| 1:1 |
In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojournlive in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons |
| 1:2 |
The name of the man was Elim′elechElimelech and the name of his wife Na′omiNaomi and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chil′ionChilion; they were Eph′rathitesEphrathites from Bethlehem in Judah They went into the country of Moab and remained there |
| 1:3 |
But Elim′elechElimelech the husband of Na′omiNaomi died and she was left with her two sons |
| 1:4 |
These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth TheyWhen they had lived there about ten years; |
| 1:5 |
and both Mahlon and Chil′ionChilion also died so that the woman was bereftleft ofwithout her two sons and her husband |
| 1:6 |
Then she started to return with her daughters in law to return from the country of Moab for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visitedconsidered his people and given them food |
| 1:7 |
So she set out from the place where she washad withbeen living she and her two daughters in law and they went on thetheir way to returngo back to the land of Judah |
| 1:8 |
But Na′omiNaomi said to her two daughters in law Go returnback each of you to heryour mothers house May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me |
| 1:9 |
The Lord grant that you may find asecurity home each of you in the house of heryour husband Then she kissed them and they liftedwept upaloud their voices and wept |
| 1:10 |
AndThey they said to her No we will return with you to your people |
| 1:11 |
But Na′omiNaomi said Turn back my daughters why will you go with me HaveDo I yetstill have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands |
| 1:12 |
Turn back my daughters go your way for I am too old to have a husband IfEven if I shouldthought saythere Iwas have hope for me even if I should have a husband thistonight night and should bear sons |
| 1:13 |
would you thereforethen wait tilluntil they were grown Would you thereforethen refrain from marrying No my daughters for it ishas exceedinglybeen far more bitter tofor me than for youryou sakebecause that the hand of the Lord has goneturned forth against me |
| 1:14 |
Then they liftedwept upaloud their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother in law but Ruth clung to her |
| 1:15 |
AndSo she said See your sister in law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister in law |
| 1:16 |
But Ruth said EntreatDo not press me not to leave you or to returnturn back from following you; forWhere where you go I will go; and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God; |
| 1:17 |
whereWhere you die I will die— and there will I be buried May the Lord do thus and so to me and more alsoas well if even death parts me from you |
| 1:18 |
AndWhen whenNaomi Na′omi saw that she was determined to go with her she said no more to her |
| 1:19 |
So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem AndWhen when they came to Bethlehem the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said Is this Na′omiNaomi |
| 1:20 |
She said to them DoCall notme callno melonger Na′omiNaomi call me Mara for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me |
| 1:21 |
I went away full andbut the Lord has brought me back empty; Whywhy call me Na′omiNaomi when the Lord has afflicteddealt harshly with me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me |
| 1:22 |
So Na′omiNaomi returned andtogether with Ruth the MoabitessMoabite her daughter in law who came back with her who returned from the country of Moab AndThey they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest |
| 2:1 |
Now Na′omiNaomi had a kinsman ofon her husbands side a manprominent ofrich wealthman of the family of Elim′elechElimelech whose name was Bo′azBoaz |
| 2:2 |
And Ruth the MoabitessMoabite said to Na′omiNaomi Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain afterbehind himsomeone in whose sight I shallmay find favor AndShe she said to her Go my daughter |
| 2:3 |
So she setwent forthShe andcame went and gleaned in the field afterbehind the reapers; andAs sheit happened toshe comecame to the part of the field belonging to Bo′azBoaz who was of the family of Elim′elechElimelech |
| 2:4 |
AndJust beholdthen Bo′azBoaz came from Bethlehem; andHe he said to the reapers The Lord be with you AndThey they answered The Lord bless you |
| 2:5 |
Then Bo′azBoaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers WhoseTo maidenwhom isdoes this young woman belong |
| 2:6 |
