The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ruth 02
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 Yahweh be
with you.”They answered him, “May Yahweh 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 whichthe young menhave
drawn.”
10 Then she fell on her face and bowed
herself to the ground, and said to him,
“Why have Ifound 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 Yahweh repay your work, and a
full reward be given to you from Yahweh,
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 youhave 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 Yahweh, who has
not abandoned his kindness to the living
and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The
manis a close relative tous, one of ournear
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-inlaw, “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.