|
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that
there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of
Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and
his wife, and his two sons.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife
Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion,
Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country
of Moab, and continued there.
And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her
two sons.
And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the
one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled
there about ten years.
And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman
was left of her two sons and her husband.
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 how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them
bread.
Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and
her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to
return unto the land of Judah.
And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each
to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye
have dealt with the dead, and with me.
The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the
house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up
their voice, and wept.
And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto
thy people.
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with
me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be
your husbands?
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have
an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an
husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for
them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth
me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out
against me.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah
kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her
people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and
where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my
people, and thy God my God:
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the
LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee
and me.
When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her,
then she left speaking unto her.
So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to
pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was
moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for
the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty:
why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified
against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law,
with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they
came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of
wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the
field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall
find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the
reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field
belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the
reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD
bless thee.
Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers,
Whose damsel is this?
And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and
said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out
of the country of Moab:
And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the
reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even
from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the
house.
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not
to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide
here fast by my maidens:
Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou
after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall
not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels,
and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and
said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou
shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed
me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the
death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and
thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a
people which thou knewest not heretofore.
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee
of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to
trust.
Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for
that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken
friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of
thine handmaidens.
And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat
of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she
did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young
men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach
her not:
And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and
leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she
had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in
law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave
to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to
day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take
knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom
she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought
to day is Boaz.
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the
LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to
the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto
us, one of our next kinsmen.
And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt
keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my
harvest.
And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my
daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet
thee not in any other field.
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end
of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her
mother in law.
Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall
I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou
wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the
threshingfloor.
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment
upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself
known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and
drinking.
And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the
place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his
feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt
do.
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that
her mother in law bade her.
And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he
went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came
softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and
turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine
handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for
thou art a near kinsman.
And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou
hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the
beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether
poor or rich.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou
requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou
art a virtuous woman.
And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is
a kinsman nearer than I.
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he
will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do
the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman
to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the
LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up
before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known
that a woman came into the floor.
Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold
it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley,
and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou,
my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he
said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the
matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he
have finished the thing this day.
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and,
behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he
said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned
aside, and sat down.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye
down here. And they sat down.
And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of
the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our
brother Elimelech's:
And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the
inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt
redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell
me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside
thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of
Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of
the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
inheritance.
And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar
mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I
cannot redeem it.
Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a
man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and
this was a testimony in Israel.
Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he
drew off his shoe.
And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are
witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was
Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the
hand of Naomi.
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I
purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon
his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from
among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are
witnesses this day.
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said,
We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into
thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the
house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be
famous in Bethlehem:
And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare
unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this
young woman.
So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in
unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath
not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be
famous in Israel.
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a
nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which
loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born
him.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became
nurse unto it.
And the women her neighbours gave it 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.
Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
|
