2
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
the LORD be
with you.”
They answered him, “May
the LORD 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,
your mother, and
the land of your
birth, and have
come to a
people that
you didn’t know
before.
12 May
the LORD repay
your work, and
a full reward
be given to you
from the LORD,
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.
She ate, 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 the LORD,
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.