Now Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek for you security that things may be good for you? So then, is not Boaz our kinsman whose maidservants you were with? Look, he is winnowing the barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash, anoint yourself, put your clothing on, and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man until he finishes eating and drinking. And when he lies, take notice of the place where he lies. And you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he shall tell you what to do.” And she said to her, “I will do all that you say.”

And she went down to the threshing floor and did all that her mother-in-law had instructed her. And Boaz ate and drank until his heart was merry and then he came to lie at the end of the grain heap. And she came in quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down. And it happened in the middle of the night the man was startled and he reached out and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your garment over your servant because you are a redeemer.” And he said, “You are blessed by Yahweh my daughter. You did better in this last kindness than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. And so then my daughter, do not be afraid. All that you ask I will do for you, for the entire assembly of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. Now truly I am a redeemer, but there is also a redeemer of a closer relationship than me. Stay tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good; but if he is not willing to redeem, then as Yahweh lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

So she lay at his feet until morning and got up before anyone could recognize each other. And he said, “It must not be known that you came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Bring the cloak that is on you and hold it out.” And she held it out and he measured six measures of barley and put it on her cloak. Then she went into the city. And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “How did it go for you, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man did for her. And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘You shall not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'” And she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

And Boaz had gone up to the city gate and sat there. And look, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. And he said, “Come over here to sit, friend.” And he came over and sat. And he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit here.” And they sat. And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who returned from the countryside of Moab, is selling the tract of land which was for our brother Elimelech. And I thought I would tell you and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting and before the elders of my people,’ if you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not want to redeem, tell me so that I may know, for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.” And he said, “I want to redeem it.” And Boaz said, “On the day of your acquiring the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to raise up for the name of the dead his inheritance.” And the redeemer said, “I am not able to redeem for myself, lest I ruin my inheritance. You redeem for yourself my kinsman-redemption, for I am not able to redeem it.”

(Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the kinsman-redemption and transfer of property: to confirm the matter, a man removed his sandal and gave it to his fellow countryman. This was the manner of attesting in Israel.) So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” and he removed his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all of the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that was for Elimelech and that was for Kilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired as a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his relatives and from the gate of his birth place. You are witnesses today.” And all of the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman coming into your house as Rachel and as Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you have strength in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem. And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah from the offspring that Yahweh will give to you from this young woman.”

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. And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh who today did not leave you without a redeemer! And may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be for you a restorer of life and a sustainer in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better for you than seven sons, has borne him.” And Naomi took the child and she put him on her bosom and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers;

do not be envious of doers of wickedness.

For like the grass they will dry up quickly,

and like green vegetation they will wither.

Trust Yahweh and do good.

Abide in the land and feed on faithfulness.

Take pleasure in Yahweh as well,

and he will give to you the requests of your heart.

Commit to Yahweh your way;

Trust also on him and he will act.

Then he will bring forth your righteousness like the light,

and your justice like the noonday.

Be quiet before Yahweh and wait for him.

Do not fret about one who succeeds in his way,

about a man making plots.

Refrain from anger and forsake wrath.

Do not fret; it only brings evil.

For evildoers will be cut off,

but those who wait for Yahweh—

they will possess the land.

And yet a little while and the wicked will not be,

and you will look carefully upon his place, but he will not be.

But the afflicted will possess the land,

and they will take pleasure in an abundance of peace.

The wicked plans evil against the righteous,

and gnashes at him with his teeth.

The Lord laughs at him,

for he sees that his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow

to throw down the poor and the needy,

to kill those upright in their way.

Their sword will enter into their own heart,

and their bows shall be broken.

The little belonging to the righteous is better

than the wealth of many wicked.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

but Yahweh supports the righteous.

Yahweh knows the days of the blameless,

and their inheritance will be forever.

They will not be put to shame in distressing times,

and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.

But the wicked will perish,

and the enemies of Yahweh will be like the splendor of the pastures.

They vanish; in smoke they vanish.

The wicked borrows and does not repay,

but the righteous is gracious and gives.

For those blessed by him shall possess the land,

but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

The steps of a man are established by Yahweh,

and he takes pleasure in his way.

Though he fall, he will not be cast headlong,

for Yahweh supports him with his hand.

I was a youth, but I am now old;

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

All the day he is gracious and lends,

and his children are a blessing.

Turn aside from evil and do good

and so abide forever.

For Yahweh loves justice

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

They are protected forever.

But the children of the wicked will be cut off.

The righteous will possess the land

and abide in it forever.

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

and his tongue speaks justice.

The law of his God is in his heart.

His steps will not slip.

The wicked watches for the righteous

and seeks to kill him.

Yahweh will not abandon him into his hand,

and he will not let him be condemned when he is judged.

Wait for Yahweh and keep his way,

and he will exalt you to possess the land.

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

I have seen the wicked acting violently

and spreading himself out

like a luxuriant native tree.

Then he passed on and behold, he was not.

And I sought him, but he could not be found.

Observe the blameless and look at the upright,

for there is a future for a man of peace.

But transgressors shall be destroyed altogether.

The future of the wicked shall be cut off.

And the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh,

their refuge in the time of trouble.

And Yahweh helps them and he rescues them.

He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

And while they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees approached them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, because it was already evening. But many of those who listened to the message believed, and the number of the men was approximately five thousand.

And it happened that on the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes came together in Jerusalem, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all those who were from the high priest’s family. And they made them stand in their midst and began to ask, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a sick man—by what means this man was healed— let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man stands before you healthy! This one is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among people by which we must be saved.”

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were astonished, and recognized them, that they had been with Jesus. And because they saw the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in return. But after they had ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What should we do with these men? For that a remarkable sign has taken place through them is evident to all those who live in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny it! But in order that it may not spread much further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more in this name to anyone at all.” And they called them back and commanded them not to speak or to teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you decide! For we are not able to refrain from speaking about the things that we have seen and heard.” So after threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened. For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

And when they were released, they went to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices with one mind to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all the things in them, the one who said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your servant,

‘Why do the nations rage,

and the peoples conspire in vain?

The kings of the earth stood opposed,

and the rulers assembled together at the same place,

against the Lord and against his Christ.’

For in truth both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, to do all that your hand and plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, concern yourself with their threats and grant your slaves to speak your message with all boldness, as you extend your hand to heal and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

Now the group of those who believed were one heart and soul, and no one said anything of what belonged to him was his own, but all things were theirs in common. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. For there was not even anyone needy among them, because all those who were owners of plots of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds of the things that were sold and placing them at the feet of the apostles. And it was being distributed to each as anyone had need. So Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated “son of encouragement”), a Levite of Cyprus by nationality, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and placed it at the feet of the apostles.

Until next time, keep meditating on the word of God.

Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.