路得遇見波阿斯

拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒有個親戚,名叫波阿斯,是個有名望的財主。 摩押女子路得對拿俄米說:「讓我到田裡去,跟在那些願意恩待我的人後面,撿些麥穗回來。」拿俄米說:「去吧,我的女兒!」 於是,路得便去了。她恰巧來到以利米勒的親戚波阿斯的田裡,跟在收割的人後面撿麥穗。 當時,波阿斯剛好從伯利恆來到田間,向那些收割的工人問安說:「願耶和華與你們同在。」他們回答說:「願耶和華賜福與你。」 波阿斯問負責收割的工頭說:「那是誰家的女子?」 工頭回答說:「她是摩押女子,跟拿俄米剛從摩押回來。 她求我讓她跟在收割的人後面,撿工人紮捆時遺落的麥穗。她一大早就來到這裡,一直撿到現在,除了在涼棚裡稍微坐了一會兒之外,幾乎沒有休息。」

波阿斯對路得說:「姑娘[a],聽我說,你不用到別人的田裡去拾麥穗了,也不必離開這裡,只管留下來跟我的女工在一起。 你看我的工人在哪一塊田裡收割,就跟著我的女工去,我已經吩咐工人不可欺負你。要是你渴了,就去水罐那裡喝工人打回來的水。」 10 路得就俯伏在地叩謝他,說:「我不過是個外族人,你為什麼這樣恩待我、體恤我?」 11 波阿斯說:「自從你丈夫過世之後,你怎樣善待婆婆,怎樣離開父母和家鄉來到素不相識的人當中,我都聽說了。 12 願耶和華照你所行的獎賞你!你來投靠在以色列的上帝耶和華的翅膀下,願祂厚厚地賞賜你。」 13 路得說:「我主啊!我真是在你面前蒙恩,雖然我連你的婢女都不如,你還好言安慰我。」

14 吃飯的時候,波阿斯對路得說:「來,吃一點餅吧,可以蘸著醋吃。」路得便坐在那些收割工人旁邊。波阿斯遞給她一些烤好的麥穗。她吃飽了,還有剩餘的。 15 當她起來又要去撿麥穗的時候,波阿斯就吩咐他的工人說:「你們要任由她撿,就算她在割下的麥子中撿麥穗,你們也不要為難她。 16 甚至要從麥捆中抽一些出來讓她撿,不要責罵她。」

17 於是,路得便在田間繼續撿麥穗,到了黃昏,她把撿到的麥穗打了,大約有十三公斤大麥。 18 她把撿來的麥子帶回城裡給婆婆拿俄米看,又把剩下來的食物給婆婆。 19 婆婆問她:「你今天在哪裡拾麥穗?在哪裡做工?願那善待你的人蒙福!」她就告訴婆婆說:「今天我在一個名叫波阿斯的人那裡工作。」 20 拿俄米說:「願耶和華賜福給他,他對活著的和過世的都是那麼有情有義。」拿俄米又對路得說:「這人是我們本族的人,是我們的一個近親。」 21 摩押女子路得說:「他還對我說,『你可以跟在我的工人後面撿麥穗,直到他們把我的莊稼都收完為止。』」 22 拿俄米對兒媳路得說:「我的女兒啊,你就跟他的女工一起到田裡去,免得去別人的田裡被欺負。」 23 因此,路得便常跟波阿斯的女工在一起撿麥穗,直到大麥小麥都收割完畢。路得就這樣陪伴婆婆過日子。

Footnotes

  1. 2·8 姑娘」希伯來文是「女兒」。
'路 得 記 2 ' not found for the version: Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version.

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.