Judges 18 - Ruth 2

Lexham English Bible

The Tribe of Dan Seeks Territory

18 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking territory for itself to live in, because until that day it had not been allotted territory among the tribes of Israel. ² The descendants^[a] of Dan sent from the whole number of their clan five capable men^[b] from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go, explore the land.” And they went to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they spent the night there.^{[c] 3} While they were with the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, and they turned aside there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place, and what is your business here?”^{[d] 4} And he said to them, “Micah did such and such for me and hired me, and I became his priest.” ⁵ And they said to him, “Please inquire of God that we may know whether our journey that we are going on will be successful.” ⁶ And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. Yahweh is in front of you on the journey you want to go on.”

⁷ And the five men went and came to Laish, and they observed the people who were living according to the customs of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, and lacking nothing in the land, and possessing restraint.^[e] And they were far from the Sidonians and had no word with anyone. ⁸ They came to their relatives^[f] at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their relatives^[g] said to them, “What do you report?” ⁹ And they said to them, “Come, let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go, to enter, to possess the land. ¹⁰ When you go you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is spread out on all sides;^[h] God has given a place into your hands where there is no lack of anything that is on the earth.”

¹¹ Six hundred men from the clan of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war, set out from there. ¹² They went up and encamped at Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they called this place Camp of Dan^[i] to this day; it is west of Kiriath Jearim. ¹³ From there they crossed over to the hill country of Ephraim, and they came to the house of Micah.

¹⁴ And the five men that went out to spy out the land (that is, Laish) responded and said to their relatives,^[j] “Do you know that there are in these houses an ephod, teraphim, and an idol of cast metal? So then, consider what you must do.” ¹⁵ So they turned to that direction, and they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and they greeted him.^{[k] 16} And six hundred men from the descendants^[l] of Dan, armed with their weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate. ¹⁷ And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and they entered there and took the carved divine image, ephod, teraphim, and the molten image. The priest was standing at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with the weapons of war. ¹⁸ When these went to Micah’s house, they took the divine carved image, ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, and the priest asked them, “What are you doing?” ¹⁹ And they said to him, “Keep quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be for us a father and a priest. Is it better being a priest for a house of one man or being a priest for a tribe and clan in Israel?” ²⁰ The priest accepted the offer,^[m] and he took the ephod, teraphim, and molten image and went along with the people.

²¹ And they turned^[n] and went and put the little children, the livestock, and the valuable property in front of them. ²² When they were at a distance from the house, Micah and the men who were in the houses that were near the house of Micah cried out, and they overtook the descendants^[o] of Dan. ²³ And they called to the descendants^[p] of Dan, who turned around to face them, and they said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you assembled together?” ²⁴ He said, “You took away my gods that I had made, and the priest, and then you go away. What is now left for me? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter?’” ²⁵ And the descendants^[q] of Dan said to him, “You should not let your voice be heard among us, so that ill-tempered men^[r] will not attack you,^[s] and take your life^[t] and the lives of your household.” ²⁶ And the descendants^[u] of Dan went their way. When Micah saw that they were stronger than him, he turned to return to his house.

²⁷ And they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and they came to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they put them to the sword^[v] and burned the city with fire. ²⁸ There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had had no dealings with anyone.^[w] It was in the valley that belonged to Beth-rehob, and they rebuilt^[x] the city and lived in it. ²⁹ And they called the name of the city Dan, after Dan their ancestor,^[y] who was born to Israel; but the former name of the city was Laish. ³⁰ And the descendants^[z] of Dan set up for themselves the carved divine image, and Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh,^[aa] he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the time of the captivity of the land. ³¹ So they set up for themselves the carved divine image that Micah had made, all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.

The Concubine and the Levite

19 In those days there was no king in Israel; there was a man, a Levite, who dwelled as a foreigner^[ab] in the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim. And he took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. ² But his concubine felt repugnance toward him,^[ac] and she left him and went to her father’s house, to Bethlehem in Judah; she was there some four months. ³ So her husband set out, and he went after her to speak tenderly to her,^[ad] to bring her back. He took with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. And she brought him to her father’s house, and the father of the young woman saw him and was glad to meet him. ⁴ His father-in-law, the young woman’s father, urged him to stay with him three days; and they ate and drank, and they spent the night there. ⁵ On the fourth day, they rose early in the morning, and he prepared to go, but the father of the young woman said to his son-in-law, “Refresh yourself^[ae] with a bit of food, and afterward you may go.” ⁶ So the two of them sat and ate and drank together, and the father of the young woman said to the man, “Please, agree to spend the night and enjoy yourself.”^{[af] 7} The man got up to go, but his father-in-law urged him, and he returned and spent the night there. ⁸ On the fifth day he rose early in the morning to go, and the father of the young woman said, “Please, enjoy yourself,”^[ag] and they lingered until the day declined, and the two of them ate. ⁹ And the man got up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant—but his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, “Please, the day has worn on to evening; please, spend the night, the day has drawn to a close. Spend the night here and enjoy yourself.^[ah] You can rise early tomorrow for your journey and go to your home.”^[ai]

