LXX Ruth

Naomi’s Family in Moab

1 And when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land, and a man went from Bethlehem in Judah to stay as a foreigner in the countryside of Moab, he and his wife and his sons. 2 And the man’s name was Abimelech, and his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah, and they came to the countryside of Moab, and remained there. 3 And Abimelech the husband of Naomi died, and she and her two sons were left. 4 And they took Moabite wives for themselves, the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth, and they lived there about ten years. 5 And both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her husband and her two sons.

Returning from Moab

6 And she set out with her two daughters-in-law, and they returned from the countryside of Moab, for they heard in the countryside of Moab that the Lord had visited his people to give them bread. 7 And she left the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went along the road to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi told her daughters-in-law, “Go now, each return to her mother’s house. May the Lord show you mercy, as you showed mercy to the dead and to me.” 9 “May the Lord give to you, and may each of you find rest in her husband’s house.” And she kissed them, and they raised their voice and wept. 10 And they told her, “We are returning with you to your people.”

11 And Naomi said, “Return now, my daughters! Why are you going with me? Do I still have sons in my womb who will become your husbands?” 12 “Turn back now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married. For I said, ‘I have hope of being married, and I will bear sons.’⁠a 13 Would you wait for them until they grew up? Or would you keep from marrying on their account? No, my daughters, for it has become more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me.”

14 And they raised their voice and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people, but Ruth followed her. 15 And Naomi told Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods.⁠b You too turn back after your sister-in-law.”

Ruth’s Reply

16 And Ruth said: May it never happen that I leave you or turn back from following you, for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay, your people will be my people, and your God my God. 17 And wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and add to it, for death will part me and you.

18 When Naomi saw she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her any further.

Naomi in Bethlehem

19 And the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem, and the whole city resounded because of them, and they said, “Is this Naomi?”

20 And she told them: Do not call me Naomi, call me Bitter, for the Sufficient One became very bitter toward me.⁠c 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty, and why do you call me Naomi, when the Lord has humbled me and the Sufficient One has harmed me?

22 So Naomi and Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, returned from the countryside of Moab, and they came to Bethlehem at the start of the barley harvest.

Ruth in Boaz’s Field

1 And Naomi had an acquaintance of her husband, a powerful man from Abimelech’s family, and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite told Naomi, “Let me go to the field now and gather among the ears of grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” She told her, “Go, daughter.” 3 And she went and gathered in the field behind the reapers, and she happened by chance to come on a portion of the land of Boaz, of the family of Abimelech.

4 And, look, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and told the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They told him, “The Lord bless you.” 5 And Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And his servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the Moabite girl who returned with Naomi from the countryside of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ And she came and stood from morning until evening, and did not rest even a little in the field.”⁠a

Boaz Speaks to Ruth

8 And Boaz told Ruth, “Have you not heard, daughter? Do not go to gather in another field, and do not leave here. Stay close to my young women here. 9 Let your eyes be on the field where they are reaping, and follow them. Look, I commanded the young men not to touch you, and when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men draw.”

10 And she fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground, and asked him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you take notice of me? And I am a foreigner!” 11 And Boaz answered her, “I was fully told everything you have done with your mother-in-law since your husband died, and how you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and came to a people whom you did not know yesterday or the day before. 12 May the Lord reward your work, may a full reward be given to you from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come to trust under his wings!” 13 And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken to the heart of your slave, and look, I will be like one of your female slaves.”⁠b

Bread and Barley

14 And Boaz told her, “It is time to eat now. Come here and eat some bread and dip your piece in the vinegar.” And Ruth sat by the side of the reapers, and Boaz heaped up barley groats for her, and she ate, and was satisfied and had some left over. 15 And she got up to gather, and Boaz commanded his young men, saying: Let her gather even among the sheaves, and do not shame her. 16 And be sure to carry for her, and be sure to set aside for her some of what is heaped up, and let her gather, and do not scold her.

Ruth Returns to Naomi

17 So she gathered in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gathered, 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 gathered, and Ruth brought out what she had left after eating her fill and gave it to her. 19 And her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you gather today, and where did you work? May the person who took notice of you be blessed.” And Ruth told her mother-in-law where she had worked, and said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”

20 And Naomi told her daughter-in-law, “He is blessed by the Lord, because he has not abandoned his mercy toward the living and the dead.” And Naomi told her, “The man is close to us, one of our nearest relatives.” 21 And Ruth told her mother-in-law, “He also told me, ‘Stay close to my young men until they finish all my harvest.’ ” 22 And Naomi told Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, daughter, that you went with his young women, and they will not confront you in another field.” 23 And Ruth stayed close to the young women of Boaz gathering until he finished the barley harvest and the wheat harvest, and she lived with her mother-in-law.

