1. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that
there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of
Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he,
and his wife, and his two sons.
2. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his
wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion,
Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the
country of Moab, and continued there.
3. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and
her two sons.
4. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of
the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they
dwelled there about ten years.
5. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman
was left of her two sons and her husband.
6. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might
return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the
country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in
giving them bread.
7. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and
her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way
to return unto the land of Judah.
8. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return
each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you,
as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the
house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted
up their voice, and wept.
10. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto
thy people.
11. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go
with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they
may be your husbands?
12. Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to
have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should
have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13. Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay
for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it
grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is
gone out against me.
14. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah
kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto
her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister
in law.
16. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return
from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will
go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall
be my people, and thy God my God:
17. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried:
the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part
thee and me.
18. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her,
then she left speaking unto her.
19. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came
to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city
was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20. And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for
the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21. I went out full and the LORD hath brought me home again
empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath
testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in
law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab:
and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley
harvest.
Chapter 2
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.
Chapter 3
1. Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter,
shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with
thee?
2. And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou
wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the
threshingfloor.
3. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment
upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not
thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating
and drinking.
4. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark
the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and
uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee
what thou shalt do.
5. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will
do.
6. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all
that her mother in law bade her.
7. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry,
he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she
came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
8. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid,
and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine
handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid;
for thou art a near kinsman.
10. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for
thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the
beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men,
whether poor or rich.
11. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that
thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that
thou art a virtuous woman.
12. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there
is a kinsman nearer than I.
13. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he
will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him
do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a
kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to
thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
14. And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up
before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be
known that a woman came into the floor.
15. Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and
hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of
barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16. And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art
thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had
done to her.
17. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for
he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
18. Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how
the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until
he have finished the thing this day.
Chapter 4
1. Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and,
behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he
said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he
turned aside, and sat down.
2. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit
ye down here. And they sat down.
3. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out
of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was
our brother Elimelech's:
4. And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the
inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou
wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it,
then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem
it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will
redeem it.
5. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand
of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the
wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
inheritance.
6. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I
mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself;
for I cannot redeem it.
7. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all
things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his
neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he
drew off his shoe.
9. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye
are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was
Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the
hand of Naomi.
10. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I
purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead
upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut
off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place:
ye are witnesses this day.
11. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders,
said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come
into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did
build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah,
and be famous in Bethlehem:
12. And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar
bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee
of this young woman.
13. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in
unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
14. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which
hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name
may be famous in Israel.
15. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a
nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which
loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath
born him.
16. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and
became nurse unto it.
17. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There
is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is
the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18. Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat
Hezron,
19. And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20. And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21. And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22. And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
