Boaz: Who are you? Ruth: I am your servant Ruth. Spread out the hem of your garment so that it covers your servant. You are a near relative of our family.

Boaz: Spend the rest of the night here. In the morning, I will give him the chance to act as your kinsman-redeemer and redeem you and your family. If he is willing to do this, good. But if he is not willing to fulfill his responsibility, then as the Eternal One lives, I promise I will redeem your family by marrying you. Now remain here until morning comes.

So Ruth lay at his feet until early morning—then she got up to leave while it was still dark, before she could be recognized by anyone, because Boaz realized no one should know the woman was on the threshing room floor.

When Ruth returned to Naomi’s home, her mother-in-law asked her daughter what happened. Ruth related all that Boaz had said and done.

Ruth: He even gave me these six measures of barley grain saying to me, “You can’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”

At that same time, Boaz went to the city gate and he sat down. Just then, the kinsman-redeemer of the family he had told Ruth about walked by. Boaz: My friend, come and sit down with me for awhile. We have some business. So the man came and sat down beside Boaz.

Boaz: Now, just so you know, on the day you buy this plot of land [from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess; she is] the dead man’s widow. It will be your responsibility to make sure she has children so that they can carry on her dead husband’s name with the inheritance.

I have also taken responsibility for Ruth—the woman from Moab who was married to Mahlon. She will become my wife. I will see to it that his family and this city remember Mahlon. I will raise children who will bear his name and make sure his property stays in the family. You are all witnesses to this today.

Then Boaz took responsibility of Ruth, and they married. After they came together, Ruth conceived by the Eternal’s provision, and later she gave birth to a son.

May this child give you a new life. May he strengthen you and provide for you in your old age. Look at your daughter-in-law, Ruth. She loves you. This one devoted daughter is better to you than seven sons would be. She is the one who gave you this child.

David traveled then to Mizpah in Moab, the homeland of his great-grandmother, Ruth, to address the king of Moab. David: Please allow my mother and father to remain here until I can see what it is that the True God has in store for me.

After a while, Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died; and his son Hanun became the new king. Remember, Nahash and Saul were enemies, but Nahash had helped David.

He defeated the Moabites, who were his relatives through his ancestor Ruth, and the Moabites served David and brought him tribute.

One of David’s chiefs, Abishai (son of Zeruiah), defeated 18,000 Edomites in the valley of Salt.

When I heard their story, I mourned for the Jews as if the nation were dead: I ripped my clothes, I ripped hair from my head and chin, and I sat in stunned silence

The wicked man endures misery his whole life long; and many years of sorrow are stored up for the ruthless.

Shame and dishonor those ruthless enemies who wish to end my life. Turn back those who conspire against me, defeated and humiliated!

Lord, how long will You do nothing but watch? Save me from their evil assaults, plots, and plunder; rescue my life from these hungry beasts, these ruthless lions!

This is why nations strong and mighty will glorify You; the cities of ruthless people will fear and respect You.

But in an instant your ruthless enemies, who seem too many to count, will become as fluttering dust, as wind-driven chaff. They will be blown away in the snap of a finger.

I will unleash destroyers against you— ruthless men with fearful weapons. They will cut down your best trees and throw them on the fire.

This is what the Eternal Lord has to say: Eternal One: I will put an end to the wealth and population of Egypt using the power of Nebuchadnezzar as My weapon. I will dispatch the king of Babylon and his armies— the most ruthless in the world— to ravage the land! They will unsheathe their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.

I will use the swords of mighty warriors—all from the most ruthless nation on earth—to strike down your vast population. They will hack the pride of Egypt to pieces and slaughter her vast population.

Here are the boundaries of the land: The northern boundary will run east from the Mediterranean Sea through Hethlon and along to Lebo-hamath and then Zedad. From there it will go through Berothah and Sibraim (which lie on the border between Damascus and Hamath), all the way to Hazer-hatticon (near the border of Hauran).

Also, I am very angry with those nations that feel at ease. I was only slightly angry with these other nations, but when they attacked more ruthlessly than I commanded them to, they made the situation much worse for themselves.