city gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the ·people [L house] of Israel [C the twelve sons of Israel were born to Leah, Rachel and their servant girls; Gen. 29:31—30:24]. May you become ·powerful [or wealthy; or renowned] in the district of Ephrathah and ·famous [renowned] in Bethlehem. 12 As Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez [C an ancestor of Boaz (v. 18) whose birth resulted from a levirate union (2:20; Gen. 38:27–30; Deut. 25:5–10) and so was parallel to this situation], may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. May your family be great like his.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife and ·had sexual relations with [L went in to] her. The Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women told Naomi, “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord who ·gave you this grandson [L has not left you today without a guardian/kinsman-redeemer]. May ·he [L his name] become ·famous [renowned] in Israel. 15 He will ·give you new [restore/renew your] life and will take care of you in your old age because of your daughter-in-law who loves you. She is better for you than seven sons, because she has given birth to ·your grandson [L him].”
16 Naomi took the boy, ·held him in her arms [or put him on her lap; or took him to her breast], and ·cared for him [or became his nurse/caregiver]. 17 The neighbors gave the boy his name, saying, “·This boy was [L A son has been] born for Naomi.” They named him Obed [C “servant”]. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [C Israel’s greatest king, through whom the Messiah would come; 2 Sam. 7:11–17; Matt. 1:1, 5–6; Luke 3:32].
18 This is the family history of Perez, the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram, who was the father of Amminadab. 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, who was the father of Salmon. 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz, who was the father of Obed. 22 Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David [Matt. 1:3–6; Luke 3:31–33].
The Group with Jesus
8 After this, while Jesus was traveling through some ·cities [or towns] and ·small towns [villages], he preached and ·told [proclaimed; announced] the ·Good News [Gospel] about God’s kingdom. The twelve apostles were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of sicknesses and ·evil [defiling; L unclean; 4:33] spirits: Mary, called Magdalene [C probably because she was from the town of Magdala], from whom seven demons had gone out; 3 Joanna, the wife of ·Cuza [or Chuza] (the ·manager [T steward] of Herod’s [C Herod Antipas; see 3:1] house); Susanna; and many others. These women used their own ·money [resources] to ·help [support] ·Jesus and his apostles [L them].
A Story About Planting Seed(A)
4 When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this ·story [parable]:
5 “A ·farmer [sower] went out to ·plant [sow] his seed. While he was ·planting [sowing, scattering seed], some seed fell ·by the road [along the footpath]. People ·walked [trampled] on the seed, and the ·birds [L birds of the sky] ate it up. 6 Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it ·died [withered; dried up] because it had no ·water [moisture]. 7 Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up with it and choked ·the good plants [L it]. 8 And ·some [L other] seed fell on good ·ground [soil] and grew and made a hundred times more.”
As Jesus finished the story, he called out, “·Let those with ears use them and listen [L The one who has ears to hear, let him hear]!”
9 Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] asked him what this ·story [parable] meant.
10 Jesus said, “·You have been chosen [L It has been granted/given to you] to ·know [understand] the ·secrets [mysteries] about the kingdom of God. But I use ·stories [parables] to speak to ·other people [the rest] so that:
‘They will ·look [see], but they may not ·see [perceive].
They will ·listen [hear], but they may not understand [Is. 6:9].’
11 “This is what the ·story [parable] means: The seed is God’s ·message [word]. 12 The seed that fell ·beside the road [along the footpath] is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but [L then] the devil comes and takes it away from ·them [L their hearts] so they cannot believe it and be saved. 13 The seed that fell on rock is like those who hear God’s teaching and ·accept [receive] it ·gladly [L with joy], but they ·don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives [L have no root]. They believe for a while, but when ·trouble [L a time of temptation/testing] comes, they ·give up [fall away; depart]. 14 The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the ·worries [cares; anxieties], riches, and pleasures of this life ·keep them from growing and producing [L choke/crowd them and they do not produce] ·good [mature; ripe] fruit. 15 And the seed that fell on the good ground is like those who hear ·God’s teaching [the word] with good, honest hearts and ·obey [cling/hold to] it and ·patiently [with perseverance] produce good fruit.
Use What You Have(B)
16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. Instead, the person puts it on a lampstand so those who come in will see the light. 17 [L For] Everything that is ·hidden [secret] will ·become clear [be revealed; disclosed; brought into the open] and every ·secret [hidden; concealed] thing will be made known [L and come to light]. 18 So ·be careful [pay attention; L see] how you listen. [L For] Those who ·have understanding [L have] will be given more. But those who do not ·have understanding [L have], even what they think they have will be taken away from them.”
Jesus’ True Family(C)
19 Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but there was such a crowd they could not get to him. 20 Someone ·said [reported] to Jesus, “Your mother and your ·brothers [or brothers and sisters; C the Greek word can mean “siblings”] are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 Jesus answered them, “My mother and my ·brothers [or brothers and sisters] are those who listen to God’s ·teaching [word] and ·obey [do; practice] it!”
Jesus Calms a Storm(D)
22 One day Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s go across the lake.” And so they started across. 23 While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to ·fill with water [nearly swamp], and they were in danger.
24 The ·followers [disciples] went to Jesus and woke him, saying, “Master! Master! We ·will drown [are perishing/going to die]!”
Jesus got up and ·gave a command to [reprimanded; rebuked] the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm [C paralleling God’s subduing of the waters (representing chaos); Ps. 65:7; 89:9; 107:29]. 25 Jesus said to ·his followers [L them], “Where is your faith?”
·The followers [L They] were afraid and amazed and said to each other, “Who [L then] is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?”
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