| Series Foreword | p. 11 |
| Author's Preface | p. 13 |
| Ruth: A Story of Famine, Friendship, and Fertility | |
| Overview | p. 16 |
| The Consummate Short Story | p. 16 |
| Where Does Ruth Belong? | p. 18 |
| A Glance at the Whole | p. 19 |
| Meaning and Message | p. 20 |
| An Outline of the Major Units | p. 23 |
| How to Read Ruth | p. 24 |
| Introduction: Famine, Displacement, and Death, 1:1-5 | p. 26 |
| Famine in the Land (Text in Biblical Context) | p. 30 |
| People Living at Risk (Text in Life of the Church) | p. 31 |
| The Story of Two Widows, 1:6--4:12 | p. 33 |
| Return to Bethlehem, 1:6-22 | p. 34 |
| Naomi and Job | p. 40 |
| Complaint Against God | p. 41 |
| Going for Grain, 2:1-23 | p. 43 |
| The Poor in the Biblical Tradition | p. 53 |
| God Who Blesses | p. 54 |
| Seeking Security, 3:1-18 | p. 56 |
| The Childless Widow | p. 64 |
| Beyond Assistance to Security | p. 66 |
| Agreement at the Gate, 4:1-12 | p. 68 |
| The Unrecorded World of Women | p. 75 |
| The Person of Substance | p. 76 |
| Conclusion and Coda, 4:13-22 | p. 79 |
| Birth and Naming of a Son, 4:13-17 | p. 82 |
| Genealogy of Perez, 4:18-22 | p. 85 |
| The Women in the Genealogy | p. 86 |
| Good and Faithful Servant | p. 87 |
| Outline of Ruth | p. 90 |
| Jonah: A Story for All | |
| Overview | p. 94 |
| Jonah as Understood in the Past | p. 94 |
| What Manner of Narrative? | p. 97 |
| Message and Meaning | p. 98 |
| A Glance at the Whole | p. 99 |
| An Outline of the Major Units | p. 100 |
| The Unfulfilled Prophetic Mission, 1:1--2:11 | p. 103 |
| The Commissioning of Jonah, 1:1-3 | p. 104 |
| Commissioning of the Prophet | p. 109 |
| Reluctant Response | p. 110 |
| The Drama at Sea, 1:4--2:10 | p. 112 |
| On the Sea, 1:4-16 | p. 113 |
| Foreigners Acknowledge God | p. 120 |
| God and Nature | p. 121 |
| Under the Sea, 1:17--2:10 | p. 122 |
| Psalm of Thanksgiving | p. 128 |
| Jonah: Saint or Sinner? | p. 129 |
| The Unfulfilled Prophet, 3:1--4:11 | p. 131 |
| The Recommissioning of Jonah, 3:1-3a | p. 132 |
| Commissioning the Prophet--Again | p. 134 |
| Human Freedom and Divine Persistence | p. 135 |
| The Drama on Land, 3:3b--4:11 | p. 137 |
| In the City, 3:3b-10 | p. 138 |
| The Sign of Jonah | p. 144 |
| Divine Freedom and the Promise of Forgiveness | p. 146 |
| Outside the City, 4:1-11 | p. 147 |
| The Concluding Question | p. 154 |
| The Mystery of Divine Compassion | p. 155 |
| Outline of Jonah | p. 157 |
| Esther: The Orphan Queen | |
| Overview | p. 160 |
| The Orphan Queen | p. 160 |
| Controversy and Concerns | p. 161 |
| Different Versions of Esther | p. 162 |
| A Festival Novella | p. 164 |
| Meaning and Message | p. 165 |
| A Glance at the Whole | p. 168 |
| An Outline of the Major Units | p. 169 |
| Tension in the Royal Court, 1:1--3:6 | p. 173 |
| Conflict in the Royal Family, 1:1--2:20 | p. 174 |
| Deposing of Vashti, 1:1-22 | p. 174 |
| Israel in the Persian Empire | p. 179 |
| The Fabric of Society | p. 180 |
| Selection of Esther, 2:1-20 | p. 182 |
| From Insignificance to Importance | p. 188 |
| Heroes of Faith | p. 189 |
| Conflict Among the Royal Courtiers, 2:21--3:6 | p. 191 |
| Conspiracy Against the King, 2:21-23 | p. 192 |
| Conflict Between Courtiers, 3:1-6 | p. 194 |
| Choosing Disobedience | p. 196 |
| Mixed Motives | p. 197 |
| Action and Counteraction, 3:7--7:10 | p. 199 |
| Haman Versus Mordecai, 3:7--4:17 | p. 200 |
| The Plot of Haman, 3:7-15 | p. 201 |
| Response of Mordecai, 4:1-17 | p. 204 |
| Women in Danger | p. 207 |
| For Such a Time as This | p. 208 |
| Esther's First Intervention, 5:1-14 | p. 211 |
| The Dangerous Banquet | p. 215 |
| Obsessions | p. 216 |
| Royal Decree Honoring Mordecai, 6:1-13 | p. 218 |
| Irony and Divine Intervention | p. 222 |
| A Haughty Spirit | p. 224 |
| Esther's Second Intervention, 6:14--7:10 | p. 226 |
| Proverbs and Esther | p. 231 |
| Capital Punishment | p. 232 |
| Resolution and Celebration, 8:1--9:32 | p. 235 |
| Resolution of the Crisis, 8:1-17 | p. 236 |
| Leadership in a Foreign Land | p. 240 |
| Self-Protective Leadership | p. 242 |
| Institution of Purim, 9:1-32 | p. 244 |
| Epilogue: Ahasuerus and Mordecai, 10:1-3 | p. 251 |
| Listening to Rage and Terror | p. 253 |
| Living in the World | p. 255 |
| Outline of Esther | p. 257 |
| Essays | |
| Characteristics of Hebrew Narrative | p. 260 |
| Character Types in Hebrew Narrative | p. 263 |
| Comedy: Humor, Irony, and Satire | p. 263 |
| The Diaspora | p. 265 |
| The Interpreting Community of Faith | p. 266 |
| Jonah and Historical Analysis | p. 267 |
| Khesed: Uncommon and Faithful Action | p. 268 |
| Kinship Marriage | p. 269 |
| Moab | p. 270 |
| Narrative Structure | p. 271 |
| Narrator | p. 272 |
| Nineveh | p. 273 |
| Novella | p. 275 |
| The Persian Empire | p. 275 |
| Poetry | p. 276 |
| Purim | p. 277 |
| Questions | p. 278 |
| Redeemer/Go'el | p. 279 |
| Short Story | p. 280 |
| Twelve Prophets | p. 281 |
| Village Farming | p. 282 |
| Map of the Ancient Near East for Ruth, Jonah, Esther | p. 284 |
| Bibliography | p. 285 |
| Selected Resources | p. 295 |
| Index of Ancient Sources | p. 297 |
| The Author | p. 303 |
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