\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Ruth}
{\MTB The Book of
\par }{\MT Ruth

\par }\ChapOne{1}{\PP \VerseOne{1}In
the
days
when
the
judges
judged,
there
was
a
famine
in
the
land.
A
certain
man
of
Bethlehem
Judah
went
to
live
in
the
country
of
Moab
with
his
wife
and
his
two
sons.
\VS{2}The
name
of
the
man
was
Elimelech,
and
the
name
of
his
wife
Naomi.
The
names
of
his
two
sons
were
Mahlon
and
Chilion,
Ephrathites
of
Bethlehem
Judah.
They
came
into
the
country
of
Moab
and
lived
there.
\VS{3}Elimelech,
Naomi’s
husband,
died;
and
she
was
left
with
her
two
sons.
\VS{4}They
took
for themselves
wives
of
the
women
of
Moab.
The
name
of
the
one
was
Orpah,
and
the
name
of
the
other
was
Ruth.
They
lived
there
about
ten
years.
\VS{5}Mahlon
and
Chilion
both
died,
and
the
woman
was bereaved
of
her
two
children
and
of
her
husband.
\VS{6}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
the
LORD\FTNT{*}{{\FR 1:6 }
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.}
had
visited
his
people
in
giving
them
bread.
\VS{7}She
went
out
of
the
place
where
she
was,
and
her
two
daughters-in-law
with
her.
They
went
on
the
way
to
return
to
the
land
of
Judah.
\VS{8}Naomi
said
to
her
two
daughters-in-law, “Go,
return
each
of
you
to
her
mother’s
house.
May
the
LORD
deal kindly
with
you,
as
you
have dealt
with
the
dead
and
with
me.
\VS{9}May
The
LORD
grant
you
that
you
may
find
rest,
each
of
you
in
the
house
of
her
husband.”
\par }{\PP Then she
kissed
them,
and
they
lifted
up
their
voices,
and
wept.
\VS{10}They
said
to
her, “No,
but
we
will
return
with
you
to
your
people.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}Naomi
said, “Go
back,
my
daughters.
Why
do
you want
to
go
with
me?
Do
I
still
have
sons
in
my
womb,
that
they
may
be
your
husbands?
\VS{12}Go
back,
my
daughters,
go
your way;
for
I
am
too
old
to
have
a
husband.
If
I
should
say, ‘I
have
hope,’
if
I
should
even
have
a
husband
tonight,
and
should
also
bear
sons,
\VS{13}would
you
then wait
until
they
were
grown?
Would
you
then
refrain
from
having
husbands?
No,
my
daughters,
for
it grieves
me seriously
for
your sakes,
for
the
LORD’s
hand
has
gone
out
against
me.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}They
lifted
up
their
voices
and
wept
again;
then
Orpah
kissed
her
mother-in-law, but
Ruth
stayed
with
her.
\VS{15}She
said, “Behold,\FTNT{†}{{\FR 1:15 }
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.}
your
sister-in-law
has
gone
back
to
her
people
and
to
her
god.
Follow
your
sister-in-law.”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}Ruth
said, “Don’t
urge
me
to
leave
you,
and
to
return
from
following
you,
for
where
you
go,
I
will
go;
and
where
you
stay,
I
will
stay.
Your
people
will
be
my
people,
and
your
God\FTNT{‡}{{\FR 1:16 }
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).}
my
God.
\VS{17}Where
you
die,
I
will
die,
and
there
I
will
be
buried.
May
The
LORD
do
so
to
me,
and
more
also,
if anything
but
death
parts
you
and
me.”
\par }{\PP \VS{18}When Naomi
saw
that
she
was
determined
to go
with
her,
she
stopped urging
her.
\par }{\PP \VS{19}So
they
both
went
until
they
came
to
Bethlehem.
When
they
had
come
to
Bethlehem,
all
the
city
was excited
about
them,
and
they
asked, “Is
this
Naomi?”
\par }{\PP \VS{20}She
said
to
them, “Don’t
call
me
Naomi.\FTNT{§}{{\FR 1:20 }
“Naomi” means “pleasant”.}
Call
me
Mara,\FTNT{*}{{\FR 1:20 }
“Mara” means “bitter”.}
for
the
Almighty
has
dealt
very
bitterly
with
me.
\VS{21}I
went
out
full,
and
the
LORD
has
brought
me
home
again
empty.
Why
do
you
call
me
Naomi, since
the
LORD
has testified against
me,
and
the
Almighty
has afflicted
me?”
\VS{22}So
Naomi
returned,
and
Ruth
the
Moabitess,
her
daughter-in-law,
with
her,
who
returned
out
of
the
country
of
Moab.
They
came
to
Bethlehem
in
the
beginning
of
barley
harvest.

