Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”(A)

“The Lord bless you,”(B) they replied.

Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”

The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”[a]

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.[b] Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

10 She fell facedown, bowed to the ground,(C) and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you 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 your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. 12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done,(D) and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”(E)

13 “My lord,” she said, “I have found favor with you, for you have comforted and encouraged your servant, although I am not like one of your female servants.”

14 At mealtime Boaz told her, “Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. 16 Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” 17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts[c] of barley.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:7 LXX reads morning, and until evening she has not rested in the field a little; Vg reads morning until now and she did not return to the house; Hb uncertain
  2. 2:8 Lit “Haven’t you heard, my daughter?
  3. 2:17 Lit about an ephah

And look, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May Yahweh be with you.” And they said to him, “May Yahweh bless you.” And Boaz said to his servant in charge of the reapers,[a] “To whom does this young woman belong?” And the servant in charge of the reapers[b] said, “She is a Moabite girl returning with Naomi from the countryside of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came and remained from the morning up to now. She is sitting for a little while in the house.”[c]

And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,[d] my daughter, go no longer to glean in another field. Moreover, do not leave from this one, but stay close[e] with my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that they reap and go after them. Have I not ordered the servants not to bother you? And if you get thirsty, you shall go to the containers and drink from where the servants have drawn.” 10 And she fell on her face and bowed down to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes by recognizing me—for I am a foreigner?” 11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband was fully told to me. How you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and you went to a people that you did not know before.[f] 12 May Yahweh reward your work and may a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you came to take refuge.” 13 And she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your servant,[g] and I am not one of your servants.”

14 And Boaz said to her at mealtime,[h] “Come here and eat from the bread and dip your morsel in the wine vinegar.” So she sat beside the gleaners, and he offered to her roasted grain. And she ate and was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 And she got up to glean, and Boaz instructed his servants saying, “Let her also glean between the sheaves and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out for her from your bundles and leave it so that she may glean—and do not rebuke her.”

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

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 2:5 Literally “the one standing over the reapers”
  2. Ruth 2:6 Literally “the servant the one standing over the reapers”
  3. Ruth 2:7 Literally “this one she is sitting a little in the house”
  4. Ruth 2:8 Literally, “You have heard”
  5. Ruth 2:8 Literally “cling”
  6. Ruth 2:11 Literally “yesterday three days ago”
  7. Ruth 2:13 Literally “on the heart of your servant”
  8. Ruth 2:14 Literally “at the time of the food”