1
And Naomi had a kinsman* of her husband's, a mightyman of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.[a]
2
And Ruth the Moabitesssaid unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of cornafter him in whose sight I shall findgrace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the fieldafter the reapers: and her hap[b] was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
4
And, behold, Boazcame from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORDbless thee.
5
Then saidBoaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
6
And the servant that was set over the reapersanswered and said, It is the Moabitishdamsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7
And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gatherafter the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continuedeven from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8
Then saidBoaz unto Ruth,Hearest thou not, my daughter?Go not to glean in anotherfield, 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 foundgrace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11
And Boazanswered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in lawsince 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 LORDrecompense thy work, and a fullreward be given thee of the LORDGod of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
13
Then she said, Let me findfavour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spokenfriendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14
And Boazsaid unto her, At mealtime*come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she satbeside 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, Boazcommanded his young men,saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach[c] 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 lawsaw 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 lawsaid unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and wherewroughtest 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'sname with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
20
And Naomisaid 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 Naomisaid unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
21
And Ruth the Moabitesssaid, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.
22
And Naomisaid unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet[d] thee not in any otherfield.
23
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barleyharvest and of wheatharvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.