*Now it came to pass in the days when athe judges †ruled, that there was ba famine in the land. And a certain man of cBeth-lehem-judah 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, dEphrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came einto 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 fvisited his people in ggiving 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 hdeal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with ithe dead, and with me. 9 The Lord grant you that ye may find krest, 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, lthat 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 mthe 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: nreturn 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: othy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: pthe Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 qWhen 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 Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that rall 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 sthe Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, tand 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 Beth-lehem uin the beginning of barley harvest.

2 And Naomi had a akinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was b||Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and eglean 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 Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, dThe 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 ethat 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 ffell 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, gall 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 hThe Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, iunder whose wings thou art come to trust. 13 Then she said, ||kLet me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken †friendly unto thine handmaid, lthough 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 mthe vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and nwas 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 oephah 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 pthat 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 qtake 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, rBlessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness sto 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 tmy 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 this 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.

3 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek arest for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our bkindred, cwith whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and danoint 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 ehis heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and fshe 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: gspread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art ||a near kinsman. 10 And he said, hBlessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than iat 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 ka virtuous woman. 12 And now it is true that I am thy lnear kinsman: howbeit mthere is a kinsman nearer than I. 13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will nperform 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, oas the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning. 14 And she play 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, qSit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will