¹⁰ But the man was not willing to spend the night, and he got up and went; and he arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). He had with him a pair of saddled donkeys and his concubine. ¹¹ They were near Jebus, and the day was far spent,^[aj] and the servant said to his master, “Please, come, let us turn aside to this city of the Jebusites,^[ak] and let us spend the night in it.” ¹² But his master said to him, “We will not turn aside to the city of foreigners,^[al] who are not from the Israelites;^[am] we will cross over up to Gibeah.” ¹³ And he said to his servant, “Come, let us approach one of these places; we will spend the night in Gibeah or in Ramah.” ¹⁴ So they crossed over and went their way, and the sun went down on them beside Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. ¹⁵ And they turned aside there to enter and to spend the night at Gibeah. And they went and sat in the open square of the city, but no one took them in to spend the night.^[an]

¹⁶ Then behold, an old man was coming from his work from the field in the evening, and the man was from the hill country of Ephraim, and he was dwelling as a foreigner^[ao] in Gibeah. (The people of the place were descendants^[ap] of Benjamin.) ¹⁷ And the old man raised his eyes and saw the traveler in the open square of the city, and he said, “Where are you going, and from where do you come?” ¹⁸ And he said to him, “We are crossing over from Bethlehem in Judah up to the remote areas of the hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but now I am going to Yahweh’s house,^[aq] but no one took me in to spend the night.^{[ar] 19} There is both straw and fodder for our donkeys, and also bread and wine for me, for your servant,^[as] and for the young man who is with your servant; there is no lack of anything.” ²⁰ And the old man said, “Peace to you. I will take care of your needs; however, you must not spend the night in the open square.” ²¹ So he brought him to his house, and he fed the donkeys; they washed their feet, ate, and drank.

²² While they were enjoying themselves,^[at] behold, the men of the city, the perverse lot,^[au] surrounded the house, pounding on the door. And they said to the old man, the owner of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so that we may have sex with him.”^{[av] 23} So the man, the owner of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not act wickedly; since this man has come into my house, do not do this disgraceful thing. ²⁴ Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please, let me bring them out; do violence to them,^[aw] and do to them whatever you please.^[ax] Do not do this disgraceful thing to this man.” ²⁵ But the men were not willing to listen to him, and the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them; and they had intercourse with her, and they abused her all night until the morning; they let her go at the approach of dawn. ²⁶ And the woman came as the morning appeared, and she fell at the entrance of the man’s house where her master was, until daylight.^[ay]

²⁷ In the morning her master got up, and he opened the doors of the house and went out to go on his journey, and behold, his concubine was falling^[az] at the entrance of the house, with her hand on the threshold. ²⁸ And he said to her, “Get up, let us go,” but there was no answer. So he put her on the donkey, and the man got up and went to his place. ²⁹ When he entered his house he took a knife, and he grasped his concubine and cut her into twelve pieces; and he sent her throughout the whole territory of Israel. ³⁰ All who saw it said, “Nothing like this has ever been since the Israelites^[ba] went up from the land of Egypt until this day. Take note of it, consider it, and speak up.”

The Punishment of Benjamin

20 All the Israelites^[bb] went out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and they gathered as one body^[bc] to Yahweh at Mizpah. ² And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand sword-bearing infantry. ³ (The descendants^[bd] of Benjamin heard that the Israelites^[be] had gone up to Mizpah.) And the Israelites^[bf] said, “Tell us, how did this evil act occur?” ⁴ The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. ⁵ The lords of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house at night. They intended to kill me, and they raped my concubine, and she died. ⁶ Then I grabbed my concubine and cut her into pieces, and I sent her throughout all the territory of Israel’s inheritance; for they committed a shameful and disgraceful thing in Israel. ⁷ Look, all you Israelites!^[bg] Make your decision^[bh] and advice here.”