\par }\Chap{2}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Naomi
had
a relative
of
her
husband’s,
a
mighty
man
of
wealth,
of
the
family
of
Elimelech,
and
his
name
was
Boaz.
\VS{2}Ruth
the
Moabitess
said
to
Naomi, “Let
me
now
go
to
the
field,
and
glean amongst
the
ears
of
grain
after
him
in
whose
sight
I
find favour.”
\par }{\PP She
said
to
her, “Go,
my
daughter.”
\VS{3}She
went,
and
came
and
gleaned
in
the
field
after
the reapers;
and
she
happened
to
come
to
the
portion
of
the
field belonging
to
Boaz,
who
was
of
the
family
of
Elimelech.
\par }{\PP \VS{4}Behold,
Boaz
came
from
Bethlehem,
and
said
to
the reapers, “May
The
LORD
be
with
you.”
\par }{\PP They
answered
him, “May
The
LORD
bless
you.”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then
Boaz
said
to
his
servant
who
was
set
over
the reapers, “Whose
young
lady
is
this?”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
servant
who
was
set
over
the reapers
answered, “It
is
the
Moabite
lady
who
came
back
with
Naomi
out
of
the
country
of
Moab.
\VS{7}She
said, ‘Please
let
me
glean
and
gather
after
the reapers amongst
the sheaves.’
So
she
came,
and
has
continued
even
from
the
morning
until
now, except
that
she rested
a
little
in
the
house.”
\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then
Boaz
said
to
Ruth, “Listen,
my
daughter.
Don’t
go
to
glean
in
another
field,
and
don’t
go
from
here,
but
stay
here
close
to
my
maidens.
\VS{9}Let
your
eyes
be
on
the
field
that
they
reap,
and
go
after
them.
Haven’t
I
commanded
the
young
men
not
to
touch
you?
When
you
are
thirsty,
go
to
the
vessels,
and
drink
from
that
which
the
young
men
have
drawn.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Then
she
fell
on
her
face
and
bowed
herself
to
the
ground,
and
said
to
him, “Why
have
I
found favour
in
your
sight,
that
you
should
take
knowledge
of
me, since
I
am
a
foreigner?”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}Boaz
answered
her, “I
have
been
told
all
about
what
you
have
done
for
your
mother-in-law
since
the
death
of
your
husband,
and
how
you
have
left
your
father,
your
mother,
and
the
land
of
your
birth,
and
have come
to
a
people
that
you
didn’t
know
before.
\VS{12}May
the
LORD
repay
your
work,
and
a
full
reward
be given
to
you
from
the
LORD,
the
God
of
Israel,
under
whose
wings
you
have
come
to
take
refuge.”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}Then
she
said, “Let
me
find favour
in
your
sight,
my
lord,
because
you
have
comforted
me,
and
because
you
have
spoken
kindly
to
your
servant,
though
I
am
not
as
one
of
your
servants.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}At
meal
time
Boaz
said
to
her, “Come
here,
and
eat
some
bread,
and
dip
your
morsel
in
the
vinegar.”
\par }{\PP She
sat
beside
the reapers,
and
they
passed
her
parched
grain.
She
ate,
was
satisfied,
and
left
some
of
it.
\VS{15}When
she
had
risen
up
to
glean,
Boaz
commanded
his
young
men,
saying, “Let
her
glean
even amongst
the sheaves,
and
don’t reproach
her.
\VS{16}Also pull
out
some
for
her
from
the
bundles,
and
leave
it.
Let
her
glean,
and
don’t
rebuke
her.”
\par }{\PP \VS{17}So
she
gleaned
in
the
field
until
evening;
and
she
beat
out
that
which
she
had
gleaned,
and
it
was
about
an efah\FTNT{*}{{\FR 2:17 }
1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel}
of
barley.
\VS{18}She
took
it
up,
and
went
into
the
city.
Then
her
mother-in-law
saw
what
she
had
gleaned;
and
she
brought
out
and
gave
to
her
that
which
she
had
left
after
she
had
enough.
\par }{\PP \VS{19}Her
mother-in-law
said
to
her, “Where
have
you
gleaned
today?
Where
have
you
worked?
Blessed
be
he
who
noticed
you.”
\par }{\PP She
told
her
mother-in-law
with
whom
she
had
worked, “The
man’s
name
with
whom
I
worked
today
is
Boaz.”
\VS{20}Naomi
said
to
her
daughter-in-law, “May
he
be
blessed
by
the
LORD,
who
has
not
abandoned
his
kindness
to
the
living
and
to
the
dead.”
Naomi
said
to
her, “The
man
is
a
close
relative
to
us,
one
of
our
near
kinsmen.”
