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Ruth 1:19-2:12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ruth 1:19-2:12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
19 The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival[a](A) and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,”[b] she answered,[c] “for the Almighty(B) has made me very bitter.(C) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(D) Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has pronounced judgment on[d] me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.(E)
Ruth and Boaz Meet
2 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side named Boaz. He was a prominent man of noble character(F) from Elimelech’s family.
2 Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain(G) behind someone who allows me to?”
Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened(H) to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.
4 Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”(I)
“The Lord bless you,”(J) they replied.
5 Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”
6 The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. 7 She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has remained from early morning until now, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”[e]
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.[f] Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. 9 See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you?[g] When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”
10 She bowed with her face to the ground(K) and said to him, “Why are you so kind to notice me, although I am a foreigner?”
11 Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. 12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done,(L) and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”(M)
Footnotes
- Ruth 1:19 Lit excited because of them
- Ruth 1:20 = Bitter
- Ruth 1:20 Lit answered them
- Ruth 1:21 LXX, Syr, Vg read has humiliated
- Ruth 2:7 LXX reads until evening she has not stopped in the field; Vg reads now and she did not return to the house; Hb uncertain
- Ruth 2:8 Lit Haven’t you heard, my daughter?
- Ruth 2:9 Either sexual or physical harassment
Ruth 1:19-2:12
New International Version
Ruth 1:19-2:12
New International Version
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.(A) When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred(B) because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[b] because the Almighty[c](C) has made my life very bitter.(D) 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.(E) Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[d] me;(F) the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite,(G) her daughter-in-law,(H) arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest(I) was beginning.(J)
Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field
2 Now Naomi had a relative(K) on her husband’s side, a man of standing(L) from the clan of Elimelek,(M) whose name was Boaz.(N)
2 And Ruth the Moabite(O) said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain(P) behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.(Q)”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.(R) As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.(S)
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!(T)”
“The Lord bless you!(U)” they answered.
5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite(V) who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves(W) behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest(X) in the shelter.”
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.(Y) She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me(Z)—a foreigner?(AA)”
11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law(AB) since the death of your husband(AC)—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know(AD) before.(AE) 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord,(AF) the God of Israel,(AG) under whose wings(AH) you have come to take refuge.(AI)”
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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