
YOUR GOD WILL BE MY 
GOD{/}

{1}1{/}

{I}1_{/}There was a 
famine in the  land 
during the time of the 
Judges, and a man from 
Bethlehem in Judah 
departed with his wife 
and two sons to sojourn 
in the country of Moab. 
{I}2_{/}The man was 
Elimelech, his wife 
Naomi, and his two sons 
Mahlon and Chilion. They 
were Ephrathites from 
Bethlehem, Judah. A 
little later, after they 
had settled in Moab, 
{I}3_{/}Naomi's husband 
Elimelech died. She was 
left with her two sons, 
{I}4_{/}who married 
Moabite women, one named 
Orpah and the other Ruth.
After living in Moab for 
about ten years, 
{I}5_{/}Mahlon and 
Chilion also died and 
Naomi was left bereft of 
husband and two sons. 
{I}6_{/}Having heard that 
Yahweh had come to help 
his people by giving them 
food, Naomi prepared to 
return home. {I}7_{/}With 
her two daughters-in-law, 
she took the road back to 
Judah.
{I}8_{/}It was then that 
Naomi said to her 
daughters-in-law, "Go 
back, each of you, to 
your mother's house. And 
may Yahweh be kind to 
you, as you have been to 
your dead and to me. 
{I}9_{/}May he also grant 
each of you rest in the 
home of another husband." 
She kissed them goodbye. 
But they wept aloud 
{I}10_{/}and said to her, 
"No, we will go back with 
you to your people."
{I}11_{/}Naomi said, 
"Return home, my 
daughters. Why should you 
come with me, when I have 
no more sons to become 
your husbands? 
{I}12_{/}Return home, my 
daughters. I am now too 
old to marry again. Even 
if I hope to have a 
husband tonight and give 
birth to sons, 
{I}13_{/}would you remain 
unmarried waiting for 
them to grow up? No, my 
daughters. I won't share 
my lot with you for it is 
too bitter. Yahweh's hand 
has been raised against 
me!"
{I}14_{/}Again they 
sobbed and wept. Then 
Orpah kissed her mother-
in-law goodbye, but Ruth 
clung to her. 
{I}15_{/}Naomi said, 
"Look, your sister-in-law 
returns to her people and 
her gods. You too must 
return. Go after her."
{I}16_{/}Ruth replied, 
"Don't ask me to leave 
you. For I will go where 
you go and stay where you 
stay. Your people will be 
my people and your god, 
my God. {I}17_{/}Where 
you die, there will I die 
and be buried. May Yahweh 
deal with me severely if 
anything except death 
separates us." 
{I}18_{/}Realizing that 
Ruth was determined to go 
with her, Naomi stopped 
urging her.
{I}19_{/}So the two went 
on till they reached 
Bethlehem. Their arrival 
set the town astir. Women 
asked, "Can this be 
Naomi?" {I}20_{/}She said 
to them, "Don't call me 
Naomi. Call me Mara for 
Yahweh has made life 
bitter for me. {I}21_{/}I 
came away full but go 
back empty. Why call me 
Naomi, when Yahweh has 
afflicted me?"
{I}22_{/}Thus it was that 
Naomi returned from Moab 
with her Moabite 
daughter-in-law and 
arrived in Bethlehem as 
the barley harvest began.
RUTH GLEANS IN THE FIELD 
OF BOAZ{/}

