Ruth

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

1Naomi had a relative on her husband's side of the family. He was rich and well respected. He came from the same family as Elimelech, Naomi's husband. His name was Boaz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, 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.

2Ruth came from the land of Moab. She said to Naomi, "Let me go out to the fields. I will pick up the grain the workers drop and leave behind. Maybe someone will be kind and let me do it." Naomi said, "Go ahead, my daughter."

NoteIn 1611, the English word "corn" meant grain of any kind, like barley or wheat. It did not mean the yellow corn on a cob that we eat today.

3And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

3So Ruth went out and picked up grain behind the workers. It happened that she came to a field that belonged to Boaz. Boaz was part of Elimelech's family.

4And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

4Just then Boaz came out from Bethlehem. He said to the workers, "May the LORD be with you." They answered, "May the LORD bless you."

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

5Boaz asked the man in charge of the workers, "Who is that young woman?"

6And 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:

6The man in charge said, "She is the young woman from Moab. She came back with Naomi from the land of Moab."

7And 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.

7"She asked if she could pick up the grain left behind the workers. She has been working from morning until now. She only rested a short time in the shelter."

8Then 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:

8Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Do not go pick up grain in anyone else's field. Do not go away from here. Stay close to my servant girls."

9Let 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.

9"Watch the field where the men are cutting grain. Follow along behind the girls. I have told the young men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, go drink from the water jars they filled."

10Then 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 shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

10Ruth bowed down low with her face to the ground. She said to him, "Why are you so kind to me? Why do you even notice me? I come from another country."

11And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed 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.

11Boaz answered her, "People have told me all about you. I know what you have done for Naomi since your husband died. You left your own father and mother. You left the land where you were born. You came to live with people you did not know before."

12The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

12"May the LORD pay you back for what you have done. May the God of Israel give you a full reward. You came to Him for safety, the way a small bird hides under a wing."

13Then she said, Let me find favour 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.

13Ruth said, "You are very kind to me, sir. Your words have comforted me. You spoke gently to me, and I am only a servant. I am not even one of your servant girls."

14And 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.

14At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread. Dip it in the sour wine." So she sat down beside the workers. He handed her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted, and there was still some left.

15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

15When Ruth got up to gather grain again, Boaz gave his young men an order. He said, "Let her gather grain even close to the bundles. Do not say unkind things to her."

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

16"Pull some grain out of the bundles on purpose. Leave it on the ground for her to pick up. Do not scold her."

17So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

17So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she beat the grain loose from the stalks. She had about an ephah of barley.

NoteAn ephah was a way of measuring grain. This was about as much as a big bag of flour from the store, maybe 30 pounds. It was a lot for one day's work.

18And 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.

18She carried the grain into the town. Her husband's mother saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also gave her the food she had saved from her meal.

19And 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 shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

19Naomi asked her, "Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May God bless the man who noticed you." So Ruth told her where she had worked. She said, "The man I worked with today is named Boaz."

20And Naomi 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 Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

20Naomi said to Ruth, "May the LORD bless him! He has kept on being kind to us. He is kind to the living and to those who have died." Then Naomi said, "That man is a close relative. He is one of the men who can help and protect our family."

21And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

21Ruth, the woman from Moab, said, "He told me something else too. He said, 'Stay close to my workers until they finish all my harvest.'"

22And 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.

22Naomi said to Ruth, "That is good, my daughter. Go out with his servant girls. Then no one will hurt you in some other field."

23So 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.

23So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz. She gathered grain until the barley harvest and the wheat harvest were over. And she lived with Naomi, her husband's mother.