Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab

Now it came to pass, in the days when (A)the judges [a]ruled, that there was (B)a famine in the land. And a certain man of (C)Bethlehem, Judah, went to [b]dwell in the country of (D)Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—(E)Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went (F)to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they [c]dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Naomi Returns with Ruth

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had (G)visited[d] His people by (H)giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, (I)“Go, return each to her mother’s house. (J)The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt (K)with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find (L)rest, each in the house of her husband.”

So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, (M)that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that (N)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth (O)clung to her.

15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to (P)her people and to her gods; (Q)return after your sister-in-law.”

16 But Ruth said:

(R)“Entreat[e] me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
(S)Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
(T)The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

18 (U)When she saw that she [f]was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that (V)all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, (W)Is this Naomi?”

20 But she said to them, “Do not call me [g]Naomi; call me [h]Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, (X)and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and [i]the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem (Y)at the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth Meets Boaz

There was a (Z)relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of (AA)Elimelech. His name was (AB)Boaz. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the (AC)field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.”

And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Now behold, Boaz came from (AD)Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, (AE)“The Lord be with you!”

And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”

Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman (AF)who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

10 So she (AG)fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found (AH)favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, (AI)all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 (AJ)The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, (AK)under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

13 Then she said, (AL)“Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken [j]kindly to your maidservant, (AM)though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and (AN)was satisfied, and kept some back. 15 And when she rose up to [k]glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not [l]reproach her. 16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of (AO)barley. 18 Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her (AP)what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who (AQ)took notice of you.”

So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, (AR)“Blessed be he of the Lord, who (AS)has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, (AT)one of [m]our close relatives.”

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”

22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not [n]meet you in any other field.” 23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Ruth’s Redemption Assured

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, (AU)shall I not seek (AV)security[o] for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, (AW)whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and (AX)anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and (AY)his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?”

So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. (AZ)Take[p] your maidservant under your wing, for you are (BA)a [q]close relative.”

10 Then he said, (BB)“Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than (BC)at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a (BD)virtuous woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a (BE)close relative; however, (BF)there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will (BG)perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, (BH)as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, (BI)“Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Also he said, “Bring the [r]shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then [s]she went into the city.

16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, [t]Is that you, my daughter?”

Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

18 Then she said, (BJ)“Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

Boaz Redeems Ruth

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, (BK)the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, [u]friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of (BL)the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land (BM)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to [v]inform you, saying, (BN)‘Buy it back (BO)in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if [w]you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; (BP)for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ”

And he said, “I will redeem it.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, (BQ)to [x]perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”

(BR)And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.

(BS)Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, (BT)that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from [y]his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”

11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. (BU)The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who (BV)built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in (BW)Ephrathah and be famous in (BX)Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of (BY)Perez, (BZ)whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of (CA)the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”

Descendants of Boaz and Ruth(CB)

13 So Boaz (CC)took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, (CD)the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then (CE)the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a [z]close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a [aa]nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is (CF)better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 (CG)Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 (CH)Now this is the genealogy of Perez: (CI)Perez begot Hezron; 19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; 20 Amminadab begot (CJ)Nahshon, and Nahshon begot (CK)Salmon;[ab] 21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; 22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot (CL)David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:1 Lit. judged
  2. Ruth 1:1 As a resident alien
  3. Ruth 1:4 lived
  4. Ruth 1:6 attended to
  5. Ruth 1:16 Urge me not
  6. Ruth 1:18 Lit. made herself strong to go
  7. Ruth 1:20 Lit. Pleasant
  8. Ruth 1:20 Lit. Bitter
  9. Ruth 1:21 Heb. Shaddai
  10. Ruth 2:13 Lit. to the heart of
  11. Ruth 2:15 Gather after the reapers
  12. Ruth 2:15 rebuke
  13. Ruth 2:20 our redeemers, Heb. goalenu
  14. Ruth 2:22 encounter
  15. Ruth 3:1 Lit. rest
  16. Ruth 3:9 Or Spread the corner of your garment over your maidservant
  17. Ruth 3:9 redeemer, Heb. goel
  18. Ruth 3:15 cloak
  19. Ruth 3:15 Many Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. she; MT, LXX, Tg. he
  20. Ruth 3:16 Or How are you,
  21. Ruth 4:1 Heb. peloni almoni, lit. so and so
  22. Ruth 4:4 Lit. uncover your ear
  23. Ruth 4:4 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT he
  24. Ruth 4:5 Lit. raise up
  25. Ruth 4:10 Probably his civic office
  26. Ruth 4:14 redeemer, Heb. goel
  27. Ruth 4:15 sustainer
  28. Ruth 4:20 Heb. Salmah

Naomi Widowed

Now it came about in the days (A)when the judges [a]governed, that there was (B)a famine in the land. And a man (C)of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab [b]with his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they (D)entered the land of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then [c]both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had (E)visited His people by (F)giving them food. So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to [d]your mother’s house. (G)May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. May the Lord grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept. 10 However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that (H)they may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because (I)the hand of the Lord has come out against me.”

Ruth’s Loyalty

14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her (J)gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May (K)the Lord do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates [e]me from you.” 18 When (L)she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.

