Formation Journal Reading Plan

4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He turned aside, and sat down.

4:2 He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” They sat down.

4:3 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.

4:4 I thought to disclose it to 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.”

4:5 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.”

4:6 The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”

4:7 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 attestation in Israel.

4:8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” He took off his shoe.

4:9 Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.

4:10 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 not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day.”

4:11 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 two built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

4:12 Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which Yahweh shall give you of this young woman.”

4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh gave her conception, and she bore a son.

4:14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.

4:15 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 borne him.”

4:16 Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.

4:17 The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi;” and they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

4:18 Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

4:19 and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,

4:20 and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

4:21 and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,

4:22 and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

1:2 and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1:3 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there.

1:4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

1:5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb.

1:6 Her rival provoked her severely, to make her fret, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.

1:7 As he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Yahweh, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.

1:8 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh.

1:10 She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, and wept bitterly.

1:11 She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”

1:12 It happened, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli saw her mouth.

1:13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

1:14 Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from you.”

1:15 Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Yahweh.

1:16 Don’t count your handmaid for a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”

1:17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”

1:18 She said, “Let your handmaid find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way, and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more.

1:19 They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her.

1:20 It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

1:21 The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

1:22 But Hannah didn’t go up; for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh, and stay there forever.”

1:23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

1:24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to Yahweh’s house in Shiloh. The child was young.

1:25 They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

1:26 She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Yahweh.

1:27 For this child I prayed; and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him.

1:28 Therefore also I have granted him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he is granted to Yahweh.” He worshiped Yahweh there.

138:1 By David. I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.

138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

138:3 In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul.

138:4 All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

138:5 Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh; for great is Yahweh’s glory.

138:6 For though Yahweh is high, yet he looks after the lowly; but the proud, he knows from afar.

138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me.

138:8 Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me; your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.

1:19 This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

1:20 He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.”

1:21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”

1:22 They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

1:23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

1:24 The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

1:25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

1:26 John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know.

1:27 He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.”

1:28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

1:29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1:30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’

1:31 I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.”

1:32 John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.

1:33 I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

1:34 I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”