2:1 Ruth collects grain in Boaz’ field
2 Now there was a relative there of Naomi’s deceased husband. His name was Boaz and he was a very wealthy man from the same clan as Elimelek had been. 2 Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Allow me to go to the field and pick up any heads of grain that the harvesters drop.[ref] I’ll follow any harvester who seems kind.”
“go ahead, my daughter,” Naomi replied.
3 So Ruth left and went to the field where she picked up heads of grain after the harvesters, and it just so happened that that part of the field belonged to Boaz who was Elimelek’s relative.
4 Just then, Boaz arrived from the town and greeted the harvesters, “May Yahweh be with you,” to which they replied, “May Yahweh bless you also.”
5 Then he asked the foreman of the harvesters, “Whose daughter is that young woman over there?”
6 “She’s a young Moabitess,” the man replied. “The one who came with Naomi when she returned from Moab. 7 She asked me for permission to follow the harvesters and pick up any heads of grain that drop, and she’s been doing it since early morning until just recently she’s taking a break now in the shelter.
8 So Boaz approached Ruth, “Young woman,” he said, “listen here. Don’t leave this place or go to any other field to pick up grain, but just stay close by these young female workers of mine. 9 Watch where the men are harvesting and follow along behind them. I’ve told them not to bother you. And whenever you’re thirsty, help yourself from the water jars that the men keep filled.”
10 Then she knelt down on the ground and bowed her head low to the ground and said, “Why are you being so kind to me when I’m a foreigner? I wasn’t expecting your attention.”
11 “People have told me,” Boaz replied, “about everything you’ve done for your mother-in-law since your husband died—how you left your parents and your homeland behind and came here to live with people that you hadn’t even met before. 12 May Yahweh reward your hard work. Since you’ve come here for protection under Israel’s God Yahweh, may he reward you in full.”
13 “My lord,” she replied, “I trust that I’ll continue to please you because you’ve comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, your servant, even though I’m not like your servant girls.”
14 Then when it was time to eat, Boaz told Ruth, “Come and join us. Take some bread and dip it in the sauce and eat.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he also offered her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and even had some left over. 15 Then she went back to picking up heads and Boaz ordered his men, “Let her gather grain even among the bundles and don’t shame her. 16 Even pull some stalks out from the bundles and drop them for her to pick up, and don’t tell her off.”
17 So Ruth picked up grain in the field until evening and when she beat the heads and collected the grains, she had a large basket of barley. 18 So she picked up the basket and headed back into town and showed her mother-in-law how much she had collected. Ruth also gave Naomi the roasted grain left-over from her lunch. 19 “Where did you pick up grain today and where did you work?” asked Naomi. “May the man who took notice of you be blessed.”
So she told her mother-in-law where she had worked, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”
20 “May he be blessed by Yahweh,” responded Naomi. “Yahweh hasn’t forgotten his kindness towards us who are still living and to our husbands who’ve died.” And then she added, “That man is a close relative of Elimelek. In fact, he’s one of those responsible for taking care of our family.”[ref]
21 “He also told me,” said Ruth the Moabitess, “to stay with his workers until they finish the harvesting.”
22 “It’s good, my daughter,” said Naomi to her daughter-in-law, “for you to stay near his servant girls because you don’t know how people might treat you in another field.”
23 So Ruth stayed near Boaz’ servant girls and picked up heads of grain until the end of the barley harvest and then the wheat harvest, and she lived with her mother-in-law.
