Ruth Meets Boaz
1 There was arelative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family ofElimelech. His namewasBoaz.
2 So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to thefield, and glean heads of grain afterhimin whose sight I may find favor.”
And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”
3 Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the fieldbelongingto Boaz, whowasof the family of Elimelech.
4 Now behold, Boaz came fromBethlehem, and said to the reapers,“TheLordbewith you!”
And they answered him, “TheLordbless you!”
5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young womanisthis?”
6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “Itisthe young Moabite womanwho came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
7 And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
9 Letyour eyesbeon the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
10 So shefell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I foundfavor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since Iama foreigner?”
11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me,all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, andhowyou have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
12 TheLordrepay your work, and a full reward be given you by theLordGod of Israel,under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
13 Then she said,“Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant,though I am not like one of your maidservants.”
14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parchedgrainto her; and she ate andwas satisfied, and kept some back.
15 And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16 Also letgrainfrom the bundles fall purposely for her; leaveitthat she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah ofbarley.
18 Then she tookitup and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned.
# So she brought out and gave to herwhat she had kept back after she had been satisfied.
19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one whotook notice of you.”
So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked todayisBoaz.”
20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law,“Blessedbehe of theLord, whohas not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This manisa relation of ours,one of our close relatives.”
21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”
22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “Itisgood, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”
23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.