AndThe the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered ItShe is the Moabite maiden who came back with Na′omiNaomi from the country of Moab |
| 2:7 |
She said PrayPlease let me glean and gather among the sheaves afterbehind the reapers So she came and she has continuedbeen on her feet from early this morning until now without resting even for a moment |
| 2:8 |
Then Bo′azBoaz said to Ruth Now listen my daughter do not go to glean in another field or leave this one but keep close to my maidensyoung women |
| 2:9 |
LetKeep your eyes beon upon the field whichthat theyis arebeing reapingreaped and gofollow afterbehind them Have I nothave chargedordered the young men not to molestbother you AndIf when you areget thirsty go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn |
| 2:10 |
Then she fell onprostrate with her face bowing to the ground and said to him Why have I found favor in your eyessight that you should take notice of me when I am a foreigner |
| 2:11 |
But Bo′azBoaz 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 |
| 2:12 |
TheMay the Lord recompensereward you for whatyour deeds and may you have done and a full reward befrom given you by the Lord the God of Israel under whose wings you have come tofor take refuge |
| 2:13 |
Then she said YouMay areI mostcontinue gracious to mefind favor in your sight my lord for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your maidservantservant even though I am not one of your maidservantsservants |
| 2:14 |
AndAt at mealtime Bo′azBoaz 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 passedheaped toup for her some parched grain; andShe she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left over |
| 2:15 |
When she rosegot up to glean Bo′azBoaz instructed his young men saying Let her glean even among the standing sheaves and do not reproach her |
| 2:16 |
AndYou must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles for her and leave itthem for her to glean and do not rebuke her |
| 2:17 |
So she gleaned in the field until evening; thenThen she beat out what she had gleaned and it was about an ephah of barley |
| 2:18 |
AndShe shepicked took it up and wentcame into the city;town sheand showed her mother in law whatsaw how much she had gleaned andThen she alsotook brought out and gave her what foodwas she had left over after beingshe herself had been satisfied |
| 2:19 |
AndHer 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 mans name of the man with whom I worked today is Bo′azBoaz |
| 2:20 |
AndThen Na′omiNaomi said to her daughter in law Blessed be he by the Lord whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead Na′omiNaomi also said to her The man is a relative of ours one of our nearest kin |
| 2:21 |
AndThen Ruth the MoabitessMoabite said BesidesHe heeven said to me YouStay shall keep close by my servants tilluntil they have finished all my harvest |
| 2:22 |
AndNaomi Na′omi said to Ruth her daughter in law It is wellbetter my daughter that you go out with his maidensyoung lestwomen otherwise you might be bothered in another field you be molested |
| 2:23 |
So she keptstayed close to the maidensyoung women of Bo′azBoaz gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother in law |
| 3:1 |
ThenNaomi Na′omi her mother in law said to her My daughter should I notneed to seek asome homesecurity for you so that it may be well with you |
| 3:2 |
Now here is not Bo′az our kinsman Boaz with whose maidensyoung women you werehave been working See he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor |
| 3:3 |
WashNow thereforewash 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 |
| 3:4 |
ButWhen 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 |
| 3:5 |
AndShe shesaid repliedto her All that you saytell me I will do |
| 3:6 |
So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother in law had toldinstructed her |
| 3:7 |
AndWhen whenBoaz Bo′az had eaten and drunk and hishe heart was merryin a contented mood he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain Then she came softlystealthily and uncovered his feet and lay down |
| 3:8 |
At midnight the man was startled and turned over and beholdthere alying woman lay at his feet was a woman |
| 3:9 |
He said Who are you And she answered I am Ruth your maidservantservant; spread your skirtcloak over your maidservantservant for you are next of kin |
| 3:10 |
AndHe he said May you be blessed by the Lord my daughter; youthis havelast madeinstance thisof lastyour kindnessloyalty greateris better than the first; in that you have not gone after young men whether poor or rich |
| 3:11 |
