⁴ Now when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he told the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.”

“May the Lord bless you!” they replied.

⁵ At this point, Boaz asked the foreman of^[a] his harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”

⁶ The foreman of^[b] the harvesters answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. ⁷ She asked us, ‘Please allow me to glean what’s left of the grain behind the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued working^[c] from dawn until now, except for a short time in a shelter.”

Boaz Shows Kindness to Ruth

⁸ Boaz then addressed Ruth: “Listen, my daughter!^[d] Don’t glean in any other field. Don’t even leave this one, and be sure to stay close to my women servants. ⁹ Keep your eyes on the field where they are harvesting, and follow them. I’ve ordered my young men not to bother^[e] you, haven’t I? And when you are thirsty, drink from the water vessels that the young men have filled.”

¹⁰ At this she fell prostrate, bowing low to the ground, and asked him, “Why is it that you’re showing me kindness by noticing me, since I’m a foreigner?”

¹¹ Boaz answered her, “It has been clearly disclosed to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left your father, your mother, and your own land behind, and came to a people you did not previously know. ¹² May the Lord repay you for your work, and may a full reward be given you from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings^[f] you have come for refuge.”

¹³ She responded, “May I continue to find favor in your sight, sir, since you’ve been comforting me and you have spoken graciously to^[g] your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.”

¹⁴ At lunchtime, Boaz invited her, “Come on over, have some food, and dip your bread in our oil and^[h] vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he handed her some roasted grain, which she ate until she was satisfied. She kept what was left over.

Boaz the Benefactor

¹⁵ After she had left to glean, Boaz commanded his servants,^[i] “Allow her to glean also among the cut sheaves, and don’t taunt her. ¹⁶ One other thing^[j]—drop some handfuls^[k] deliberately, leaving them for her so she can gather it. And don’t bother her.” ¹⁷ So Ruth^[l] gathered grain out in the field until dusk, and then threshed what she had gathered—about a week’s supply^[m] of barley.