Ruth 2–3

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz

2Naomi had a relative named Boaz, a rich and influential man who belonged to the family of her husband Elimelech. ^2*One day Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields to gather the corn that the harvest workers leave. I am sure to find someone who will let me work with him.”

Naomi answered, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

³So Ruth went out to the fields and walked behind the workers, picking up the corn which they left. It so happened that she was in a field that belonged to Boaz.

⁴Some time later Boaz himself arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the workers. “The Lord be with you!” he said.

“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

⁵Boaz asked the man in charge, “Who is that young woman?” ⁶The man answered, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. ⁷She asked me to let her follow the workers and pick up the corn. She has been working since early morning and has just now stopped to rest for a while under the shelter.”

⁸Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Let me give you some advice. Don’t pick up corn anywhere except in this field. Work with the women here; ⁹watch them to see where they are reaping and stay with them. I have ordered my men not to molest you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and drink from the water jars that they have filled.”

¹⁰Ruth bowed down with her face touching the ground, and said to Boaz, “Why should you be so concerned about me? Why should you be so kind to a foreigner?”

¹¹Boaz answered, “I have heard about everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you had never known before. ¹²May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come for protection!”

¹³Ruth answered, “You are very kind^f to me, sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me, even though I am not the equal of one of your servants.”

¹⁴At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come and have a piece of bread, and dip it in the sauce.” So she sat with the workers, and Boaz passed some roasted grain to her. She ate until she was satisfied, and she still had some food left over. ^15–16After she had left to go on picking up corn, Boaz ordered the workers, “Let her pick it up even where the bundles are lying, and don’t say anything to stop her. Besides that, pull out some corn from the bundles and leave it for her to pick up.”

¹⁷So Ruth went on gathering corn in the field until evening, and when she had beaten it out, she found she had nearly 10 kilogrammes. ¹⁸She took the corn back into town and showed her mother-in-law how much she had gathered. She also gave her the food left over from the meal. ¹⁹Naomi asked her, “Where did you gather all this? Whose field have you been working in? May God bless the man who took an interest in you!”

So Ruth told Naomi that she had been working in a field belonging to a man named Boaz.

^20*“May the Lord bless Boaz!” Naomi exclaimed. “The Lord always keeps his promises to the living and the dead.” And she went on, “That man is a close relative of ours, one of those responsible for taking care of us.”

²¹Then Ruth said, “Best of all, he told me to keep picking up corn with his workers until they finish the harvest.”

²²Naomi said to Ruth, “Yes, my daughter, it will be better for you to work with the women in Boaz’ field. You might be molested if you went to someone else’s field.” ²³So Ruth worked with them and gathered corn until all the barley and wheat had been harvested. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.

Ruth Finds a Husband

3Some time later Naomi said to Ruth, “I must find a husband for you, so that you will have a home of your own. ²Remember that this man Boaz, whose women you have been working with, is our relative. Now listen. This evening he will be threshing the barley. ³So wash yourself, put on some perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go where he is threshing, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴Be sure to notice where he lies down, and after he falls asleep, go and lift the covers and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”

⁶So Ruth went to the threshing place and did just what her mother-in-law had told her. ⁷When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went to the pile of barley and lay down to sleep. Ruth slipped over quietly, lifted the covers and lay down at his feet. ⁸During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet. ⁹“Who are you?” he asked.

“It’s Ruth, sir,” she answered. “Because you are a close relative, you are responsible for taking care of me. So please marry me.”

¹⁰“The Lord bless you,” he said. “You are showing even greater family loyalty in what you are doing now than in what you did for your mother-in-law. You might have gone looking for a young man, either rich or poor, but you didn’t. ¹¹Now don’t worry, Ruth. I will do everything you ask; as everyone in town knows, you are a fine woman. ^12*It is true that I am a close relative and am responsible for you, but there is a man who is a closer relative than I am. ¹³Stay here the rest of the night, and in the morning we will find out whether or not he will take responsibility for you. If so, well and good; if not, then I swear by the living Lord that I will take the responsibility. Now lie down and stay here till morning.”

¹⁴So she lay there at his feet, but she got up before it was light enough for her to be seen, because Boaz did not want anyone to know that she had been there. ¹⁵Boaz said to her, “Take off your cloak and spread it out here.” She did, and he poured out nearly 20 kilogrammes of barley and helped her to lift it on her shoulder. Then she returned to the town with it. ¹⁶When she arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, “How did you get on, my daughter?”

Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her. ¹⁷She added, “He told me I must not come back to you empty-handed, so he gave me all this barley.”

¹⁸Naomi said to her, “Now be patient, Ruth, until you see how this all turns out. Boaz will not rest today until he settles the matter.”