And now my daughter do not fearbe afraid I will do for you all that you ask for all the assembly of my fellowpeople townsmen know that you are a worthy woman of worth |
| 3:12 |
AndBut now though it is true that I am a near kinsman yet there is aanother kinsman nearermore closely related than I |
| 3:13 |
Remain this night and in the morning if he will doact theas part of the next of kin for you wellgood; let him do it; butIf if he is not willing to doact theas part of the next of kin for you then as the Lord lives I will doact theas part of the next of kin for you Lie down until the morning |
| 3:14 |
So she lay at his feet until the morning but arosegot up before one person could recognize another; andfor he said LetIt itmust not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor |
| 3:15 |
AndThen he said Bring the mantlecloak you are wearing and hold it out So she held it and he measured out six measures of barley and laidput it uponon her back; then shehe went into the city |
| 3:16 |
AndShe when she came to her mother in law shewho said How did things go with you fare my daughter Then she told her all that the man had done for her |
| 3:17 |
saying TheseHe gave me these six measures of barley he gave to me for he said YouDo must not go back empty handed to your mother in law empty handed |
| 4:1 |
AndNo Bo′azsooner wenthad Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there; andthan behold the next of kin of whom Bo′azBoaz had spoken came passing by So Bo′azBoaz said TurnCome asideover friend; sit down here; andAnd he turnedwent asideover and sat down |
| 4:2 |
AndThen heBoaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said Sit down here; so they sat down |
| 4:3 |
ThenHe hethen said to the next of kin Na′omiNaomi who has come back from the country of Moab is selling the parcel of land whichthat belonged to our kinsman Elim′elechElimelech |
| 4:4 |
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 besidesprior to you to redeem it and I come after you AndSo he said I will redeem it |
| 4:5 |
Then Bo′azBoaz said The day you buyacquire the field from the hand of Na′omiNaomi you are also buyingacquiring Ruth the MoabitessMoabite the widow of the dead inman order to restoremaintain the namedead ofmans thename deadon to his inheritance |
| 4:6 |
ThenAt this the next of kin said I cannot redeem it for myself lestwithout Idamaging impair my own inheritance Take my right of redemption yourself for I cannot redeem it |
| 4:7 |
Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction the one drewtook off hisa sandal and gave it to the other; and this was the manner of attesting in Israel |
| 4:8 |
So when the next of kin said to Bo′azBoaz BuyAcquire it for yourself he drewtook off his sandal |
| 4:9 |
Then Bo′azBoaz said to the elders and all the people YouToday you are witnesses this day that I have boughtacquired from the hand of Na′omiNaomi all that belonged to Elim′elechElimelech and all that belonged to Chil′ionChilion and to Mahlon |
| 4:10 |
AlsoI have also acquired Ruth the MoabitessMoabite the widowwife of Mahlon I have bought to be my wife to perpetuatemaintain the dead mans name ofon thehis deadinheritance in hisorder inheritance that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethrenkindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses this day |
| 4:11 |
Then all the people who were at the gate andalong 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 prosperproduce children in Eph′rathahEphrathah and bebestow renowneda name in Bethlehem; |
| 4:12 |
and maythrough yourthe housechildren bethat like the houseLord ofwill Perezgive whomyou Tamarby borethis toyoung Judahwoman becausemay ofyour thehouse childrenbe thatlike the Lordhouse willof givePerez youwhom byTamar thisbore youngto womanJudah |
| 4:13 |
So Bo′azBoaz took Ruth and she became his wife; andWhen hethey wentcame intogether to her and the Lord gavemade her conceptionconceive and she bore a son |
| 4:14 |
Then the women said to Na′omiNaomi Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without next of kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel |
| 4:16 |
Then Na′omiNaomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse |
| 4:17 |
AndThe the women of the neighborhood gave him a name saying A son has been born to Na′omiNaomi They named him Obed; he wasbecame the father of Jesse the father of David |
| 4:18 |
Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez wasbecame the father of Hezron |
| 4:19 |
Hezron of Ram Ram of Ammin′adabAmminadab |
| 4:20 |
Ammin′adabAmminadab of Nahshon Nahshon of Salmon |
| 4:21 |
Salmon of Bo′azBoaz Bo′azBoaz of Obed |