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R UTH 3
page 241
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field
Now there was a wealthy and influential
man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a
relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
“Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up
the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is
kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go
ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she
found herself working in a field that belonged
to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law,
Elimelech.
4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from
Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The
Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that
young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young
woman from Moab who came back with Naomi.
7 She asked me this morning if she could gather
grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard
at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest
in the shelter.”
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen,
my daughter. Stay right here with us when you
gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay
right behind the young women working in my
field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned
the young men not to treat you roughly. And
when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water
they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him
warmly. “What have I done to deserve such
kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also
know about everything you have done for your
mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and
mother and your own land to live here among
complete strangers. 12 May the Lord, the God
of Israel, under whose wings you have come
to take refuge, reward you fully for what you
have done.”
13 “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she
replied. “You have comforted me by speaking
so kindly to me, even though I am not one of
your workers.”
14 At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over
here, and help yourself to some food. You can
dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat
with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some
roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and
still had some left over.
2
2:17 Hebrew it was about an ephah [20 quarts or 22 liters].
2:20 Hebrew to the living and to the dead. 2:21 Hebrew Ruth
the Moabite.
15 When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz
ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain
right among the sheaves without stopping her.
16 And pull out some heads of barley from the
bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let
her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard
time!”
17 So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and
when she beat out the grain that evening, it
filled an entire basket.* 18 She carried it back
into town and showed it to her mother-in-law.
Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was
left over from her meal.
19 “Where did you gather all this grain today?”
Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the
Lord bless the one who helped you!”
So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the
man in whose field she had worked. She said,
“The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her
daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to
us as well as to your dead husband.* That man
is one of our closest relatives, one of our family
redeemers.”
21 Then Ruth* said, “What’s more, Boaz even
told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said,
my daughter. Stay with his young women
right through the whole harvest. You might
be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe
with him.”
23 So Ruth worked alongside the women in
Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until
the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived
with her mother-in-law.
Ruth at the Threshing Floor
One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent
home for you, so that you will be provided for.
2 Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been
very kind by letting you gather grain with his
young women. Tonight he will be winnowing
barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell
you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress
in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing
floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has
finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice
where he lies down; then go and uncover his
feet and lie down there. He will tell you what
to do.”
5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.
6 So she went down to the threshing floor that
night and followed the instructions of her
mother-in-law.
7 After Boaz had finished eating and drinking
and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far
end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then
3