RUTH’S APPEAL TO BOAZ

3 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our relative?l Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

5 So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.”H 6 She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had charged her to do. 7 After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley, and she came secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! 9 So he asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Take me under your wing,* a for you are a family redeemer.”b

10 Then he said, “May the Lord bless you,c my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before,C because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say,D since all the people in my townE know that you are a woman of noble character.d 12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good.e Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives,f I will. Now lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark.F Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that aG woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and sheH went into the town.

16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened,I my daughter?”

Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said,J ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”

18 Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”

RUTH AND BOAZ MARRY

4 Boaz went to the gate of the towng and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over hereK and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s eldersh and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. 3 He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech.i 4 I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you doM not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”

“I want to redeem it,” he answered.

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquireN Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”O,j

6 The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

7 At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandalk and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

8 So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

9 Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.”

11 All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah,l who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem. 12 May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah,m because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons,a has given birth to him.” 16 Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him. 17 The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

DAVID’S GENEALOGY FROM JUDAH’S SON

18 Now these are the family records of Perez:

Perez fathered Hezron,

19 Hezron fathered Ram,*

Ram fathered Amminadab,

20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon,

Nahshon fathered Salmon,

21 Salmon fathered Boaz,

Boaz fathered Obed,

22 Obed fathered Jesse,

and Jesse fathered David.b

1 SAMUEL

HANNAH’S VOW

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophima inA the hill country of Ephraim.b His name was Elkanahc son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives,d the first named Hannahe and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3 This man would go up from his town every yearf to worship and to sacrificeg to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh,h where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meati to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave a doubleB portionj to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. 6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 7 Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house,k her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. 8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”l

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.C The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.m 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.n 11 Making a vow,o she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,p remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”E,q

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently,r and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk?s Get rid of your wine!”

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.t 16 Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;u I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”v

17 Eli responded, “Go in peace,w and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”x

18 “May your servant find favor with you,”y she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.G,z

SAMUEL’S BIRTH AND DEDICATION

19 The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah.aa Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.ab 20 After some time,H Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,I because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

21 When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrificeac and his vow offering to the Lord, 22 Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presencead and to stay there permanently.”ae

23 Her husband, Elkanah, replied, “Do what you think is best,af and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm yourK word.”ag So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull,L half a bushelM of flour, and a clay jar of wine.ah Though the boy was still young,N she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh.ai 25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.

26 “Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live,aj my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy,ak and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for,a 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.”b Then heA worshiped the Lord there.B

HANNAH’S TRIUMPHANT PRAYER

2 Hannah prayed:c

My heart rejoices in the Lord;d

my horn is lifted up by the Lord.

My mouth boasts over my enemies,

because I rejoice in your salvation.e

2 There is no one holy like the Lord.f

There is no one besides you!g

And there is no rock like our God.h

3 Do not boast so proudly,

or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,

for the Lord is a God of knowledge,

and actions are weighed by him.i

4 The bows of the warriors are broken,j

but the feeble are clothed with strength.k

5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,

but those who are starving hunger no more.

The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,l

but the woman with many sons pines away.m

6 The Lord brings death and gives life;n

he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.o

7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;p

he humbles and he exalts.q

8 He raises the poor from the dustr and lifts the needy from the trash heap.s

He seats them with noblement

and gives them a throne of honor.C

For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;u

he has set the world on them.v

9 He guards the stepsD of his faithful ones,w

but the wicked perish in darkness,x

for a person does not prevail by his own strength.y

10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;E,z

he will thunder in the heavens against them.aa

The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.ab

He will give power to his king;

he will lift up the horn of his anointed.F,ac

11 Elkanah went home to Ramah,ad but the boy served the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.ae

ELI’S FAMILY JUDGED

12 Eli’s sons were wicked men;af they did not respect the Lordag 13 or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot.ah The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before the fat was burned,ai the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” 16 If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,”aj the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!” 17 So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because the men treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.ak

18 Samuel served in the Lord’s presenceal—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.am 19 Each year his mother made him a little robean and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.ao 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife:ap “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one sheG has given to the Lord.”aq Then they would go home.

21 The Lord paid attention to Hannah’s need,ar and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.as

22 Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israelat and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.au 23 He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. 24 No, my sons, the news I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?”a But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to kill them.b 26 By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.c

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him,d “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s familyA when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace?e 28 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your houseB to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence.f I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings. 29 Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship?g You have honored your sons more than me,h by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’

30 “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever.i But now,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor,j but those who despise me will be disgraced.k 31 Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age.l 32 You will see distress in the place of worship,m in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.n 33 Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring griefC and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.D,E 34 This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas:o both of them will die on the same day.p

35 “ ‘Then I will raise up a faithful priestq for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him,r and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.s 36 Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’ ”