11 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 .
12 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 .
13 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died and she was left and her
two sons .
14 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 .
15 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them and the woman
was left of her two sons and her husband .
16 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 .
17 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 .
18 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 .
19 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 .
110 And they said unto her Surely we will return with thee
unto thy people .
111 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 .
112 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 .
113 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 .
114 And they lifted up their voice and wept again and Orpah
kissed her mother in law but Ruth clave unto her .
115 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
.
116 And Ruth said Entreat 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 .
117 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 .
118 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her
then she left speaking unto her .
119 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 .
120 And she said unto them Call me not Naomi call me Mara for
the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me .
121 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 .
122 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 .
* 21 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's a mighty man of
wealth of the family of Elimelech and his name was Boaz .
22 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 .
23 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 .
24 And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the
reapers The LORD be with you And they answered him The LORD
bless thee .
25 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the
reapers Whose damsel is this .
26 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 .
27 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 .
28 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 .
29 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 .
210 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 .
211 And Boaz answered and said unto her It hath fully been
showed 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 .
212 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 .
213 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 .
214 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 .
215 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 .
216 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her
and leave them that she may glean them and rebuke her not .
217 So she gleaned in the field until even and beat out that
she had gleaned and it was about an ephah of barley .
218 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 .
219 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 showed her mother in law with
whom she had wrought and said The man's name with whom I wrought
to day is Boaz .
220 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 .
221 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 .
222 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 .
223 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 .
* 31 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 .
32 And now is not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou
wast Behold he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor .
33 Wash thy self 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 .
34 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 .
35 And she said unto her All that thou sayest unto me I will
do .
36 And she went down unto the floor and did according to all
that her mother in law bade her .
37 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 .
38 And it came to pass at midnight that the man was afraid and
turned himself and behold a woman lay at his feet .
39 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 .
310 And he said Blessed be thou of the LORD my daughter for
thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the
beginning inasmuch as thou followedst not young men whether poor
or rich .
311 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 .
312 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman howbeit
there is a kinsman nearer than I .
313 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 .
314 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 .
315 Also he said Bring the veil 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 .
316 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 .
317 And she said These six measures of barley gave he me for
he said to me Go not empty unto thy mother in law .
318 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 .
* 41 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 .
42 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said Sit
ye down here And they sat down .
43 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 .
44 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 .
45 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 .
46 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 .
47 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 .
48 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz Buy it for thee So he
drew off his shoe .
49 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 .
410 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 .
411 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 .
412 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 .
413 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 .
414 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 .
415 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 borne him .
416 And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom and
became nurse unto it .
417 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 .
418 Now these are the generations of Pharez Pharez begat
Hezron .
419 And Hezron begat Ram and Ram begat Amminadab .
420 And Amminadab begat Nahshon and Nahshon begat Salmon .
421 And Salmon begat Boaz and Boaz begat Obed .
422 And Obed begat Jesse and Jesse begat David .
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