Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate^(A) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer^[a](B) he had mentioned^(C) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

² Boaz took ten of the elders^(D) of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.^{(E) 3} Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.^{(F) 4} I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,^(G) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,^(H) the^[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”^(I)

⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem^(J) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”^(K)

⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption^(L) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal^(M) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions^(N) in Israel.)^(O)

⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.^(P)

⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses^(Q) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,^(R) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,^(S) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.^(T) Today you are witnesses!^(U)”

¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate^(V) said, “We are witnesses.^(W) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,^(X) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah^(Y) and be famous in Bethlehem.^{(Z) 12} Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,^(AA) whom Tamar^(AB) bore to Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,^(AC) and she gave birth to a son.^{(AD) 14} The women^(AE) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,^(AF) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.^(AG) May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,^(AH) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,^(AI) has given him birth.”

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,^(AJ) the father of David.^(AK)

The Genealogy of David^(AL)

¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez^(AM):

Everything Is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher,^[a](A) son of David, king in Jerusalem:^(B)

Wisdom Is Meaningless

¹² I, the Teacher,^(L) was king over Israel in Jerusalem.^{(M) 13} I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.^(N) What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!^{(O) 14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^(P)

¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me;^(R) I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom,^(S) and also of madness and folly,^(T) but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure^(W) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,”^(X) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine,^(Y) and embracing folly^(Z)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(AA) and planted vineyards.^{(AB) 5} I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves^(AC) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold^(AD) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(AE) I acquired male and female singers,^(AF) and a harem^[b] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem^(AG) before me.^(AH) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

¹⁵ Then I said to myself,

Toil Is Meaningless

¹⁷ So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^{(AT) 18} I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.^{(AU) 19} And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?^(AV) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. ²⁰ So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. ²¹ For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. ²² What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?^{(AW) 23} All their days their work is grief and pain;^(AX) even at night their minds do not rest.^(AY) This too is meaningless.

²⁴ A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink^(AZ) and find satisfaction in their own toil.^(BA) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,^{(BB) 25} for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?^{(BC) 26} To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,^(BD) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth^(BE) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.^(BF) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Judging Others^(A)

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.^{(B) 2} For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.^(C)

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock^(D)

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you;^(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;^(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts^(G) to those who ask him! ¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,^(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.^(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate.^(J) For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

True and False Prophets

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets.^(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.^{(L) 16} By their fruit you will recognize them.^(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?^{(N) 17} Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.^{(O) 19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.^{(P) 20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’^(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,^(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{(S) 22} Many will say to me on that day,^(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’^{(U) 23} Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’^(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders^(W)

²⁴ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice^(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

²⁸ When Jesus had finished saying these things,^(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,^{(Z) 29} because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.