1 T here was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His 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 S o Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she 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 T hen she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to 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 N ow 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 in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

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

6 S o the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman 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, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though 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, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.

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 L et your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from 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 S o she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since 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 answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know 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 repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for 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 kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like 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 N ow Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

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 rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “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 lso let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may 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, and beat out what she had gleaned, and 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 T hen she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been 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? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name 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 T hen Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.”

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 R uth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

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 her daughter-in-law, “ It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”

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 stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt 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.