1And it happened when the judges were judging, there was a famine in the land; and a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the land of Moab, he and his wife and his sons. 2 The name of the man was Abimelech and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephraimites from Bethlehem of Judah. They went to the land of Moab and resided there. 3 When Abimelech the husband of Naomi died, she was left behind as were her two sons. 4 They took women from the Moabites for themselves. The name of one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth, and they lived there nearly ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion died also. So the woman was left separated from her husband and from her two sons. 6 So she arose with her two daughters-in-law, and they returned from the land of Moab because they heard, while in the land of Moab, that the Lord had visited his people to give them food. 7 She went from the place in which she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they began traveling along the road to return to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go now, and turn back, each to your mother’s house. May the Lord show compassion to you even as you have shown it with the dead and with me. 9 May the Lord also grant that you might find rest, each in your husband’s house.” Then she embraced them, and they lifted their voice and wept. 10 But they said to her, “We are returning with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn around now, my daughters, for what reason do you come with me? Do I still have sons in my belly who would become your husbands? 12 Turn around then, my daughters; for I have grown too old to belong to a man; because I said that I have a plan to belong to a man and I will bear sons, 13 would you wait for them until they have grown up? Or would you hold back for them and not take another husband? Surely not, my daughters, for it has been a point of grief to me, on your behalf, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.” 14 Then they lifted their voice and wept even more. After that Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people, but Ruth followed her. 15 So Naomi said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. You should also return now behind your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you. For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you dwell, I will dwell; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 And wherever you die, I will die, and at that place I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and more as well than this, should death cause a separation between me and you.” 18 When Naomi saw that she was resolved to go with her, she ceased talking to her any longer. 19 Thus they walked together until they were in Bethlehem. The entire city was in an uproar about her, and they said, “Is this woman Naomi?” 20 And she said to the women, “Do not call me Naomi any longer. Call me Bitter, for the sufficient one has put bitterness in me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord returned me empty. So why do you call me Naomi since the Lord humbled me, and the one who is sufficient embittered me?
2Therefore Naomi returned as well as Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They returned from the land of Moab. And they had approached Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest season for barley. 2 Naomi had a man known to her husband, and the man, who had great wealth, was from the lineage of Abimelech, and his name was Boaz. 2 So Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me now walk to the field, and I will gather in the grain behind whatever man in whose eyes I will find goodwill.” And she said to her, “Go daughter.” 3 And she went and gathered in the field behind the harvesters and encountered, by chance, the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was from the lineage of Abimelech. 4 Behold, soon Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who had authority over the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who had authority over the harvesters replied and he said, “The young lady is the Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.” 7 She said, “I hope to gather and collect in the midst of the sheaves behind the harvesters.” And so she arrived and remained from morning until evening and did not stop in the field even a little. 8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Do you not understand, daughter? Do not go into another field to gather, nor depart from this one here, but stay close behind my young women. 9 Focus your eyes upon the field that they are harvesting and walk behind them. Behold, I have charged the young men not to lay hands on you. And when you become thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from the ones that the young men draw.” 10 Then she fell upon her face and prostrated herself upon the earth and said to him, “Why is it that I found favor in your eyes that you notice me even though I am a foreigner?” 11 So Boaz answered and said to her, “A report was given to me concerning everything that you have done in the company of your mother-in-law after your husband died, and how you left behind your father and your mother and the land of your birth and reached a people that you did not know yesterday and the third day. 12 May the Lord compensate your work, may your reward be abundant from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you came, to be confident under his wings. 13 And so she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, O Lord, because you encouraged me and because you spoke to the heart of your servant—and look, I am like one of your maidservants.” 14 Boaz said to her, “It is already time to eat. Come here and eat bread and dip your portion in the sour wine.” So Ruth sat next to the harvesters, and Boaz piled crushed grain for her, and she ate until full even though some remained. 15 After she rose to gather, Boaz commanded his young men saying, “Even let her collect from the middle of the sheaves and do not accost her. 16 Also what needs to be lifted, lift up for her; and also what falls aside, let it fall for her. And she shall eat and gather from the pile, and you shall not rebuke her.” 17 And she gathered in the field until evening and threshed what she had gathered, and it was something like a measure of barley. 18 She picked it up and went into the city, and her motherin-law saw what she had harvested. Ruth unloaded it and gave her what was left over from that which she was filled. 19 Then her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you harvest today? And where did you toil? Blessed be the one who recognized you.” So Ruth reported to her mother-in-law where she labored and said, “The name of the man in whose company I worked today was Boaz.” 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “He is blessed by the Lord because he has not abandoned his compassion for the living and the dead.” And Naomi said to her, “The man is next of kin to us. He is one of our close relatives.” 21 Ruth said to her mother-in-law, “He also said to me, ‘Stick with my young men until they have finished the whole crop which belongs to me.’” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, daughter, that you go in the company of his young women so men will not encounter you in another field.” 23 So Ruth closely followed Boaz’s young women to gather grain until the harvest of barley and wheat ended. And she dwelled with her motherin-law.
3Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “Daughter, shall I not seek for you a place of rest that it may be well for you? 2 Now was it not Boaz our kinsman of whom you were in the company of his young women? Look, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 So you should wash and anoint and put your clothing on you and go up on the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man until he finishes eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be that when he is sleeping, you will learn the place where he rests; and you shall go there and uncover the spot at his feet and sleep. Then he will tell you what you should do.” 5 And Ruth said to her, “All that you say I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything just as her mother-in-law directed her. 7 After Boaz ate and his heart was of good cheer, he went to fall asleep in a section of the pile of grain. Then she went surreptitiously and uncovered his feet. 8 When it was the middle of the night, the man was alarmed and stirred. And behold, a woman was asleep at his feet. 9 So he said, “Who are you?” She said, “I am Ruth, your servant. Put the flap of your cloak upon your servant because you are next of kin.” 10 Then Boaz said, “May the Lord God bless you, daughter, because you have magnified your final compassion beyond the first, by not going after young men whether poor or rich. 11 Now daughter, don’t be afraid. Everything that you requested I will do for you because the whole tribe of my people knows that you are a woman of ability. 12 While truly I am a next of kin, there also exists a next of kin closer than I. 13 Stay the night, and if tomorrow he will be like the next of kin for you, good, let him be next of kin. But if he does not wish to be next of kin to you, I will be your next of kin, as the Lord lives. You are the Lord. Lie down until morning.” 14 Therefore, she slept near his feet until morning, but arose before a man was able to recognize his neighbor. Then Boaz said, “Let it not be learned that a woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Then he said to her, “Stretch out the skirt that is on you.” She held it, and he measured six measures of barley and balanced them upon her; then he went into the city. 16 So Ruth returned to her motherin-law. And she said to her, “My daughter!” And she reported to her each thing that the man did for her. 17 And she said to her, “He gave me these six measures of barley because he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 And so she said, “Be patient, daughter, until it is clear to you how the thing turns out, for the man will not rest until he finishes the matter today.”
4So Boaz went to the gate and sat there; and behold, the next-of-kin whom Boaz mentioned passed by. And Boaz called to him, “Turn aside; sit here, O stranger.” And he turned around and sat down. 2 Then Boaz selected ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. 3 And Boaz said to the next of kin, “The parcel of land that belonged to our brother Abimelech, which has been given to Naomi, the woman who returned from the land of Moab 4 and I said, ‘I will uncover your ear, saying, “Make the purchase in front of those sitting here and before the elders of my people,” if you are the next of kin, act as next of kin. But if you are not acting as next of kin, report it to me, and I will know because no one remains except you to acts as next of kin, and I am the one after you.’” And the man said, “I am the one to act as next of kin, and I am after you.” And he said, “I am, I will act as next of kin.” 5 And Boaz said, “On the day when you obtain the land from the hand of Naomi and from Ruth, the Moabite wife of the deceased, you also acquire her since it is necessary to establish the name of the deceased upon his inheritance.” 6 Then the next of kin said, “I am not able to act as next of kin for myself, in case I destroy my inheritance. Exercise my next of kin duties for yourself because I am not able to act as next of kin.” 7 This was the practice earlier in Israel concerning the right of kin and concerning purchase to confirm every word. A man untied his shoe and offered it to his neighbor who was the one obtaining his duties of next of kin. This was the means of proof in Israel. 8 So the next of kin said to Boaz, “Obtain my next of kin duties for yourself.” And he untied his shoe and offered it to him. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired everything that was Abimelech’s and all the items that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. 10 I have also taken for myself Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as a wife to establish the name of the deceased upon his estate. Therefore, the name of the deceased will not be obliterated from his brothers nor from the tribe of his people. You are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses.” And the elders said, “May the Lord grant your wife, who is moving into your house, to be like Rachel and Leah who together built up the house of Israel and produced strength in Ephrathah; and there will be a name in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the lineage of Perez, whom Tamar brought into the world for Judah, as a result of the seed that the Lord will give you from this young woman.” 13 Then Boaz took Ruth: the Lord granted her pregnancy, and she delivered a son. 14 And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who did not wipe your next of kin for you today. May your name be called in Israel! 15 He will be for you as one who restores life and the one to support your old age. For the daughter-in-law, who loves you, and who is more commendable to you than seven sons, delivered him.” 16 Then Naomi took the young child and placed it upon her bosom and became a nursemaid for him. 17 And the neighborhood women assigned his name saying, “A son has been born for Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. This one was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 And these are the offspring of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, 22 and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.