⁸ All the people got up as one body,^[bi] saying, “Not one of us will go to his tent, or will any of us return to his house. ⁹ So then, this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against her by lot. ¹⁰ We will take ten men of one hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and one thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions to the troops, to repay them when they come to Gibeah^[bj] of Benjamin for all the disgraceful things^[bk] they did in Israel.” ¹¹ And all the men of Israel were gathered to the city as one body^[bl] united.

¹² Then the tribes of Israel sent men throughout all the tribes of Benjamin, saying, “What is this wickedness that happened among you? ¹³ So then, hand over the men, the perverse lot,^[bm] who are in Gibeah, so that we may kill them and purge this wickedness from Israel.” But the descendants^[bn] of Benjamin were not willing to listen to the voice of their relatives,^[bo] the Israelites.^{[bp] 14} And the descendants^[bq] of Benjamin were gathered from the cities to Gibeah to go out for battle against the Israelites.^{[br] 15} From the cities the descendants^[bs] of Benjamin were counted on that day twenty-six thousand sword-wielding men,^[bt] besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were counted seven hundred well-trained^[bu] men. ¹⁶ From all these troops were seven hundred well-trained^[bv] men who were left-handed;^[bw] each one could sling with a stone at a hair and not miss. ¹⁷ And the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted four hundred thousand sword-wielding men;^[bx] all were warriors.^[by]

¹⁸ Then the Israelites^[bz] got up and went up to Bethel, and they inquired of God, saying, “Who will go up first for the battle against the descendants^[ca] of Benjamin?” And Yahweh said, “Judah will go first.” ¹⁹ And the Israelites^[cb] got up in the morning, and they encamped against Gibeah. ²⁰ Then the men of Israel marched out for the battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel took up positions against them for battle at Gibeah. ²¹ The descendants^[cc] of Benjamin went out from Gibeah, and they struck down on that day twenty-two thousand men of Israel to the ground. ²² But the troops, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves,^[cd] and again they arranged their battle lines in the place where they had arranged themselves the first day. ²³ The Israelites^[ce] went up and wept before Yahweh until evening and inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Should we again draw near from the battle against the descendants^[cf] of Benjamin, our relatives?”^[cg] And Yahweh said, “Go up against them.”^[ch]

²⁴ And the Israelites^[ci] drew near to the descendants^[cj] of Benjamin on the second day. ²⁵ And Benjamin went out from Gibeah to meet them on the second day, and they struck down the Israelites^[ck] again, eighteen thousand men to the ground; all of these were sword-wielding.^{[cl] 26} And all the Israelites^[cm] and all the troops went up and came to Bethel and wept; and they sat there before Yahweh and fasted on that day until evening; and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before Yahweh. ²⁷ And the Israelites^[cn] inquired of Yahweh (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, ²⁸ and Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, was standing before it^[co] to minister in those days), saying, “Should we go out once more to battle against the descendants^[cp] of Benjamin our relatives,^[cq] or should we stop?” And Yahweh said, “Go up tomorrow; I will give them^[cr] into your hand.”

²⁹ So Israel stationed an ambush all around Gibeah. ³⁰ And the Israelites^[cs] went up against the descendants^[ct] of Benjamin on the third day, and they took up positions against Gibeah as before. ³¹ The descendants^[cu] of Benjamin went out to meet the troops, and they lured them away from the city and began to inflict casualties on the troops as before, on the main road, one of which goes up to Bethel, the other to Gibeah; and in the field there were about thirty men of Israel. ³² And the descendants^[cv] of Benjamin thought,^[cw] “They are being defeated before us as previously,”^[cx] and the Israelites^[cy] said, “Let us flee and lure them^[cz] away from the city to the main roads.” ³³ And all the men of Israel got up from their places^[da] and took up positions in Baal Tamar; and the ambush of Israel charged from their places,^[db] from the vicinity of Gibeah.^{[dc] 34} Then ten thousand well-trained^[dd] men from all Israel came out against Gibeah, and the battle became fierce;^[de] they did not know that disaster was about to close in^[df] on them. ³⁵ And Yahweh defeated Benjamin in the presence of Israel, and the Israelites^[dg] destroyed on that day twenty-five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all of them sword-wielding.^[dh]

