Ruth 1-2

Contemporary English Version

Ruth Is Loyal to Naomi

1 ^1-2 Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the clan of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed in Israel, they moved to the country of Moab.^[a] And while they were there, ³ Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.

⁴ Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, ⁵ Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.

^6-7 When Naomi heard that the Lord had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, ⁸ Naomi said to them, “Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you've always been kind to me. I pray that the Lord will be just as kind to you. ⁹ May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own.”

Naomi kissed them. They cried ¹⁰ and said, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”

¹¹ But she replied, “My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry?^{[b] 12} You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, ¹³ would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the Lord has turned against me.”^[c]

¹⁴ They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her. ¹⁵ Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?”

¹⁶ Ruth answered,

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.

¹⁹ They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, “Can this really be Naomi?”

²⁰ Then she told them, “Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara,^[e] because God has made my life bitter. ²¹ I had everything when I left, but the Lord has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?”

²² The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.

Ruth Meets Boaz

2 ^1-3 (A) One day, Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me see if I can find someone who will let me pick up the grain left in the fields by the harvest workers.”^[f]

Naomi answered, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So immediately Ruth went out to pick up grain in a field. She didn't know it was owned by Boaz, a relative of Naomi's husband Elimelech, as well as a rich and important man.

⁴ When Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and went out to his field, he said to the harvest workers, “The Lord bless you!”

They replied, “And may the Lord bless you!”

⁵ Then Boaz asked the man in charge of the harvest workers, “Who is that young woman?”

⁶ The man answered, “She is the one who came back from Moab with Naomi. ⁷ She asked if she could pick up grain left by the harvest workers, and she has been working all morning without a moment's rest.”^[g]

⁸ Boaz went over to Ruth and said, “I think it would be best for you not to pick up grain in anyone else's field. Stay here with the women ⁹ and follow along behind them, as they gather up what the men have cut. I have warned the men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from their water jars.”

¹⁰ Ruth bowed down to the ground and said, “You know I come from another country. Why are you so good to me?”

¹¹ Boaz answered, “I've heard how you've helped your mother-in-law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don't know. ¹² I pray that the Lord God of Israel will reward you for what you have done. And now that you have come to him for protection, I pray that he will bless you.”

¹³ Ruth replied, “Sir, it's good of you to speak kindly to me and make me feel so welcome. I'm not even one of your servants.”

¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come, eat with us. Have some bread and dip it in the sauce.” At once she sat down with the workers, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain. Ruth ate all she wanted and had some left over.

¹⁵ When Ruth left to start picking up grain, Boaz told his men, “Don't stop her, even if she picks up grain from where it is stacked. ¹⁶ Be sure to pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them on the ground for her. And don't speak harshly to her!”

¹⁷ Ruth worked in the field until evening. Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain. ¹⁸ She took the grain to town and showed Naomi how much she had picked up. Ruth also gave her the food left over from her lunch.

¹⁹ Naomi said, “Where did you work today? Whose field was it? God bless the man who treated you so well!” Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of a man named Boaz.

^20 (B) “The Lord bless Boaz!” Naomi replied. “He^[h] has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us.”

²¹ Ruth told her, “Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished harvesting all his grain.”

²² Naomi replied, “My daughter, it's good that you can pick up grain alongside the women who work in his field. Who knows what might happen to you in someone else's field!” ²³ And so, Ruth stayed close to the women, while picking up grain in his field.

Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested. And all this time she lived with Naomi.