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.