³⁶ The descendants^[di] of Benjamin saw that they were defeated, and the men of Israel gave ground^[dj] to Benjamin because they trusted the ambush that they had set against Gibeah. ³⁷ And the ambush came quickly and advanced against Gibeah, and it put the whole city to the sword.^{[dk] 38} Now the appointed time for the men of Israel with the ambush was that they sent up for them a great amount of smoke from the city. ³⁹ And the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to inflict casualties on about thirty men of Israel because they thought,^[dl] “They will be completely defeated before us as in the first battle.” ⁴⁰ And the cloud of smoke began to go up from the city in a column of smoke, and Benjamin turned backward, and behold, the whole city was going up in smoke!^{[dm] 41} And the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed because they saw that disaster was closing in^[dn] on them. ⁴² And they retreated from before the men of Israel to the way of the wilderness, but the battle caught up to them, and those who came from the cities^[do] destroyed them in the midst of them. ⁴³ They surrounded Benjamin; they pursued them^[dp] without rest^[dq] and trod them^[dr] down opposite Gibeah to the east. ⁴⁴ And eighteen thousand men from Benjamin fell, all of them able men.^{[ds] 45} And they turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, but they cut down on the main roads five thousand men; and they pursued after them up to Gidom, and they struck down two thousand men. ⁴⁶ So all of Benjamin who fell on that day were twenty-five thousand sword-wielding men;^[dt] all of these were able men.^{[du] 47} But six hundred turned and fled toward the wilderness, to the rock of Rimmon, and they remained at the rock of Rimmon for four months. ⁴⁸ And the men of Israel returned to the descendants^[dv] of Benjamin, and they put them to the edge of the sword,^[dw] both the inhabitants of city and the animals that were found; they also set on fire all the cities that they found.

A Decision Is Made About the Tribe of Benjamin

21 The men of Israel had sworn at Mizpah, saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin as a wife.” ² And the people of Bethel came and sat there until evening before God, and they lifted their voices and wept bitterly.^{[dx] 3} And they said, “Why, Yahweh, God of Israel, has it happened today in Israel that one tribe is lacking from Israel?” ⁴ On the next day the people rose early, and they built there an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. ⁵ And the Israelites^[dy] said, “Who in the assembly has not come up from all the tribes of Israel to Yahweh?” For a solemn oath was taken concerning whoever did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah, saying, “He will certainly be put to death.” ⁶ But the Israelites^[dz] had compassion for Benjamin, their relatives,^[ea] and they said, “Today one tribe is cut off from Israel. ⁷ What will we do for them—for the ones being left over—for wives? For we have sworn by Yahweh not to give to them our daughters as wives.”

⁸ They asked, “Which one is there from the tribes of Israel who did not come up to Yahweh at Mizpah?” And behold, no one came from Jabesh-gilead to the camp, to the assembly. ⁹ The people were counted, and no one was there from the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead. ¹⁰ And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men from the troops, and they commanded them, saying, “Go, strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword,^[eb] and the women and children. ¹¹ This is the thing you will do: you will destroy^[ec] every man and every woman who had sex with a man.”^{[ed] 12} And they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead four hundred young virgins^[ee] who had not had sex with a man,^[ef] and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

¹³ Then the congregation sent and spoke all this to the descendants^[eg] of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon, and they assured them they would not be hurt.^{[eh] 14} And Benjamin returned at that time, and they gave to them the women whom they kept alive from Jabesh-gilead; but they were not enough for them.

¹⁵ And the people felt sorry for Benjamin because Yahweh weakened the tribes of Israel.^{[ei] 16} So the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do for the remaining ones for wives, since the women from Benjamin have been destroyed?” ¹⁷ And they said, “There must be a remnant for Benjamin, so that a tribe will not be blotted out from Israel. ¹⁸ But we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” (For the Israelites^[ej] swore, saying, “Cursed be anyone who gives a wife to Benjamin.”) ¹⁹ And they said, “Look, the annual feast of Yahweh is in Shiloh, which is to the north of Bethel, east^[ek] of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah. ²⁰ They instructed the descendants^[el] of Benjamin, saying, “Go, lie in ambush in the vineyards, ²¹ and watch and look; when the daughters of Shiloh dance in the dances, come out from the vineyards and seize for yourselves a wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. ²² And if their fathers or their brothers complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Allow us to have them, because we did not capture a wife for each man in the battle, and because you did not give them to them, or else^[em] you would have been guilty.’” ²³ The descendants^[en] of Benjamin did likewise, and they took wives for each of them from the dancers whom they seized, and they went and returned to their territory, and they rebuilt the cities and they lived in them. ²⁴ So the Israelites^[eo] dispersed from there at that time according to tribe and family; and they went out from there, each one to their own territory. ²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did what was right in his own eyes.

