Ruth 2

New International Version

Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field

2 Now Naomi had a relative^(A) on her husband’s side, a man of standing^(B) from the clan of Elimelek,^(C) whose name was Boaz.^(D)

²And Ruth the Moabite^(E) said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain^(F) behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.^(G)”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” ³So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.^(H) As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.^(I)

⁴Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!^(J)”

“The Lord bless you!^(K)” they answered.

⁵Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

⁶The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite^(L) who came back from Moab with Naomi. ⁷She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves^(M) behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest^(N) in the shelter.”

⁸So 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. ⁹Watch 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.”

¹⁰At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground.^(O) She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me^(P)—a foreigner?^(Q)”

¹¹Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law^(R) since the death of your husband^(S)—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know^(T) before.^(U) ¹²May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord,^(V) the God of Israel,^(W) under whose wings^(X) you have come to take refuge.^(Y)”

¹³“May I continue to find favor in your eyes,^(Z) my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”

¹⁴At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread^(AA) and dip it in the wine vinegar.”

When she sat down with the harvesters,^(AB) he offered her some roasted grain.^(AC) She ate all she wanted and had some left over.^(AD) ¹⁵As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves^(AE) and don’t reprimand her. ¹⁶Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke^(AF) her.”

¹⁷So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed^(AG) the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.^[a]^(AH) ¹⁸She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over^(AI) after she had eaten enough.

¹⁹Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!^(AJ)”

Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

²⁰“The Lord bless him!^(AK)” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law.^(AL) “He has not stopped showing his kindness^(AM) to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative;^(AN) he is one of our guardian-redeemers.^[b]^(AO)”

²¹Then Ruth the Moabite^(AP) said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’”

²²Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”

²³So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley^(AQ) and wheat harvests^(AR) were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Footnotes

Ruth 2:17 That is, probably about 30 pounds or about 13 kilograms
Ruth 2:20 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55).

Luke 2:8-14

New International Version

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel^(A) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(B) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior^(C) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(D) the Lord.^(E) ¹²This will be a sign^(F) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace^(G) to those on whom his favor rests.”

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Psalm 107

New International Version

BOOK V

Psalms 107–150

Psalm 107

¹Give thanks to the Lord,^(A) for he is good;^(B)
his love endures forever.

²Let the redeemed^(C) of the Lord tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³those he gathered^(D) from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.^[a]

⁴Some wandered in desert^(E) wastelands,
    finding no way to a city^(F) where they could settle.
⁵They were hungry^(G) and thirsty,^(H)
    and their lives ebbed away.
⁶Then they cried out^(I) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷He led them by a straight way^(J)
    to a city^(K) where they could settle.
⁸Let them give thanks^(L) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(M)
    and his wonderful deeds^(N) for mankind,
⁹for he satisfies^(O) the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.^(P)

¹⁰Some sat in darkness,^(Q) in utter darkness,
    prisoners suffering^(R) in iron chains,^(S)
¹¹because they rebelled^(T) against God’s commands
    and despised^(U) the plans^(V) of the Most High.
¹²So he subjected them to bitter labor;
    they stumbled, and there was no one to help.^(W)
¹³Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them^(X) from their distress.
¹⁴He brought them out of darkness,^(Y) the utter darkness,^(Z)
    and broke away their chains.^(AA)
¹⁵Let them give thanks^(AB) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(AC)
    and his wonderful deeds^(AD) for mankind,
¹⁶for he breaks down gates of bronze
    and cuts through bars of iron.

¹⁷Some became fools^(AE) through their rebellious ways^(AF)
    and suffered affliction^(AG) because of their iniquities.
¹⁸They loathed all food^(AH)
    and drew near the gates of death.^(AI)
¹⁹Then they cried^(AJ) to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he saved them^(AK) from their distress.
²⁰He sent out his word^(AL) and healed them;^(AM)
    he rescued^(AN) them from the grave.^(AO)
²¹Let them give thanks^(AP) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(AQ)
    and his wonderful deeds^(AR) for mankind.
²²Let them sacrifice thank offerings^(AS)
    and tell of his works^(AT) with songs of joy.^(AU)

²³Some went out on the sea^(AV) in ships;^(AW)
    they were merchants on the mighty waters.
²⁴They saw the works of the Lord,^(AX)
    his wonderful deeds in the deep.
²⁵For he spoke^(AY) and stirred up a tempest^(AZ)
    that lifted high the waves.^(BA)
²⁶They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
    in their peril^(BB) their courage melted^(BC) away.
²⁷They reeled^(BD) and staggered like drunkards;
    they were at their wits’ end.
²⁸Then they cried^(BE) out to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he brought them out of their distress.^(BF)
²⁹He stilled the storm^(BG) to a whisper;
    the waves^(BH) of the sea^[b] were hushed.^(BI)
³⁰They were glad when it grew calm,
    and he guided them^(BJ) to their desired haven.
³¹Let them give thanks^(BK) to the Lord for his unfailing love^(BL)
    and his wonderful deeds^(BM) for mankind.
³²Let them exalt^(BN) him in the assembly^(BO) of the people
    and praise him in the council of the elders.

³³He turned rivers into a desert,^(BP)
    flowing springs^(BQ) into thirsty ground,
³⁴and fruitful land into a salt waste,^(BR)
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
³⁵He turned the desert into pools of water^(BS)
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;^(BT)
³⁶there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle.
³⁷They sowed fields and planted vineyards^(BU)
    that yielded a fruitful harvest;
³⁸he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,^(BV)
    and he did not let their herds diminish.^(BW)

³⁹Then their numbers decreased,^(BX) and they were humbled^(BY)
    by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
⁴⁰he who pours contempt on nobles^(BZ)
    made them wander in a trackless waste.^(CA)
⁴¹But he lifted the needy^(CB) out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.^(CC)
⁴²The upright see and rejoice,^(CD)
    but all the wicked shut their mouths.^(CE)