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Ruth 2-4
1599 Geneva Bible
Ruth 2-4
1599 Geneva Bible
2 2 Ruth gathered corn in the fields of Boaz. 8 The gentleness of Boaz toward her.
1 Then Naomi’s husband had a kinsman, one of great [a]power of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, I pray thee, let me go to the field, and [b]gather ears of corn after him, in whose sight I find favor. And she said unto her, Go my daughter.
3 ¶ And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and it came to pass, that she met with the portion of the field of Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you: and they answered him, The Lord bless thee.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was appointed over the reapers, Whose maid is this?
6 And the servant that was appointed over the reapers, answered, and said, It is the Moabitish maid, that came with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7 And she said unto us, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers [c]among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued from that time in the morning unto now, save that she tarried a little in the house.
8 ¶ Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou, my daughter? go to none other field to gather, neither go from hence: but abide here by my maidens.
9 [d]Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after the maidens. Have I not charged the servants, that they touch thee not? Moreover when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the servants hath drawn.
10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, How have I found favor in thine eyes, that thou shouldest know me, seeing I am a [e]stranger?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, All is told and showed me 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 where thou wast born, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not in time past.
12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose [f]wings thou art come to trust.
13 Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord: for thou hast comforted me, and spoken comfortably unto thy maid, though I be not like to one of thy maids.
14 And Boaz said unto her, At the meal time 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 [g]left thereof.
15 ¶ And when she arose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, Let her gather among the sheaves, and do not rebuke her.
16 Also let fall some of the sheaves for her, and let it lie, that she may gather it up, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and she threshed that she had gathered, and it was about an (A)Ephah of barley.
18 ¶ And she took it up, and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gathered: Also she [h]took forth, and gave to her that which she had reserved, when she was sufficed.
19 Then her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned today? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he, that knew thee. And she showed her mother-in-law, with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought today, is Boaz.
20 And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord: for he ceaseth not to do good to the living and to the [i]dead. Again Naomi said unto her, The man is near unto us, and of our affinity.
21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said also certainly unto me, Thou shalt be with my servants, until they have ended all mine harvest.
22 And Naomi answered unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is best, my daughter, that thou go out with his maids, that they [j]meet thee not in another field.
23 Then she kept her by the maids of Boaz, to gather unto the end of barley harvest, and of wheat harvest, and [k]dwelt with her mother-in-law.
3 1 Naomi giveth Ruth counsel. 8 She sleepeth at Boaz’s feet. 12 He acknowledgeth himself to be her kinsman.
1 Afterward Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, My daughter, shall not I seek [l]rest for thee, that thou mayest prosper?
2 Now also is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the [m]floor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: let not the [n]man know of thee, until he have left eating and drinking.
4 And when he shall sleep, mark the place where he layeth him down, and go, and uncover the place of his feet, and lay thee down, and he shall tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 And she answered her, All that thou biddest me, I will do.
6 ¶ So 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 drunken, and [o]cheered his heart, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn, and she came softly, and uncovered the place of his feet, and lay down.
8 And at midnight the man was afraid [p]and caught hold: and lo, a woman lay at his feet.
9 Then he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore the wing of thy garment over thine handmaid: for thou art the kinsman.
10 Then he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: thou hast [q]showed more goodness in the latter end, than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, were they 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 art a virtuous woman.
12 And now, it is true that I am thy kinsman, howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry tonight, and when morning is come, if he [r]will do the duty of a kinsman unto thee, well, let him do the kinsman’s duty: but if he will not do the kinsman’s part, then will I do the duty of a kinsman, as the Lord liveth: sleep until the morning.
14 ¶ And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she arose before one could know another: for he said, Let no man know, that a woman came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the [s]sheet that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid them on her, and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, [t]Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her,
17 And said, These six measures of barley gave he me: for he said to me, Thou shalt not come empty unto thy mother-in-law.
18 Then said she, My daughter, sit still, until thou know how the thing will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he hath finished the matter this same day.
4 1 Boaz speaketh to Ruth’s next kinsman touching her marriage. 7 The ancient custom in Israel. 10 Boaz marrieth Ruth, of whom he begetteth Obed. 18 The generation of Perez.
1 Then went Boaz up to the [u]gate, and sat there, and behold, the kinsman, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by: and he said, [v]Ho, such one, come, sit down here. And he turned, and sat down.
2 Then 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, will sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.
4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the [w]assistants, and before the Elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, tell me: for I know that there is none [x]besides thee to redeem it, and I am after thee. Then he answered, I will redeem it.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the dead, to stir up the name of the dead, upon his [y]inheritance.
6 And the kinsman answered, I cannot redeem it, lest I destroy mine own inheritance: redeem my right to thee, for I can not redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner beforetime in Israel, concerning redeeming and changing for to stablish all things: a man did pluck off his shoe, and gave it his neighbor: and this was a sure [z]witness in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for thee: and he drew off his shoe.
9 And Boaz said unto the Elders and unto all the people, Ye 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.
10 And moreover, Ruth the Moabitess the wife of Mahlon, have I bought to be my wife, to stir up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, and that the name of the dead be not put out from among his brethren, and from the gate of his [aa]place: ye are witnesses this day.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the Elders said, We are witnesses: the Lord make the wife that cometh into thine house, like Rachel and like Leah, which twain did build the house of Israel: and that thou mayest do worthily in [ab]Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.
12 And that thine house be like the house of Perez ((B)whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
13 ¶ So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave that she conceived, and bare a son.
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and [ac]his name shall be continued in Israel.
15 And this shall bring thy life again, and cherish thine old age: for thy daughter-in-law which loveth thee, hath borne unto him, and she is better to thee than [ad]seven sons.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her lap, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a child born to Naomi, and called the name thereof Obed: the same was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 ¶ These now are the generations of (C)[ae]Perez: Perez begat Hezron,
19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Footnotes
- Ruth 2:1 Both for virtue, authority, and riches.
