The Story of Ruth

Ruth Joins Naomi Ruth 1: 1-22

A famine came to the land when the judges ruled Israel. Elimelech of Bethlehem moved his family to Moab. In their ten years there Elimelech died. His two sons were married to women of Moab. But then they died too. So Elimelech's wife Naomi and her daughters-in-law were widows. Naomi head that God had brought good harvests to Isreal. She decided to return. She told her son's wives, "Return to your mother's home. May God be kind to you and give you a new husband." She kissed them both and they wept together. One young widow, Orpah, did go back to her family. But the second, Ruth, wouldn't leave Naomi. "See," said Naomi, "Orpah has returned to her people and her gods. You go too." "Don't make me leave you or stop following you, Ruth said. "Where you go, I'll go. Where you live, I'll live. Your people will be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I'll die, and there I'll be buried. Only death will come between us." Naomi saw that Ruth was firm. She said no more, and they returned together to Bethlehem.

Ruth Meets Boaz Ruth 2: 1-9

The time of barley harvest had come to Bethlehem. When they harvested their fields, the Israelites always left some grain standing. This grain is called the gleanings and was left for the poor. Ruth went out to glean in the fields of a man named Boaz. He was of the family of Elimelech, Naomi's dead husband. Boaz was watching the harvest and saw Ruth. "Who is the young woman gleaning the field?" He asked the workers. She came back with Naomi from Moab, " they answered. Boaz gave Ruth water and urged her to stay in his field.

Ruth- The Mother Of Kings Ruth 2: 10-4:22

"I've heard you left Moab to come here with Naomi," Boaz said to Ruth. "You have come under the Lord's wings. May he reward you." Boaz gave Ruth food for her lunch and spoke to the harvesters. "Be kind to her. Leave plenty of grain for her gleanings." That night Ruth showed Naomi all her gleanings. She told Naomi of the kind rich man. "He is a relative of mine," Naomi told her. "Stay in his field until the harvest ends." So Ruth continued to glean the fields of Boaz. The harvest ended. Boaz held a feast on his threshing floor. After the feast Ruth went to Boaz. Naomi had told her that this was the thing to do. Ruth respectfully spoke. "You are a part of my husband's family. His father was Elimelech. Please be kind to me and to Naomi for their sake." Israel's law said that Boaz could take Ruth into his family. Boaz soon fell in love with Ruth, and they were married. They named their son Obed. Their grandson was Jesse, the father of David, the king of Israel's. This is how Ruth, the widow of Moab, became the mother of Israel's kings.

Back to Family Communications