{1}2{/}

{I}1_{/}Naomi had a well-
to-do kinsman, Boaz, from 
the clan of her husband 
Elimelech. {I}2_{/}And 
Ruth the Moabite said to 
Naomi, "Let me go to pick 
up the left-over grain in 
the field whose owner 
will allow me that 
favor." Naomi said, "Go 
ahead, my daughter." 
{I}3_{/}So she went to 
glean in the fields 
behind the harvesters. It 
happened that the field 
she entered belonged to 
Boaz of the clan of 
Elimelech.
{I}4_{/}When Boaz came 
from Bethlehem, he 
greeted the harvesters, 
"Yahweh be with you." 
They returned the 
greeting, "Yahweh bless 
you."
{I}5_{/}Noticing Ruth, 
Boaz asked the foreman of 
his harvesters, "To whom 
does that young woman 
belong?"
{I}6_{/}The foreman 
replied, "She is the 
Moabite who came back 
with Naomi from the 
country of Moab. 
{I}7_{/}She came this 
morning and asked leave 
to glean behind the 
harvesters. Since then 
she has been working 
without a moment's rest."
{I}8_{/}Boaz said to 
Ruth, "Listen, my 
daughter. Don't go away 
from here to glean in 
anyone else's field. Stay 
here with my women 
servants. {I}9_{/}See 
where the harvesters are 
and follow behind. I have 
ordered the men not to 
molest you. They have 
filled some jars with 
water. Go there and drink 
when you are thirsty." 
{I}10_{/}Bowing down with 
her face to the ground, 
she exclaimed, "Why have 
I, a foreigner, found 
such favor in your eyes?"
{I}11_{/}Boaz answered, 
"I have been told all 
about you - what you have 
done for your mother-in-
law since your husband's 
death, how you have gone 
with her, leaving your 
own father and mother and 
homeland, to live with a 
people you knew nothing 
about before you came 
here. {I}12_{/}May Yahweh 
reward you for this! May 
you receive full 
recompense from Yahweh, 
the God of Israel, under 
whose wings you have come 
for refuge!"
{I}13_{/}Ruth said, "May 
I prove worthy of your 
favor, my lord. You have 
consoled your servant 
with your kind words, 
though I am not the equal 
of your maidservants."
{I}14_{/}Boaz called her 
at mealtime, "come over, 
have some bread and dip 
it in the wine." As she 
sat among the reapers, he 
handed her some roasted 
grain. She ate her fill 
and had some left over.
{I}15_{/}When she rose to 
glean, Boaz instructed 
his men, "Let her glean 
even among the sheaves 
and do not scold her. 
{I}16_{/}And pull some 
stalks from the bundles; 
leave them scattered for 
her to glean." 
{I}17_{/}She worked until 
evening and when she 
threshed what she had 
gleaned it amounted to 
about an ephah. 
{I}18_{/}Ruth carried 
back to town the threshed 
barley, which she showed 
to her mother-in-law. She 
also gave her what she 
had left over from lunch.
{I}19_{/}Naomi asked her 
daughter-in-law, "Where 
did you glean today? 
Where did you work? May 
the man who took notice 
of you be blessed." Ruth 
told her mother-in-law 
about the owner of the 
field where she had 
worked. "His name is 
Boaz," she said. 
{I}20_{/}Naomi exclaimed, 
"May Yahweh bless him! 
God indeed is merciful 
both to the living and 
the dead. This man is a 
close relative, one with 
a right of redemption 
over us."
{I}21_{/}Ruth continued, 
"He even told me to stay 
with his servants until 
they finish harvesting 
the grain." 
{I}22_{/}Naomi said, "It 
will be better for you, 
my daughter, to go out 
with his maidservants 
than to go working in 
some other field where 
harm might come to you."
{I}23_{/}Ruth, therefore, 
stayed close to the 
maidservants of Boaz, 
gleaning until the end of 
the wheat and barley 
harvests. And she 
continued living with her 
mother-in-law.
SHE WENT AND LAY DOWN AT 
HIS FEET{/}

{1}3{/}

{I}1_{/}Later Naomi 
talked to Ruth: "My 
daughter, is it not my 
duty to see you settled 
in a home where you will 
be well provided for? 
{I}2_{/}And is not Boaz, 
who has treated you 
kindly with his 
maidservants, a close 
relative of ours? Tonight 
at the threshing floor, 
he will be winnowing 
barley. {I}3_{/}So bathe 
and perfume yourself, 
then put on your best 
clothes and go down to 
the threshing floor. But 
don't make yourself known 
to{I}_{/}him till he has 
finished eating and 
drinking. {I}4_{/}Take 
note of the place where 
he lies down to sleep. 
Then go, uncover his feet 
and lie down there. He 
will tell you what to 
do."
{I}5_{/}Ruth answered, "I 
will do as you say." 
{I}6_{/}She went down to 
the threshing floor and 
did as her mother-in-law 
told her.
{I}7_{/}Feeling happy 
after eating and 
drinking, Boaz went to 
lie down at the end of 
the pile of grain. Ruth 
then approached quietly, 
turned back the covering 
of his feet and lay 
there. {I}8_{/}At 
midnight the man awoke 
when he turned over and 
felt someone lying at his 
feet. He got up and was 
startled to find a woman 
there. {I}9_{/}"Who are 
you?" he asked.
The answer came, "I am 
Ruth, your servant. 
Spread the corner of your 
cloak over me for you are 
a kinsman who has right 
of redemption over me." 
{I}10_{/}Boaz said, "May 
Yahweh bless you, my 
daughter! This kindness 
of yours now is even 
greater than that which 
you have shown earlier, 
for you have not gone 
after young men, rich or 
poor. {I}11_{/}Have no 
fear, my daughter; I will 
do for you all that you 
ask, since all my 
townsmen know that you 
are a worthy woman. 
{I}12_{/}It is true that 
I am a close relative, 
but there is another 
still closer. 
{I}13_{/}Stay here for 
the night. In the 
morning, if he wants to 
claim you - good! But if 
not - as surely as Yahweh 
lives - I will claim you 
myself. Lie here till 
morning."
{I}14_{/}She lay at his 
feet till morning and got 
up before anyone could be 
recognized. For Boaz 
said, "It must not be 
known that a woman came 
to the threshing floor." 
{I}15_{/}Then turning to 
Ruth, Boaz said, "Hold 
out the mantle you are 
wearing." She did so and 
he poured into it six 
measures of barley. He 
helped her lift the 
bundle, then went back to 
town.
{I}16_{/}Ruth returned 
home to her mother-in-
law, who asked, "How did 
you fare, my daughter?" 
She told her everything 
{I}17_{/}and added, "He 
gave me these six 
measures of barley 
because, as he said, he 
did not want me to go 
back to my mother-in-law 
empty-handed."
{I}18_{/}Naomi said, 
"Wait, my daughter, till 
you learn what happens, 
for he will not rest 
until it is settled 
today."
THE LEVIRATE LAW{/}

