Ruth
1 - 2 - 3 - 4
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Maps
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in
the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of
Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the
name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion;
they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of
Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she
was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was
Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years,
5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two
sons and her husband. 6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law
from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD
had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place
where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on
their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two
daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the LORD deal
kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant
that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she
kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, "No, we will return with
you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you
go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?
12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband.
Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight
and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then
refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than
for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me." 14 Then they wept
aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 So she
said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods;
return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave
you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you
lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17
Where you die, I will die-- there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so
to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!" 18 When Naomi saw
that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. 19 So the two
of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the
whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 20
She said to them, "Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has
dealt bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back
empty; why call me Naomi when the LORD has dealt harshly with me, and the
Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" 22 So Naomi returned together with Ruth
the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of
Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
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Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man,
of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to
Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone
in whose sight I may find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3 So she
went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she
came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of
Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The
LORD be with you." They answered, "The LORD bless you." 5 Then Boaz said to his
servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman
belong?" 6 The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the
Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, 'Please,
let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and
she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even
for a moment." 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to
glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9
Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have
ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels
and drink from what the young men have drawn." 10 Then she fell prostrate, with
her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight,
that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" 11 But Boaz answered
her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your
husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your
native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the LORD
reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God
of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" 13 Then she said, "May I
continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and
spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants." 14 At
mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your
morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for
her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left
over. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean
even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 You must also pull
out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and
do not rebuke her." 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat
out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She picked it
up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned.
Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been
satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And
where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told
her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The name of the man with
whom I worked today is Boaz." 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law,
"Blessed be he by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the
dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our
nearest kin." 21 Then Ruth the Moabite said, "He even said to me, 'Stay close by
my servants, until they have finished all my harvest.'" 22 Naomi said to Ruth,
her daughter-in-law, "It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young
women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field." 23 So she stayed close
to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat
harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.
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Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek
some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our
kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing
barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put
on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make
yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he
lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and
lie down; and he will tell you what to do." 5 She said to her, "All that you
tell me I will do." 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as
her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he
was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain.
Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight the
man was startled, and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! 9
He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant; spread your
cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin." 10 He said, "May you be
blessed by the LORD, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better
than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And
now, my daughter, do not be afraid, I will do for you all that you ask, for all
the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. 12 But now, though
it is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely
related than I. 13 Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as
next-of-kin for you, good; let him do it. If he is not willing to act as
next-of-kin for you, then, as the LORD lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you.
Lie down until the morning." 14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up
before one person could recognize another; for he said, "It must not be known
that the woman came to the threshing floor." 15 Then he said, "Bring the cloak
you are wearing and hold it out." So she held it, and he measured out six
measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city. 16 She
came to her mother-in-law, who said, "How did things go with you, my daughter?"
Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, "He gave me
these six measures of barley, for he said, 'Do not go back to your mother-in-law
empty-handed.'" 18 She replied, "Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the
matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today."
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No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the
next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, "Come over,
friend; sit down here." And he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men
of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here"; so they sat down. 3 He
then said to the next-of-kin, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of
Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. 4 So
I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those
sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem
it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no
one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you." So he said, "I will redeem
it." 5 Then Boaz said, "The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi,
you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain
the dead man's name on his inheritance." 6 At this, the next-of-kin said, "I
cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right
of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it." 7 Now this was the custom in
former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a
transaction, the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the
manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, "Acquire
it for yourself," he took off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all
the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi
all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 I
have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to
maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the
dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place;
today you are witnesses." 11 Then all the people who were at the gate, along
with the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is
coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of
Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; 12
and, through the children that the LORD will give you by this young woman, may
your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah." 13 So Boaz
took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her
conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the
LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be
renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of
your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than
seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her
bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name,
saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the
father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the descendants of Perez:
Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, 20
Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, 21 Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, 22
Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.
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