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Ruth Gleans in Boaz’ Field

Now Naomi had [a]a kinsman of her husband, a [b]mighty man of excellence, of the family of (A)Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and (B)glean among the ears of grain after one whom I may find favor in his eyes.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she went. And she came and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And [c]it so happened that she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “(C)May Yahweh be with you.” And they said to him, “May Yahweh bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was [d]in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” The young man [e]in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the fields of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Have you not heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but [f]stay here with my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the young men not to touch you. And if you are thirsty, go to the [g]water jars and drink from what the young men draw.” 10 Then she (D)fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, though I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you forsook your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12 (E)May Yahweh fully repay your work, and may your wages be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, (F)under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” 13 Then she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken to the heart of your servant-woman, though I am not like one of your servant-women.”

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “[h]Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he [i]served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied (G)and had some left. 15 Then she rose to glean, and Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not dishonor her. 16 Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and [j]leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an [k]ephah of barley. 18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and (H)gave [l]Naomi what she had left after [m]she was satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you [n]work? May he who (I)took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had [o]worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “(J)May he be blessed of Yahweh who has not forsaken his lovingkindness to the living and to the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is [p]our relative; he is one of our kinsman redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “[q]Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should [r]stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that others do not oppress you in another field.” 23 So she [s]stayed close by the young women of Boaz in order to glean until (K)the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 2:1 Or an acquaintance
  2. Ruth 2:1 Or mighty man of valor, cf. Judg 6:12; 11:1
  3. Ruth 2:3 Lit her chance chanced upon
  4. Ruth 2:5 Lit appointed over
  5. Ruth 2:6 Lit who was appointed over
  6. Ruth 2:8 Lit cling, cf. 1:14
  7. Ruth 2:9 Lit vessels
  8. Ruth 2:14 Lit Draw near
  9. Ruth 2:14 Lit held out to
  10. Ruth 2:16 Or forsake, cf. 1:16; 2:11, 20
  11. Ruth 2:17 An ephah was approx. 21 qt. or 23 l
  12. Ruth 2:18 Lit her
  13. Ruth 2:18 Lit her satiety
  14. Ruth 2:19 Lit do, cf. 1:8, 17; 2:11
  15. Ruth 2:19 Lit done, cf. 1:8, 17; 2:11
  16. Ruth 2:20 Lit near to us
  17. Ruth 2:21 Lit Also that
  18. Ruth 2:21 Lit cling, cf. 1:14; 2:8
  19. Ruth 2:23 Lit clung, cf. 1:14; 2:8, 21

Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. Naomi said to her, Go, my daughter.

And [Ruth] went and gleaned in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless you!

Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this?

And the servant set over the reapers answered, She is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close by my maidens.

Watch which field they reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the young men not to molest you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner?

11 And Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before.

12 The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge!

13 Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants.

14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine [mixed with oil]. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi].

15 And when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

16 And let fall some handfuls for her on purpose and let them lie there for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned. It was about an ephah of barley.

18 And she took it up and went into the town; she showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned, and she also brought forth and gave her the food she had reserved after she was satisfied.

19 And her mother-in-law said to her, Where have you gleaned today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you. So [Ruth] told [her], The name of him with whom I worked today is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not ceased his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is a near relative of ours, one who has the right to redeem us.(A)

21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Stay close to my young men until they have harvested my entire crop.

22 And Naomi said to Ruth, It is good, my daughter, for you to go out with his maidens, lest in any other field you be molested.

23 So she kept close to the maidens of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.