{1}4{/}

{I}1_{/}Meanwhile Boaz 
went to the  town gate 
and sat there waiting for 
the closer relative about 
whom he had spoken to 
Ruth. When he saw him 
coming, he called him by 
name and said, "Come here 
and sit down." And so he 
did.
{I}2_{/}Boaz picked out 
ten from the city elders 
and asked them to sit 
with them, which they 
did. {I}3_{/}Then he said 
to the other man who also 
had right of redemption, 
"Naomi, who has come back 
from Moab, is selling the 
piece of land that 
belonged to our brother 
Elimelech. {I}4_{/}I 
thought of bringing this 
matter to you before our 
elders here, because as 
the closer kin you have 
more right to lay claim 
to it. But if you have no 
wish to redeem it, let me 
know because I am next to 
you in line."
The man replied, "I am 
willing to put in my 
claim. I will redeem it." 
{I}5_{/}Boaz continued, 
"If you buy the land from 
Naomi, you will also have 
to take the Moabite Ruth, 
widow of the late heir, 
and her sons will inherit 
the name and the land of 
the dead."
{I}6_{/}The man said, 
"Then I cannot redeem it, 
because I might endanger 
my own estate. Redeem it 
yourself."
{I}7_{/}It used to be the 
custom in Israel that for 
a contract of redemption 
or exchange to become 
binding, one party had to 
take off his sandal and 
give it to the other. 
This act legalized 
transactions.
{I}8_{/}So the man took 
off his sandal and said 
to Boaz, "Buy it 
yourself."
{I}9_{/}Boaz turned to 
the elders and all those 
present. "This day you 
are witnesses that I buy 
from Naomi all the 
holdings of Elimelech, 
Chilion and Mahlon. 
{I}10_{/}I also take 
Mahlon's widow, Ruth the 
Moabite, as my wife to 
raise up a family for her 
late husband, so that the 
name of the dead will be 
restored to his 
inheritance and be 
present among his 
brothers when they gather 
at the gate of his town. 
Do you witness this 
today?"
{I}11_{/}The elders and 
all those at the gate 
answered, "We witness. 
May Yahweh make the woman 
coming into your house 
like Rachel and Leah, who 
together built up the 
house of Israel. May you 
prosper in Ephrathah and 
be of good standing in 
Bethlehem. {I}12_{/}And 
through the offspring 
Yahweh will give you by 
this woman, may your 
house become like that of 
Perez whom Tamar bore to 
Judah."
OBED WAS THE FATHER OF 
JESSE, WHO WAS DAVID'S 
FATHER{/}

{I}13_{/}So Ruth was 
taken by Boaz and became 
his wife. Yahweh made her 
conceive and give birth 
to a son. {I}14_{/}The 
women said to Naomi, 
"Blessed be Yahweh who 
has provided you today 
with an heir. May he 
become famous in Israel! 
{I}15_{/}He will be your 
comfort and stay in your 
old age, for he is born 
of a daughter-in-law who 
loves you and is worth 
more than seven sons."
{I}16_{/}Naomi took the 
child as her own and 
became his nurse. 
{I}17_{/}And the women of 
the neighborhood gave him 
his name, saying, "A son 
has been born for Naomi." 
They named him Obed. 
He{I}_{/}was the father 
of Jesse, who was David's 
father.
{I}18_{/}This, then, is 
Perez's family line:
Perez was the father of 
Hezron, {I}19_{/}Hezron 
of Ram, Ram of Amminadab,
{I}20_{/}Amminadab of 
Nahshon, Nahshon of 
Salmon,
{I}21_{/}Salmon of Boaz, 
Boaz of Obed,
{I}22_{/}Obed of Jesse, 
and Jesse the father of 
David.

