THE BOOK OF RUTH Chapter 1 now
it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was
a famine in the land and a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to
sojourn in the country of Moab he and his wife and his two sons
and the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Nehomai
and the name of his two sons Marlon and Kylian Ephrathites
of Bethlehem Judah and they came into the country of Moab and
continued there And in Limelech Naomi's husband died, and she
was left and her two sons. 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. And Marlon and Cilion died also both of them, and the
woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 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 visited his people in giving
them bread. 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.
And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go return each to her mother's
house the Lord deal kindly with you as he have dealt with the
dead and with me The Lord grant you that he may find rest each
of you in the house of her husband Then she kissed them and they
lifted up their voice and wept and they said unto her surely
we will return with thee unto thy people and Naomi said Turn
again, my daughters, why will he go with me? Are there yet
any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 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 tonight, and should also bear
sons, would he tarry for them till they were grown? Would he
stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters. for it grieveth
me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out
against me.' And they lifted up their voice and wept again,
and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law. But Ruth clave unto her, and
she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people
and unto her gods. Return thou after thy sister-in-law.
And Ruth said, Entreat 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. Thy people shall be my
people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die,
and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more
also, if ought but death, part thee and me. When she saw that
she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left, speaking
unto her. So they too went until they came
to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they
were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about
them, and they said, Is this Naomai? And she said unto them,
Call me not Naomai, call me Marah, for the Almighty hath dealt very
bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord
hath brought me home again empty. Why then call ye me Nehomai,
seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty
hath afflicted me? So Nehomai returned, and Ruth
the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, which returned out
of the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem in
the beginning of barley harvest. Ruth chapter 2 And Nehomai had a kinsman of
her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech,
and his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto
Nehomai, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn
after him, in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto
her, Go, my daughter. And she went and came, and gleaned
in the field after the reapers. And her hap was the light on
a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred
of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem,
and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered
him, The Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant
that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the
servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It
is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of 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 hath continued even from the morning until now
that she tarried a little in the house. 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. 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. Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground,
and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou
shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz
answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me all
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. The Lord recompensed thy work,
and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under
whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, Let me
find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted
me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz
said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread,
and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sat beside the reapers,
and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed,
and left. 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. and let fall also some
of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she
may glean them, and rebuke her not.' So she gleaned in the field
until even, and beat out that she had gleaned, and it was about
an ephah of barley. 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 that she
had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother-in-law said unto
her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day, and where wroughtest
thou? Blessed be he that did take knowledge
of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law
with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom
I wrought to-day is Boaz. And Nehomai said unto her daughter-in-law,
Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness
to the living and to the dead. And Nehomai said unto her, The
man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth,
the Moabitess, said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep
fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest. And
Naomi said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that
thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any
other field. 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. Ruth chapter 3 Then Naomi, her
mother-in-law, said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek
rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now, is not
Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he
winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. Wash thyself
therefore, and anoint 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. 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.' And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me, I will
do. And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all
that her mother-in-law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk,
and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the
heap of corn. And she came softly, and uncovered
his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight
that the man was afraid, and turned himself, and behold, a
woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And
she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy
skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. And
he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, for thou hast
showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch
as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich. 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 a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am
thy near kinsman, albeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry
this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will
perform 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, as the Lord liveth. Lie down until the morning. And
she lay 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. Also he said, Bring the veil
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. 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. And she said, These six measures
of barley gave he me, for he said to me, Go not empty unto
thy mother-in-law. Then said she Sit still my daughter
until thou know how the matter will fall For the man will not
be in rest until he have finished the thing this day Ruth chapter
4 Then went Boaz up to the gate,
and sat him down there. And, behold, the kinsman, of
whom Boaz spake, came by, unto whom he said, Ho, such a one,
turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat
down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said,
City down here. And they sat down. And he said
unto the kinsman, Nehomai, that is come again out of the country
of Moab, selleth a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's. And I thought to advertise thee,
saying, Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people.
If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it. But if thou wilt not redeem
it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none to redeem it
beside thee, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.'
Then said Boaz, What day thou buy'st the field of the hand
of Nehomai, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the
wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot
redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Redeem thou
my right to thyself, for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner
in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing,
for to confirm all things. A man plucked off his shoe and
gave it to his neighbor, and this was a testimony in Israel.
Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. And
Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses
this day, that I have bought all that was a limalex, and all
that was chylians, and marlins, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover,
Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Marlon, have I purchased to
be my wife. to raise up the name of the dead
upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off
from among his brethren and from the gate of his place. Ye are
witnesses this day. And all the people that were
in the gate and the elders said, We are witnesses. The Lord make
the woman that has come into thine house like Rachel and like
Leah, which too did build the house of Israel. And do thou
worthily in their frater, and be famous in Bethlehem. And let
thy house be like the house of Pharis, whom Tamar bare unto
Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this
young woman. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And when
he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she
bare a son. And the women said unto Nehomai,
Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without
a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall
be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine
old age. For thy daughter-in-law, which
loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath
borne him. And Nehomai took the child, and
laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women
her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to
Nehomai. And they called his name Obed.
He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. now these are
the generations of Faris Faris begat Hezron and Hezron begat
Ram and Ram begat Aminadab and Aminadab begat Narshan and Narshan
begat Salmon and Salmon begat Boaz and Boaz begat Obed and
Obed begat Jesse and Jesse begat David