Elimelech Takes His Family to Live in Moab

1 And it happened in the days when the judges ruled,^[ep] there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem of Judah went to reside^[eq] in the countryside 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 was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephraimites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to the countryside of Moab and remained there.

³ But Elimelech the husband of Naomi died and she was left behind with her two sons.^{[er] 4} And they took^[es] for themselves Moabite wives. The name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. ⁵ But both^[et] Mahlon and Kilion died, and the woman was left without her two sons and without her husband.

Naomi Returns with Ruth

⁶ And she got up, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned from the countryside of Moab, because she had heard in the countryside of Moab that Yahweh had come to the aid of^[eu] his people to give food to them. ⁷ So she set out from the place where she was^[ev] and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

⁸ But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, each of you return to her mother’s house. May Yahweh show kindness to you^[ew] just as you did with the dead and with me. ⁹ May Yahweh grant that you^[ex] find a resting place, each in the house of her husband.” And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and cried.

¹⁰ And they said to her, “No, we want to return with you to your people.” ¹¹ And Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why do you still want to go with me?^[ey] Are there sons in my womb^[ez] that may be husbands for you? ¹² Turn back, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband.^[fa] If I should think there is hope for me, even if I should have a husband this night, and even if I should bear sons, ¹³ would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying?^[fb] No, my daughters, for it is far more bitter to me than to you. For the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me.” ¹⁴ And they lifted up their voices and cried again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. ¹⁵ And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Return after your sister-in-law too.”

¹⁶ But Ruth said, “Do not urge^[fc] me to leave you or to return from following you!^[fd] For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. So may Yahweh do to me, and even more, unless^[fe] death separates you and me!”^{[ff] 18} When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.^[fg]

¹⁹ So the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came^[fh] to Bethlehem, all of the town was stirred because of them. And they said, “Is this Naomi?” ²⁰ And she said to them, “You should not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for Shaddai^[fi] has caused me to be very bitter.^{[fj] 21} I went away full, but Yahweh brought me back empty-handed! Why call me Naomi when Yahweh has testified against me^[fk] and Shaddai^[fl] has brought calamity upon me?” ²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, returning from the countryside of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest of barley.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 Now^[fm] Naomi had a relative of her husband,^[fn] a prominent rich man^[fo] from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. ² And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after someone in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” ³ So she went and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. And she happened by chance upon the tract of field belonging to^[fp] Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. ⁴ And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” And they said to him, “May Yahweh bless you.” ⁵ And Boaz said to his servant in charge of the reapers,^[fq] “To whom does this young woman belong?” ⁶ And the servant in charge of the reapers^[fr] said, “She is a Moabite girl returning with Naomi from the countryside of Moab. ⁷ And she said, ‘Please let me glean and let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came and remained from the morning up to now. She is sitting for a little while in the house.”^[fs]

⁸ And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,^[ft] my daughter, go no longer to glean in another field. Moreover, do not leave from this one, but stay close^[fu] with my young women. ⁹ Keep your eyes on the field that they reap and go after them. Have I not ordered the servants not to bother you? And if you get thirsty, you shall go to the containers and drink from where the servants have drawn.” ¹⁰ And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me—for I am a foreigner?” ¹¹ And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband was fully told to me. How you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know before.^{[fv] 12} May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge.” ¹³ And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your servant,^[fw] and I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ And Boaz said to her at mealtime,^[fx] “Come here and eat from the bread and dip your morsel in the wine vinegar.” So she sat beside the gleaners, and he offered to her roasted grain. And she ate and was satisfied, and she had some left over. ¹⁵ And she got up to glean, and Boaz instructed his servants saying, “Let her also glean between the sheaves and do not reproach her. ¹⁶ And also pull out for her from your bundles and leave it so that she may glean—and do not rebuke her.”

¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until the evening and she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. ¹⁸ And she picked it up and went to the town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. And she took it out and gave to her what she had left over after being satisfied.^{[fy] 19} And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today^[fz] and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” And she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked^[ga] and said, “The name of the man who I worked with today is Boaz.” ²⁰ And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by Yahweh, whose loyal love has not forsaken the living or the dead.” And Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative for us, he is one of our redeemers.” ²¹ And Ruth the Moabite said, “Also, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close with the servants which are mine until they have finished all of the harvest which is mine.’” ²² And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidservants so that you will not be bothered^[gb] in another field.” ²³ So she stayed close with the maidservants of Boaz to glean until the end of the barley harvest and wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.