Boaz Meets Ruth

2 Naomi had a close relative of her late^[a] husband, a man of considerable wealth from the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.

² Ruth the Moabite told Naomi, “Please allow me to go out to the fields and glean grain behind anyone who shows me kindness.”

So Naomi replied, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

³ So she went out, proceeded to the field, and gleaned behind the harvesters. And it happened that she came to the portion of land belonging to Boaz, of the family of Elimelech.

⁴ Now when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he told the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”

“May the Lord bless you!” they replied.

⁵ At this point, Boaz asked the foreman of^[b] his harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”

⁶ The foreman of^[c] the harvesters answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ She asked us, ‘Please allow me to glean what’s left of the grain behind the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued working^[d] from dawn until now, except for a short time in a shelter.”

Boaz Shows Kindness to Ruth

⁸ Boaz then addressed Ruth: “Listen, my daughter!^[e] Don’t glean in any other field. Don’t even leave this one, and be sure to stay close to my women servants. ⁹ Keep your eyes on the field where they are harvesting, and follow them. I’ve ordered my young men not to bother^[f] you, haven’t I? And when you are thirsty, drink from the water vessels that the young men have filled.”

¹⁰ At this she fell prostrate, bowing low to the ground, and asked him, “Why is it that you’re showing me kindness by noticing me, since I’m a foreigner?”

¹¹ Boaz answered her, “It has been clearly disclosed to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left your father, your mother, and your own land behind, and came to a people you did not previously know. ¹² May the Lord repay you for your work, and may a full reward be given you from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings^[g] you have come for refuge.”

¹³ She responded, “May I continue to find favor in your sight, sir, since you’ve been comforting me and you have spoken graciously to^[h] your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ At lunchtime, Boaz invited her, “Come on over, have some food, and dip your bread in our oil and^[i] vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he handed her some roasted grain, which she ate until she was satisfied. She kept what was left over.

Boaz the Benefactor

¹⁵ After she had left to glean, Boaz commanded his servants,^[j] “Allow her to glean also among the cut sheaves, and don’t taunt her. ¹⁶ One other thing^[k]—drop some handfuls^[l] deliberately, leaving them for her so she can gather it. And don’t bother her.” ¹⁷ So Ruth^[m] gathered grain out in the field until dusk, and then threshed what she had gathered—about a week’s supply^[n] of barley. ¹⁸ She picked up her grain^[o] and went back to town.

Her mother-in-law noticed how much Ruth^[p] had gleaned and had brought back from what was left over from her lunch. ¹⁹ So her mother-in-law quizzed her, “Where did you glean today? Where, precisely, did you work? May the one who took notice of you be blessed.”

So Ruth told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

²⁰ Naomi replied, “May the one who hasn’t abandoned his gracious love to the living or to the dead be blessed by the Lord.” Naomi added, “This man is closely related to us, our related redeemer,^[q] as a matter of fact!”

²¹ Then Ruth the Moabite woman added, “He also told me ‘Stay close to my young men until they have completed my entire harvest.’”

²² Naomi responded to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is prudent, my daughter, for you to go out with his women servants, so someone won’t attack you in another field.” ²³ So Ruth^[r] continued to stay close to the young women who worked for Boaz, gathering grain until both the barley and wheat harvests were complete, all the while living with her mother-in-law.