Lùdéjì 2

1 Ná é mǐ de zhàngfu Yǐlì mǐ lè de qīnzú zhōng , yǒu yī gèrén míng jiào Bōesī , shì yī gè dà cáizhǔ .

2 Móyē nǚzi Lùdé duì ná é mǐ shuō , róng wǒ wǎng tiánjiān qù , wǒ méng shuí de ēn , jiù zaì shuí de shēn hòu shí qǔ maìsuì . ná é mǐ shuō , nǚér a , nǐ zhǐguǎn qù .

3 Lùdé jiù qù le , lái dào tiánjiān , zaì shōugē de rénshēn hòu shí qǔ maìsuì . tā qià qiǎo dào le Yǐlì mǐ lè bĕn zú de rén , Bōesī nà kuaì tián lǐ .

4 Bōesī zhēng cóng Bólìhéng lái , duì shōugē de rén shuō , yuàn Yēhéhuá yǔ nǐmen tóng zaì . tāmen huídá shuō , yuàn Yēhéhuá cì fú yǔ nǐ .

5 Bōesī wèn jiān guǎn shōugē de púrén shuō , nà shì shuí jiā de nǚzi .

6 Jiān guǎn shōugē de púrén huídá shuō , shì nà Móyē nǚzi , gēnsuí ná é mǐ cóng Móyē dì huí lái de .

7 Tā shuō , qǐng nǐ róng wǒ gēn zhe shōugē de rén , shí qǔ dá kún shèngxia de maìsuì , tā cóng zǎochen zhídào rújīn , chúle zaì wūzi lǐ zuò yíhuìr , cháng zaì zhèlǐ .

8 Bōesī duì Lùdé shuō , nǚér a , tīng wǒ shuō , búyào wǎng biérén tián lǐ shí qǔ maìsuì , yĕ búyào líkāi zhèlǐ , yào cháng yǔ wǒ shǐnǚ men zaì yī chù .

9 Wǒde púrén zaì nà kuaì tián shōugē , nǐ jiù gēn zhe tāmen qù . wǒ yǐjing fēnfu púrén bùkĕ qīfu nǐ . nǐ ruò kĕ le , jiù kĕyǐ dào qìmǐn nàli hē púrén dá lái de shuǐ .

10 Lùdé jiù fǔfú zaì dì kòu baì , duì tā shuō , wǒ jì shì waìbāngrén , zĕnme méng nǐde ēn , zhèyàng gù xù wǒ ne .

11 Bōesī huídá shuō , zì cóng nǐ zhàngfu sǐ hòu , fán nǐ xiàng pópo suǒ xíng de , bìng nǐ líkāi fùmǔ hé bĕn dì , dào sù bú rènshi de mín zhōng , zhèxie shì rén quándōu gàosu wǒ le .

12 Yuàn Yēhéhuá zhào nǐ suǒ xíng de shǎngcì nǐ . nǐ lái tóukào Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè shén de chìbǎng xià , yuàn nǐ mǎn dé tāde shǎngcì .

13 Lùdé shuō , wǒ zhǔ a , yuàn zaì nǐ yǎnqián méng ēn . wǒ suīrán bú jí nǐde yī gè shǐnǚ , nǐ hái yòng cíaì de huà ānwèi wǒde xīn .

14 Dào le chī fàn de shíhou , Bōesī duì Lùdé shuō , nǐ dào zhèlǐ lái chī bǐng , jiāng bǐng zhàn zaì cù lǐ . Lùdé jiù zaì shōugē de rén pángbiān zuò xià , tāmen bǎ hōng le de suì zǐ dìgĕi tā . tā chī bǎo le , hái yǒuyú shèng de .

15 Tā qǐlai yòu shí qǔ maìsuì , Bōesī fēnfu púrén shuō , tā jiù shì zaì kún zhōng shí qǔ maìsuì , yĕ kĕyǐ róng tā , bùkĕ xiūrǔ tā .

16 Bìng yào cóng kún lǐ chōu chū xiē lái , liú zaì dì xià rén tā shí qǔ , bùkĕ chì xià tā .

17 Zhèyàng , Lùdé zaì tiánjiān shí qǔ maìsuì , zhídào wǎnshang , jiāng suǒ shí qǔ de dá le , yuē yǒu yī yīfǎ dàmaì .

18 Tā jiù bǎ suǒ shí qǔ de daì jìn chéng qù gĕi pópo kàn , yòu bǎ tā chī bǎo le suǒ shèng de gĕi le pópo .

19 Pópo wèn tā shuō , nǐ jīnrì zaì nǎli shí qǔ maìsuì , zaì nǎli zuò gōng ne , yuàn nà gù xù nǐde dé fú . Lùdé jiù gàosu pópo shuō , wǒ jīnrì zaì yī gè míng jiào Bōesī de rén nàli zuò gōng .