Naomi’s Instructions

1 And Naomi her mother-in-law told her, “Daughter, will I not seek rest for you so that things may go well for you? 2 And now is not Boaz our acquaintance, with whose young women you were? Look, he is winnowing the barley threshing floor tonight. 3 Bathe, apply oil, and put on your clothes, and go up to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished drinking and eating. 4 And when he lies down, observe the place where he lies down, and go and uncover the place at his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what you will do.”

5 And Ruth told her, “I will do everything you say.”

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

6 And she went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law commanded her. 7 And Boaz ate, and his heart was glad,⁠a and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of grain, and she came secretly, and uncovered the place at his feet.⁠b 8 And at midnight the man was startled, and troubled, and look, a woman lay at his feet.

9 And he asked, “Who are you?” She said, “I am Ruth, your slave. Spread your wing over your slave, for you are a close relative.”

10 And Boaz said, “May the Lord God bless you, daughter, for you have made your latest mercy better than your first, by not pursuing young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now do not be afraid, daughter, I will do for you whatever you say, for all the tribe of my people knows that you are a woman of strength.⁠c 12 And now I truly am a close relative, yet there is a relative closer than me. 13 Stay the night, and in the morning, if he will act as a close relative for you, good, let him do it. But if he is unwilling to act as a close relative for you, I will act as a close relative for you. The Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

Barley for Naomi

14 And she lay at his feet until the morning, and she got up before a man could recognize his neighbor, and Boaz said, “Let no one know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he told her, “Bring the apron you are wearing.” She held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and put them on her, and went into the city. 16 And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she asked her, “Who are you, daughter?” Ruth told her all that the man had done to her. 17 And she told her, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he told me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” 18 And she said, “Sit, daughter, until you learn how no word will fail, for the man will not rest until he fulfills the word today.”

The Close Relative at the Gate

1 And Boaz went up to the gate, and sat there, and look, the relative Boaz had spoken about was passing by, and Boaz told him, “Turn aside and sit here, Hidden One.” He turned aside and sat down. 2 And Boaz took ten men from the elders of the city, and said, “Sit here,” and they sat down.

3 And Boaz told the relative: About the portion of the field that belongs to our brother Abimelech, which has been given to Naomi, returning from the countryside of Moab, 4 and I said, I will uncover your ear, saying: Buy it in front of those sitting here and in front of my people’s elders. If you act as a close relative, act as a close relative, but if you do not, tell me, and I will know, for there is no one except you to act as a close relative, and I am after you. He said, “I am. I will act as a close relative.”

5 And Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from Naomi’s hand and from Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s wife, you must also acquire her to raise up the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” 6 And the relative said, “I will not be able to act as a close relative for myself without ruining my inheritance. Take my right as a close relative for yourself, for I will not be able to act as a close relative.”

The Sandal and the Agreement

7 This was the rule in earlier times in Israel concerning the right as a close relative and exchange: To confirm every agreement, a man took off his sandal and gave it to his neighbor who acquired his right as a close relative. This was an attestation in Israel. 8 And the relative told Boaz, “Acquire my right as a close relative for yourself,” and he took off his sandal and gave it to him.

9 And Boaz told the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I acquired everything belonging to Abimelech and everything belonging to Chilion and Mahlon from Naomi’s hand. 10 I also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s wife, as my wife to raise up the dead man’s name on his inheritance, and the dead man’s name will not be destroyed from among his brothers or from the tribe of his people. Today you are witnesses.”

11 And all the people at the gate said, “Witnesses!” The elders said, “May the Lord make your wife coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who both built the house of Israel and did powerful things in Ephrathah, and there will be a name in Bethlehem. 12 And let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring the Lord will give you from this female slave.”

A Son for Naomi

13 And Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had sex with her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 And the women told Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who did not let your close relative come to an end today, and may he call your name in Israel! 15 And he will restore your soul and support you in old age, for your daughter-in-law who has loved you, who is better to you than seven sons, gave birth to him.”

16 And Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap and became his caregiver. 17 And the neighboring women named him, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He is Jesse’s father, the father of David.

The Descendants of Perez

18 And these are the descendants of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Arran, and Arran fathered Amminadab. 20 And Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salman. 21 And Salman fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed. 22 And Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.