Chapter 2

Ruth Gleans in Boaz’ Field

1 Now Naomi had 1a kinsman of her husband, a 2man of great wealth, of the family of aElimelech, whose name was Boaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and aglean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and 1she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “aMay the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.”

5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was 1in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

6 The servant 1in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.

7 “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.”

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “1Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.

9 “Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the 1water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”

10 Then she afell 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, since 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 reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.

12 “aMay the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, bunder whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”

13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken 1kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “1Come 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 2served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied aand had some left.

15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.

16 “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and 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 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 agave 1Naomi what she had left after 2she was satisfied.

19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who atook notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “aMay he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is 1our relative, he is one of our 2closest relatives.”

21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “1Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants 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 maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field.”

23 So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until athe end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Chapter 3

Boaz Will Redeem Ruth

1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek 1security for you, that it may be well with you?

2 “Now is not Boaz aour 1kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.

3 “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

4 “It shall be when he lies down, that you shall 1notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.”

5 She said to her, “aAll that you say I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and ahis heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.

8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and 1bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.

9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a 1close relative.”

10 Then he said, “aMay you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.

11 “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you 1ask, for all my people in the 2city know that you are aa woman of excellence.

12 “Now it is true I am a 1close relative; however, there is a 1relative closer than I.

13 “Remain this night, and when morning comes, aif he will 1redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to 1redeem you, then I will redeem you, bas the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “aLet it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

15 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then 1she went into the city.

16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “1How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her.

17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”

18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter 1turns out; for the man will not rest until he has 2settled it today.”

Chapter 4

The Marriage of Ruth

1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, athe 1close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, 2friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

2 He took ten men of the aelders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

3 Then he said to the 1closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land awhich belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4 “So I thought to 1inform you, saying, ‘aBuy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if 2not, tell me that I may know; for bthere is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order ato raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”

6 aThe 1closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would 2jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was athe custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.

8 So the 1closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.

10 “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so athat the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the 1court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

11 All the people who were in the 1court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home alike Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve 2wealth in Ephrathah and 3become famous in Bethlehem.

12 “Moreover, may your house be like the house of aPerez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the 1offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And athe Lord 1enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

14 Then the awomen said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a 1redeemer today, and may his name 2become famous in Israel.

15 “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you 1aand is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

The Line of David Began Here

16 Then Naomi took the child 1and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.

17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: ato Perez 1was born Hezron,

19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab,

20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon,

21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed,

22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.

The First Book of

SAMUEL

Chapter 1

Elkanah and His Wives

1 Now there was a certain man from aRamathaim-zophim from the bhill country of Ephraim, and his name was cElkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 He had atwo wives: the name of one was bHannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man would go up from his city ayearly bto worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in cShiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there.

4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he awould give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;

5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, abut the Lord had closed her womb.

6 Her rival, however, awould provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.

7 It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? aAm I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of athe temple of the Lord.

10 She, 1greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

11 She amade a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed blook on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a 1son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and ca razor shall never come on his head.”

12 Now it came about, as she 1continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.

13 As for Hannah, ashe was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

14 Then Eli said to her, “aHow long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman 1oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I ahave poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 “Do not 1consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and 2provocation.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “aGo in peace; and may the God of Israel bgrant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

18 She said, “aLet your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and bher face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born to Hannah

19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in aRamah. And Elkanah 1had relations with Hannah his wife, and bthe Lord remembered her.

20 It came about 1in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “aBecause I have asked him of the Lord.”

21 Then the man Elkanah awent up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.

22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will abring him, that he may appear before the Lord and bstay there forever.”

23 aElkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best 1to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only bmay the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

24 Now when she had weaned him, ashe took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to bthe house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young.

25 Then athey slaughtered the bull, and bbrought the boy to Eli.

26 She said, “Oh, my lord! aAs your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord.

27 “aFor this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.

28 “aSo I have also 1dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is 1dedicated to the Lord.” And bhe worshiped the Lord there.