Ruth 2

1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.3 And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah bless thee.5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:7 And she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner?11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore.12 Jehovah recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge.13 Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens.

14 And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof.15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not.16 And also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.18 And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed.19 And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz.20 And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen.21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, Yea, he said unto me, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that they meet thee not in any other field.23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Ruth 2

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz

1 Now Naomit had a relatives on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.t2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me got to the fields so I can gathert grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”t Naomit replied, “You may go, my daughter.”

3 So Rutht went and gathered grain in the fieldst behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end ups in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz and Ruth Meet

4 Now at that very moment,t Boaz arrived from Bethlehems and greetedt the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,t “May the Lord bless you!”5 Boaz askedt his servantt in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”s6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab.

7 She asked,t ‘May I follow the harvesters and gathert grain among the bundles?’t Since she arrived she has been working hardt from this morning until nowt – except fort sittingst in the resting hutst a short time.”t
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,t my dear!t Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need nott go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along besidet my female workers.s

9 Take note oft the field where the ment are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers.t I will tell the ment to leave you alone.t When you are thirsty, you may go tot the water jarst and drink some of the watert the servants draw.”t
10 Rutht knelt before him with her forehead to the groundt and said to him, “Why are you so kindt and so attentive to me,t even thought I am a foreigner?”s11 Boaz replied to her,t “I have been given a full report oft all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband – how you leftt your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.t12 May the Lord reward your efforts!t May your acts of kindness be repaid fullyt by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection!”t

13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,t sir,t for you have reassuredt and encouragedt me, your servant,t even though I amt not one of your servants!”t
14 Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and havet some food! Dip your breadt in the vinegar!” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handedt her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.t15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz toldt his male servants, “Let her gather grain even amongt the bundles! Don’t chase her off!t16 Make sure you pull outt ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”t

17 So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshedt what she had gathered, it came to about thirty poundsts of barley!

Ruth Returns to Naomi

18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saws how much graint she had gathered. Then Rutht gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.t19 Her mother-in-law asked her,t “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”t So Rutht told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because het has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”t Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”t21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He event told me, ‘You may go along beside my servantst until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’”t22 Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants.t That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”t

23 So Rutht worked besidet Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest.s After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.t