19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, (M)all the city was stirred because of them, and [f]the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me [g]Naomi; call me [h]Mara, for [i](N)the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, but (O)the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me and [j]the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at (P)the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth Gleans in Boaz’s Field

Now Naomi had [k]a relative of her husband, a [l]man of great wealth, of the family of (Q)Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and (R)glean among the ears of grain following one in whose eyes I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and [m]she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “(S)May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.” Then Boaz said to his servant who was [n]in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant [o]in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “[p]Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but join my young women here. Keep your eyes on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have ordered the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the [q]water jars and drink from what the servants draw.” 10 Then she (T)fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12 (U)May the Lord reward your [r]work, and may your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, (V)under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken [s]kindly to your servant, though I am not like one of your female servants.”

14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “[t]Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied (W)and had some left. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not [u]insult her. 16 Also you are to purposely slip out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it so that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an [v]ephah of barley. 18 And she picked it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took some out and (X)gave [w]Naomi what she had left after [x]she was satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who (Y)took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “(Z)May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn His kindness from the living and from the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative; he is one of our (AA)redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “[y]Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You are to stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’” 22 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that others do not assault you in another field.” 23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz in order to glean until (AB)the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Boaz Will Redeem Ruth

Then her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek [z]security for you, that it may go well for you? Now then, is Boaz not (AC)our relative, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not reveal yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall [aa]take notice of the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you should do.” And she said to her, “(AD)All that you say I will do.”

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and (AE)his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. And it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and [ab]bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. So he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your slave. Now spread your garment over your slave, for you are a redeemer.” 10 Then he said, “(AF)May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first, by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 So now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you say, for all [ac]my people in the city know that you are (AG)a woman of excellence. 12 But now, although it is true that I am a redeemer, yet there is also a redeemer more closely related than I. 13 Remain this night, and when morning comes, (AH)if he will [ad]redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to [ae]redeem you, then I will redeem you, (AI)as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and got up before one person could recognize another; and he said, “(AJ)Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Again he said, “Give me the shawl that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then [af]she went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “[ag]How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She also said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter [ah]turns out; for the man will not rest until he has [ai]settled it today.”

The Marriage of Ruth

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, (AK)the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, [aj]friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. Then he took ten men of the (AL)elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has to sell the plot of land (AM)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought that I would [ak]inform you, saying, ‘(AN)Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if [al]not, tell me so that I may know; for (AO)there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order (AP)to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” Then (AQ)the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, otherwise I would [am]jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, since I cannot redeem it.”

Now this was (AR)the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the way of confirmation in Israel. So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so (AS)that the name of the deceased will not be eliminated from his brothers or from the [an]court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were [ao]in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home (AT)like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve [ap]wealth in Ephrathah and [aq]become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of (AU)Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the [ar]descendants whom the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And (AV)the Lord [as]enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the (AW)women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name [at]become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you [au](AX)and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

The Line of David

16 Then Naomi took the child and [av]laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: (AY)Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, 22 and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 1:1 Or judged
  2. Ruth 1:1 Lit he, and
  3. Ruth 1:5 Lit both of them
  4. Ruth 1:8 Lit her
  5. Ruth 1:17 Lit between me and you
  6. Ruth 1:19 Lit they
  7. Ruth 1:20 I.e., pleasant
  8. Ruth 1:20 I.e., bitter
  9. Ruth 1:20 Heb Shaddai
  10. Ruth 1:21 Heb Shaddai
  11. Ruth 2:1 Another reading is an acquaintance
  12. Ruth 2:1 Or mighty, valiant man
  13. Ruth 2:3 Lit her chance chanced upon
  14. Ruth 2:5 Lit appointed over
  15. Ruth 2:6 Lit who was appointed over
  16. Ruth 2:8 Lit Have you not heard
  17. Ruth 2:9 Lit vessels
  18. Ruth 2:12 Or behavior
  19. Ruth 2:13 Lit to the heart of your
  20. Ruth 2:14 Lit Come near here
  21. Ruth 2:15 Or harm
  22. Ruth 2:17 About 1 cubic foot or 0.03 cubic meters
  23. Ruth 2:18 Lit her
  24. Ruth 2:18 Lit her satiety
  25. Ruth 2:21 Lit Also that
  26. Ruth 3:1 Lit a resting place
  27. Ruth 3:4 Lit know
  28. Ruth 3:8 Or tossed around
  29. Ruth 3:11 Lit the gate of my people know
  30. Ruth 3:13 Or act as close relative to
  31. Ruth 3:13 Or act as close relative to
  32. Ruth 3:15 Many mss; MT he
  33. Ruth 3:16 Lit Who are you?
  34. Ruth 3:18 Lit falls
  35. Ruth 3:18 Lit finished the matter
  36. Ruth 4:1 Lit a certain one
  37. Ruth 4:4 Lit uncover your ear
  38. Ruth 4:4 Lit no one will redeem
  39. Ruth 4:6 Lit damage
  40. Ruth 4:10 Lit gate
  41. Ruth 4:11 Lit at the gate
  42. Ruth 4:11 Or power
  43. Ruth 4:11 Lit call the name in
  44. Ruth 4:12 Lit seed
  45. Ruth 4:13 Lit gave her conception
  46. Ruth 4:14 Lit be called in
  47. Ruth 4:15 Lit who
  48. Ruth 4:16 I.e., as her own