Loyalty, Redemption, and Christ's Superior Priesthood

1. In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live 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. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab, and lived there. 3. Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4. They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years. 5. Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband. 6. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how Yahweh had visited his people in giving them bread. 7. She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8. Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9. May Yahweh grant you 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. They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11. Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12. Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons; 13. would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for Yahweh’s hand has gone out against me.” 14. They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her. 15. She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.” 16. Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. 17. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18. When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. 19. So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?” 20. She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21. I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 22. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. 1. Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. 2. Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3. She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4. Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” They answered him, “May Yahweh bless you.” 5. Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?” 6. The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. 7. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.” 8. Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens. 9. Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.” 10. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11. Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. 12. May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13. Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.” 14. At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left some of it. 15. When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. 16. Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.” 17. So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18. She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough. 19. Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Yahweh, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.” 21. Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men, until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22. Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.” 23. So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law. 1. Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2. Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. 3. Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4. It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lay down. Then he will tell you what to do.” 5. She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.” 6. She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her. 7. When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and laid down. 8. At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9. He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.” 10. He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. 11. Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. 12. Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13. Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until the morning.” 14. She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15. He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city. 16. When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” She told her all that the man had done for her. 17. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’” 18. Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.” 1. Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. He said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2. He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3. He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. 4. I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6. The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.” 7. Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. 8. So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his shoe. 9. Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” 11. All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. 12. Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which Yahweh will give you by this young woman.” 13. So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel. 15. He shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16. Naomi took the child, and laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to it. 17. The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18. Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19. and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab, 20. and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, 21. and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed, 22. and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

1. God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2. has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. 3. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4. having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have. 5. For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?” 6. When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” 7. Of the angels he says, “Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.” 8. But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom. 9. You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.” 10. And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands. 11. They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does. 12. You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years will not fail.” 13. But which of the angels has he told at any time, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?” 14. Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? 1. Therefore we ought to pay greater attention to the things that were heard, lest perhaps we drift away. 2. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense; 3. how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard; 4. God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will? 5. For he didn’t subject the world to come, of which we speak, to angels. 6. But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him? 7. You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor. 8. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we don’t see all things subjected to him, yet. 9. But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone. 10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12. saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13. Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.” 14. Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15. and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16. For most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham. 17. Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. 1. Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus; 2. who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house. 3. For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house. 4. For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God. 5. Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken, 6. but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end. 7. Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear his voice, 8. don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, 9. where your fathers tested me by proving me, and saw my deeds for forty years. 10. Therefore I was displeased with that generation, and said, ‘They always err in their heart, but they didn’t know my ways;’ 11. as I swore in my wrath, ‘They will not enter into my rest.’” 12. Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God; 13. but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end: 15. while it is said, “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” 16. For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, didn’t all those who came out of Egypt by Moses? 17. With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18. To whom did he swear that they wouldn’t enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19. We see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

1. God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son. 2. He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. 3. The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness. 4. He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces. 5. They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6. He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. 7. In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. 8. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth. 9. Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust. 10. The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11. Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him. 12. For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper. 13. He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy. 14. He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight. 15. They shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. Men shall pray for him continually. They shall bless him all day long. 16. Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field. 17. His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed. 18. Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19. Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen. 20. This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.