1 N ow Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

There was an in-law of the family of Naomi’s husband there whose name was Boaz. He was a very rich man of the family of Elimelech.

2 A nd Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. Naomi said to her, Go, my daughter.

Ruth, the Moabite woman, said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field to gather grain behind someone who might show favor to me.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

3 A nd went and gleaned in a field after the reapers; and she happened to stop at the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

So Ruth went and gathered in the field behind those who picked the grain. And she happened to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4 A nd behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you! And they answered him, The Lord bless you!

Now Boaz was seen coming from Bethlehem. He said to the people gathering the grain, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bring good to you.”

5 T hen Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this?

Then Boaz said to his servant who was watching over those who gathered grain, “Whose young woman is this?”

6 A nd the servant set over the reapers answered, She is the Moabitish girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

The servant who watched over those who gathered grain said, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.

7 A nd she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from early morning until now, except when she rested a little in the house.

She said, ‘Let me gather food behind the others who gather among the grain.’ So she came and has stayed from morning until now. She has rested in the house a short time.”

8 T hen Boaz said to Ruth, Listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but stay here close by my maidens.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Be careful to listen, my daughter. Do not go to gather grain in another field. Do not leave this one. But stay here with my women who gather grain.

9 W atch which field they reap, and follow them. Have I not charged the young men not to molest you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.

Keep your eyes upon the field where they gather grain. Go behind them. I have told the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars. Drink the water the servants have put there.”

10 T hen she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes that you should notice me, when I am a foreigner?

Then she fell with her face to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes? Why do you care about me? I am a stranger from another land.”

11 A nd Boaz said to her, I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people unknown to you before.

Boaz said to her, “I have heard about all you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth to come to a people you did not know before.

12 T he Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge!

May the Lord reward you for your work. May full pay be given to you from the Lord, the God of Israel. It is under His wings that you have come to be safe.”

13 T hen she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord. For you have comforted me and have spoken to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants.

Then Ruth said, “Sir, I have found favor in your eyes. For you have brought comfort and have been kind in speaking to your woman servant. And I am not like any of your other women servants.”

14 A nd at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine. And she sat beside the reapers; and he passed her some parched grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left.

When it was time to eat, Boaz said to Ruth, “Come here. Eat of the bread and put sour wine on it.” So she sat beside the people who gathered the grain. And Boaz brought her grain made ready over a fire. She ate and was filled and had some left.

15 A nd when she got up to glean, Boaz ordered his young men, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told his servants, “Let her gather even among the standing grain. Do not speak against her.

16 A nd let fall some handfuls for her on purpose and let them lie there for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.

Pull some grain out of the grain that has been gathered together and leave it for her to gather. And do not speak sharp words to her.”

17 S o she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned. It was about an ephah of barley.

So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gathered. It was enough barley to fill a basket.

18 A nd she took it up and went into the town; she showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned, and she also brought forth and gave her the food she had reserved after she was satisfied.

She picked it up and went into the city to show her mother-in-law what she had gathered. Ruth gave Naomi what she had left after she was filled.

19 A nd her mother-in-law said to her, Where have you gleaned today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who noticed you. So told, The name of him with whom I worked today is Boaz.

Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May good come to the man who showed you favor.” So Ruth told her mother-in-law, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”

20 A nd Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not ceased his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is a near relative of ours, one who has the right to redeem us.

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he receive good from the Lord, Who has not kept His kindness from the living and the dead.” Then Naomi said to her, “The man is near to us. He is of our family.”

21 A nd Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Stay close to my young men until they have harvested my entire crop.

Ruth, the Moabite woman, said, “He told me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished gathering all my grain.’”

22 A nd Naomi said to Ruth, It is good, my daughter, for you to go out with his maidens, lest in any other field you be molested.

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good that you go out with his women servants, my daughter. Then no danger will come upon you in another field.”

23 S o she kept close to the maidens of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

So she stayed close to those who worked for Boaz until the end of the time of gathering grain. And she lived with her mother-in-law.