- Ruth 2:2 This her humility declareth her great affection toward her mother-in-law, forasmuch as she spareth no painful diligence to get both their livings.
- Ruth 2:7 Or, certain handfuls.
- Ruth 2:9 That is, take heed in what field they do reap.
- Ruth 2:10 Even of the Moabites, which are enemies to God’s people.
- Ruth 2:12 Signifying, that she shall never want anything, if she put her trust in God, and live under his protection.
- Ruth 2:14 Which she brought home to her mother-in-law.
- Ruth 2:18 To wit, of her bag, as is in the Chaldea text.
- Ruth 2:20 To my husband and children, when they were alive, and now to us.
- Ruth 2:22 Or, fall upon thee.
- Ruth 2:23 Or, returned to her mother-in-law.
- Ruth 3:1 Meaning, that she would provide her of an husband, with whom she might live quietly.
- Ruth 3:2 Or, in the barn.
- Ruth 3:3 Boaz, nor yet any other.
- Ruth 3:7 That is, had refreshed himself among his servants.
- Ruth 3:8 Or, turned himself from one side to another.
- Ruth 3:10 Thou showest thyself from time to time more virtuous.
- Ruth 3:13 If he will take thee to be his wife by the title of affinity, according to God’s law, Deut. 25:5.
- Ruth 3:15 Or, mantle.
- Ruth 3:16 Perceiving by her coming home, that he had not taken her to his wife, she was astonied.
- Ruth 4:1 Which was the place of judgment.
- Ruth 4:1 The Hebrews here use two words which have no proper signification, but serve to note a certain person, as we say, Ho sirrah, or ho such a one.
- Ruth 4:4 Or, inhabitants.
- Ruth 4:4 For thou art the next of the kin.
- Ruth 4:5 That his inheritance might bear his name that is dead.
- Ruth 4:7 That he had resigned his right, Deut. 25:9.
- Ruth 4:10 Or, of the city where he remained.
- Ruth 4:11 Ephrathah and Bethlehem are both one.
- Ruth 4:14 He shall leave continual posterity.
- Ruth 4:15 Meaning, many sons.
- Ruth 4:18 This genealogy is brought in, to prove that David by succession came of the house of Judah.
Ruth 2-4
New International Version
Ruth 2-4
New International Version
Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field
2 Now Naomi had a relative(A) on her husband’s side, a man of standing(B) from the clan of Elimelek,(C) whose name was Boaz.(D)
2 And Ruth the Moabite(E) said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain(F) behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.(G)”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.(H) As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.(I)
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!(J)”
“The Lord bless you!(K)” they answered.
5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite(L) who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves(M) behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest(N) in the shelter.”
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.(O) She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me(P)—a foreigner?(Q)”
11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law(R) since the death of your husband(S)—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know(T) before.(U) 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord,(V) the God of Israel,(W) under whose wings(X) you have come to take refuge.(Y)”
13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes,(Z) my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread(AA) and dip it in the wine vinegar.”
When she sat down with the harvesters,(AB) he offered her some roasted grain.(AC) She ate all she wanted and had some left over.(AD) 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves(AE) and don’t reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke(AF) her.”
17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed(AG) the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.[a](AH) 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over(AI) after she had eaten enough.
19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!(AJ)”
Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.
20 “The Lord bless him!(AK)” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law.(AL) “He has not stopped showing his kindness(AM) to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative;(AN) he is one of our guardian-redeemers.[b](AO)”
21 Then Ruth the Moabite(AP) said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’”
22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”
23 So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley(AQ) and wheat harvests(AR) were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi(AS) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[c](AT) for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative(AU) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.(AV) 3 Wash,(AW) put on perfume,(AX) and get dressed in your best clothes.(AY) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.(AZ) 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do whatever you say,”(BA) Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor(BB) and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,(BC) he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.(BD) Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment(BE) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer[d](BF) of our family.”
10 “The Lord bless you,(BG) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:(BH) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.(BI) 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,(BJ) there is another who is more closely related than(BK) I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,(BL) good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives(BM) I will do it.(BN) Lie here until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.(BO)”(BP)
15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl(BQ) you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he[e] went back to town.
16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”(BR)
Boaz Marries Ruth
4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate(BS) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[f](BT) he had mentioned(BU) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders(BV) of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.(BW) 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.(BX) 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[g] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,(BY) and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,(BZ) the[h] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”(CA)
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem(CB) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”(CC)
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption(CD) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal(CE) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions(CF) in Israel.)(CG)
8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.(CH)
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses(CI) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,(CJ) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,(CK) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.(CL) Today you are witnesses!(CM)”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate(CN) said, “We are witnesses.(CO) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,(CP) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah(CQ) and be famous in Bethlehem.(CR) 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,(CS) whom Tamar(CT) bore to Judah.”
Naomi Gains a Son
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,(CU) and she gave birth to a son.(CV) 14 The women(CW) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,(CX) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.(CY) May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,(CZ) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,(DA) has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,(DB) the father of David.(DC)
The Genealogy of David(DD)
18 This, then, is the family line of Perez(DE):
Footnotes
- Ruth 2:17 That is, probably about 30 pounds or about 13 kilograms
- Ruth 2:20 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55).
- Ruth 3:1 Hebrew find rest (see 1:9)
- Ruth 3:9 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 12 and 13.
- Ruth 3:15 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac she
- Ruth 4:1 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 3, 6, 8 and 14.
- Ruth 4:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts he
- Ruth 4:5 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the
- Ruth 4:20 A few Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 21 and Septuagint of 1 Chron. 2:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Salma
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