THE BOOK OF
RUTH
Ruth 2 ©
Ruth, going forth to glean ears of corn in the fields, lights upon the fields of Boaz, her deceased husband’s near kinsman, v. 1, etc. Who shows much kindness to her, and gives strict charge to his servants concerning her, 8. Ruth, coming home, tells Naomi what had befallen her, 18. Who gives God thanks for it, and exhorts Ruth to continue in the field, 20.
AND Naomi had a 1kinsman of her 2husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.a
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and gleanb3ears of corn after him in 4whose 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 5her hapc was to light on a part of the field belonging unto 6Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
¶And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD 7bless thee.
Then said Boaz unto his 8servant 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 9came 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 10from the morning until now, that she 11tarried 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 12maidens:
Let thine eyes be on the field that 13they do reap, and go thou 14after them: 15have 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 16bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest 17take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been 18shewed 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 19heretofore.
The LORD recompense thy work, and 20a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, 21under whose 22wings thou art come to trust.
Then she said, 23Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken 24friendly unto thine handmaid, though I 25be 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 26corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, 27and 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 28some 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 29beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an 30ephahd of barley.
¶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 that she had reserved 31after she was sufficed.
And 32her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where 33wroughtest thou? 34blessed be he that did take 35knowledge 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.
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of 36the LORD, 37who hath not left off his kindness to the 38living and to the 39dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next 40kinsmen.
And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me 41also, 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 42meet 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.