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 Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife,
and his two sons.
2 And the name of the man wasElimelech, 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 them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one wasOrpah, 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 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 that the LORD had visited his people in giving them
bread.
7 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.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the
LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of youin the house of her husband. Then she
kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? arethere 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 an husband. If I should say, I
have hope, ifI should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye 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.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth
clave unto her.
15 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.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, orto return from following after thee: for
whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall bemy
people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also,
if oughtbut death part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto
her.
19 So they two 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, Isthis Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very
bitterly with me.
21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why thencall ye me Naomi,
seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 So Naomi 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.
1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of
Elimelech; and his name wasBoaz.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn
after himin whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light
on a part of the field belongingunto Boaz, who wasof the kindred of Elimelech.
4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD bewith you. And
they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel isthis?
6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It isthe Moabitish damsel
that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7 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.
8 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:
9 Letthine eyes beon 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 thatwhich the young men have drawn.
10 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 shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I ama stranger?
11 And 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 howthou hast left thy father and
thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not
heretofore.
12 The 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.
13 Then 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.
14 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.
15 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:
16 And let fall also someof the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean
them, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an
ephah of barley.
18 And she took itup, 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.
19 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 shewed her mother in law with
whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day isBoaz.
20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed behe of the LORD, who hath not left off
his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man isnear of kin unto
us, one of our next kinsmen.
21 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.
22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It isgood, my daughter, that thou go out with
his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
23 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.
1 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?
2 And now isnot Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth
barley to night in the threshingfloor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to
the floor: butmake not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 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.
5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7 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.
8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a
woman lay at his feet.
9 And he said, Who artthou? And she answered, I amRuth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy
skirt over thine handmaid; for thou arta near kinsman.
10 And he said, Blessed bethou of the LORD, my daughter: forthou hast shewed more kindness
in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether
poor or rich.
11 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 arta virtuous woman.
12 And now it is true that I am thynear kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, thatif 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, asthe LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
14 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.
15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hastupon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he
measured six measuresof barley, and laid iton her: and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who artthou, my daughter? And she told
her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measuresof barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto
thy mother in law.
18 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.
1 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.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a
parcel of land, which wasour brother Elimelech's:
4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy itbefore the inhabitants, and before the elders of
my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, thentell me, that I
may know: for there isnone to redeem itbeside thee; and I amafter thee. And he said, I will
redeem it.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy italso of
Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.