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 ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. 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 a part of
the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
4: And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers,
The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD 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, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the
reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning
until now, 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 go 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 grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take
knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11: And Boaz answered and
said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy
mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy
father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people
which thou knewest not heretofore.
12: The LORD recompense thy work,
and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings
thou art come to trust.
13: Then she said, Let me find favour in thy
sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken
friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine
handmaidens.
14: And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou
hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was
sufficed, and left.
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 let fall also some of the handfuls of
purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17: So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that 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 she had reserved after she was sufficed.
19: And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to
day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee.
And she shewed 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 the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness
to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin
unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
21: And Ruth the Moabitess said, He
said unto me also, 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, 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 dwelt with her
mother in law.