20 Ná é mǐ duì ér fù shuō , yuàn nà rén méng Yēhéhuá cì fú , yīnwei tā bù duàn dì ēn dāi huó rén sǐ rén . ná é mǐ yòu shuō , nà shì wǒmen bĕn zú de rén , shì yī gè zhì jìn de qīnshǔ .

21 Móyē nǚzi Lùdé shuō , tā duì wǒ shuō , nǐ yàojǐn suí wǒde púrén shí qǔ maìsuì , zhí dĕng tāmen shōu wán le wǒde zhuāngjia .

22 Ná é mǐ duì ér fù Lùdé shuō , nǚér a , nǐ gēn zhe tāde shǐnǚ chū qù , bú jiào rén yùjiàn nǐ zaì biérén tiánjiān , zhè cái wèi hǎo .

23 Yúshì Lùdé yǔ Bōesī de shǐnǚ cháng zaì yī chù shí qǔ maìsuì , zhídào shōu wán le dàmaì hé xiǎomaì . Lùdé réng yǔ pópo tóng zhù .

Lùdéjì 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz. (1-3) The kindness of Boaz to Ruth. (4-16) Ruth returns to her mother-in-law. (17-23)

Verses 1-3 Observe Ruth's humility. When Providence had made her poor, she cheerfully stoops to her lot. High spirits will rather starve than stoop; not so Ruth. Nay, it is her own proposal. She speaks humbly in her expectation of leave to glean. We may not demand kindness as a debt, but ask, and take it as a favour, though in a small matter. Ruth also was an example of industry. She loved not to eat the bread of idleness. This is an example to young people. Diligence promises well, both for this world and the other. We must not be shy of any honest employment. No labour is a reproach. Sin is a thing below us, but we must not think any thing else so, to which Providence call us. She was an example of regard to her mother, and of trust in Providence. God wisely orders what seem to us small events; and those that appear altogether uncertain, still are directed to serve his own glory, and the good of his people.

Verses 4-16 The pious and kind language between Boaz and his reapers shows that there were godly persons in Israel. Such language as this is seldom heard in our field; too often, on the contrary, what is immoral and corrupt. A stranger would form a very different opinion of our land, from that which Ruth would form of Israel from the converse and conduct of Boaz and his reapers. But true religion will teach a man to behave aright in all states and conditions; it will form kind masters and faithful servants, and cause harmony in families. True religion will cause mutual love and kindness among persons of different ranks. It had these effects on Boaz and his men. When he came to them he prayed for them. They did not, as soon as he was out of hearing curse him, as some ill-natured servants that hate their master's eye, but they returned his courtesy. Things are likely to go on well where there is such good-will as this between masters and servants. They expressed their kindness to each other by praying one for another. Boaz inquired concerning the stranger he saw, and ordered her to be well treated. Masters must take care, not only that they do no hurt themselves, but that they suffer not their servants and those under them to do wrong. Ruth humbly owned herself unworthy of favours, seeing she was born and brought up a heathen. It well becomes us all to think humbly of ourselves, esteeming others better than ourselves. And let us, in the kindness of Boaz to Ruth, note the kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ to poor sinners.

Verses 17-23 It encourages industry, that in all labour, even that of gleaning, there is profit. Ruth was pleased with what she gained by her own industry, and was careful to secure it. Let us thus take care that we lose not those things which we have wrought, ( 2 John. 1:8 ) should examine their children, as Naomi did, not to frighten or discourage them, so as to make them hate home, or tempt them to tell a lie; but to commend them if they have done well, and with mildness to reprove and caution them if they have done otherwise. It is a good question for us to ask ourselves every night, Where have I gleaned to-day? What improvement have I made in knowledge and grace? What have I done that will turn to a good account? When the Lord deals bountifully with us, let us not be found in any other field, nor seeking for happiness and satisfaction in the creature. We lose Divine favours, if we slight them. Ruth dutifully observed her mother's directions. And when the harvest was ended, she kept her aged mother company at home. Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land; her vanity ended in disgrace, ( Genesis 34 ) . Ruth kept at home, and helped to maintain her mother, and went out on no other errand than to get provision for her; her humility and industry ended in preferment.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO RUTH 2

In this chapter we have an account of Ruth's gleaning corn in the fields of Boaz, a relation of Naomi, Ru 2:1-3, and of Boaz coming to his reapers, whom he saluted in a very kind manner; and observing a woman gleaning after them, inquired of them who she was, and they informed him, Ru 2:4-9, upon which he addressed himself to her, and gave her leave to glean in his field, and desired her to go nowhere else, and bid her eat and drink with his servants, Ru 2:8-14 and gave directions to his servants to let her glean, and to let fall some of the handfuls on purpose, that she might gather them up, Ru 2:15-17 and then an account is given of her returning to her mother-in-law with her gleanings, to whom she related where she had gleaned, who was owner of the field, and what he had said to her, upon which Naomi gave her advice, Ru 2:18-23.