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 went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2.	And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3.	And Elimelech Naomi s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4.	And they took themselves 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.
5.	And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was all that was left of her two sons and her husband.
6.	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 the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7.	Which is why 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 to the land of Judah.
8.	And Naomi said to her two daughters in law, "Go, return each to your mother s house. The LORD deals kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9.	The LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10.	And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people.
11.	And Naomi said, "Come again, my daughters? Why will you go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12.	Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also tonight, and should also bear sons;
13.	Would you wait for them until they were grown? Would you stay for them from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.
14.	And they lifted up their voices, and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth held her.
15.	And she said, "Look, your sister in law has gone back to her people, and to her gods. Return after your sister in law."
16.	And Ruth said, "Don't ask me to leave you, or to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17.	Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. The LORD will do so to me, and more also, if nothing but death parts you and me."
18.	When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she stopped speaking to her.
19.	So they went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city moved around them, and they said, "Is this Naomi?"
20.	And she said to them, "Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21.	I went out full and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Then why do you call me Naomi, seeing the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22.	So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Chapter 2

And Naomi 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 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 to her, "Go, my daughter."
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers. Her luck was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
And, see, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "May the LORD be with you." And they answered him, "May the LORD bless you."
Then Boaz said 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 had continued from the morning even until now, that she tarried a little in the house."
Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Don't you hear, my daughter? Don't go to glean in another field, neither go from here, but abide here fast by my maidens.
Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn."
Then she fell on her face, and bowed to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found grace in your eyes, that you should take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"
And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully shown to me all that you have done to your mother in law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother, and the land of your nativity, and have come to a people which you didn't know before.
The LORD recompenses your work, and a full reward is given to you of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust."
Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for that you have comforted me, and that you have spoken friendly to your handmaid, though I am not like one of your handmaidens."
And Boaz said to her, "At mealtime, come here and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar." And she sat beside the reapers, and he reached her parched corn, and she ate, and was sufficed, and left.
And when she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don't reproach her.
And also let some of the handfuls fall on purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and don't rebuke her."
So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah 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 after she was sufficed.
And her mother in law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed is he that took knowledge of you." And she showed her mother in law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man s name with whom I worked today is Boaz."
And Naomi said to her daughter in law, "Blessed is he of the LORD, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." And Naomi said to her, "The man is near of kin to us, one of our next kinsmen."
And Ruth the Moabitess said, "He said to me also, 'You shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest'."
And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter in law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, that they don't meet you 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.

Chapter 3

Then Naomi her mother in law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens you were? See, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor.
Therefore Wash yourself, and anoint yourself, and put your clothes on, and get down to the threshing floor, but don't make yourself known unto the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay down; and he will tell you what you shall do."
And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do."
And she went down to the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
And when Boaz had eaten and drank, 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 herself down.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself, and saw a woman lay at his feet.
And he said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your handmaid. Therefore spread your skirt over your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman."
And he said, "You are blessed of the LORD, my daughter, for you have showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you didn't follow the young men, whether poor or rich.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to you all that you require, for all the city of my people know that you are a virtuous woman.
And now it is true that I am your near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I.
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform for you 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 you, then will I do the part of a kinsman to you, 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, "Don't let it be known that a woman came into the floor."
Also he said, "Bring the veil that you have upon yourself, 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 are you, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done to her.
And she said, "These six measures of barley he gave me; for he said to me, 'Don't go empty to your mother in law'."
Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest, until he has finished the thing today."

Chapter 4

Then Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. And the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to 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, "Sit down here." And they sat down.
And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, that had come back out of the country of Moab, "sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech s,
And I thought to advertise you, saying, 'Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know, for there is none to redeem it beside you; and I am after you." And he said, "I will redeem it."
Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you 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. You redeem my right to yourself; for I cannot redeem it."
Now this was the manner in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing; for to confirm all things, a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, and this was a testimony in Israel.
Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he drew off his shoe.
And Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech s, and all that was Chilion s and Mahlon s, of the hand of Naomi.
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead is not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day."
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman that has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, the two who built the house of Israel. And you do worthily in Ephratah, and are famous in Bethlehem.
And let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give you 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 bore a son.
And the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD, which has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
And he shall be a restorer of your life to you, and a nourisher of your old age. For your daughter in law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to him.
And the women who were her neighbors gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi," and they called him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Judges

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1 Samuel