\par }{\PP \VS{21}Ruth
the
Moabitess
said, “Yes,
he
said
to
me, ‘You
shall
stay
close
to
my
young
men
until
they
have
finished
all
my
harvest.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{22}Naomi
said
to
Ruth
her
daughter-in-law, “It
is
good,
my
daughter,
that
you
go
out
with
his
maidens,
and
that
they
not
meet
you
in
any
other
field.”
\VS{23}So
she
stayed
close
to
the
maidens
of
Boaz,
to
glean
to
the
end
of
barley
harvest
and
of
wheat
harvest;
and
she
lived
with
her
mother-in-law.

\par }\Chap{3}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Naomi
her
mother-in-law
said
to
her, “My
daughter,
shall
I
not
seek
rest
for
you,
that
it
may
be
well
with
you?
\VS{2}Now
isn’t
Boaz
our
kinsman,
with
whose
maidens
you
were?
Behold,
he
will
be
winnowing
barley
tonight
on
the
threshing
floor.
\VS{3}Therefore
wash
yourself,
anoint
yourself, get dressed,
and
go
down
to
the
threshing
floor;
but
don’t
make
yourself
known
to
the
man
until
he
has
finished
eating
and
drinking.
\VS{4}It
shall
be,
when
he
lies
down,
that
you
shall
note
the
place
where
he
is
lying.
Then
you
shall
go
in,
uncover
his
feet,
and
lie
down.
Then
he
will
tell
you
what
to
do.”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}She
said
to
her, “All
that
you
say,
I
will
do.”
\VS{6}She
went
down
to
the
threshing
floor,
and
did
everything
that
her
mother-in-law
told
her.
\VS{7}When
Boaz
had
eaten
and
drunk,
and
his
heart
was
merry,
he
went
to
lie
down
at
the
end
of
the
heap
of
grain.
She
came softly,
uncovered
his
feet,
and
lay
down.
\VS{8}At midnight,
the
man
was
startled
and
turned
himself;
and
behold,
a
woman
lay
at
his
feet.
\VS{9}He
said, “Who
are
you?”
\par }{\PP She
answered, “I
am
Ruth
your
servant.
Therefore
spread
the
corner
of
your
garment
over
your
servant;
for
you
are
a
near
kinsman.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}He
said, “You
are
blessed
by
the
LORD,
my
daughter.
You
have
shown
more
kindness
in
the
latter
end
than
at
the
beginning,
because
you didn’t
follow
young
men,
whether
poor
or
rich.
\VS{11}Now,
my
daughter,
don’t
be
afraid.
I
will
do
to
you
all
that
you
say;
for
all
the
city
of
my
people
knows
that
you
are
a
worthy
woman.
\VS{12}Now
it
is
true
that
I
am
a
near
kinsman.
However,
there
is
a
kinsman nearer
than
I.
\VS{13}Stay
this
night,
and
in
the
morning,
if
he
will perform
for
you
the part
of
a
kinsman,
good.
Let
him
do
the kinsman’s duty.
But
if
he
will
not
do
the duty
of
a
kinsman
for
you,
then
I
will
do
the duty
of
a
kinsman
for
you,
as
the
LORD
lives.
Lie
down
until
the
morning.”
\par }{\PP \VS{14}She
lay
at
his
feet
until
the
morning,
then
she
rose
up
before
one
could
discern
another.
For
he
said, “Let
it
not
be
known
that
the
woman
came
to
the
threshing
floor.”
\VS{15}He
said, “Bring
the mantle
that
is
on
you,
and
hold
it.”
She
held
it;
and
he
measured
six measures
of
barley,
and
laid
it
on
her;
then
he
went
into
the
city.
\par }{\PP \VS{16}When
she
came
to
her
mother-in-law,
she
said, “How
did
it
go,
my
daughter?”
\par }{\PP She
told
her
all
that
the
man
had
done
for
her.
\VS{17}She
said, “He
gave
me
these
six measures
of
barley;
for
he
said, ‘Don’t
go
empty
to
your
mother-in-law.’ ”
\par }{\PP \VS{18}Then
she
said, “Wait,
my
daughter,
until
you
know
what
will
happen;
for
the
man
will
not
rest
until
he
has
settled
this
today.”

\par }\Chap{4}{\PP \VerseOne{1}Now
Boaz
went
up
to
the
gate
and
sat
down
there.
Behold,
the
near
kinsman
of
whom
Boaz
spoke
came
by.
Boaz
said
to
him, “Come
over
here, friend,
and
sit
down!”
He
came
over,
and
sat
down.
\VS{2}Boaz
took
ten
men
of
the
elders
of
the
city,
and
said, “Sit
down
here,”
and
they
sat
down.
\VS{3}He
said
to
the near
kinsman, “Naomi,
who
has
come
back out
of
the
country
of
Moab,
is
selling
the parcel
of
land,
which
was
our
brother Elimelech’s.
\VS{4}I
thought
I
should
tell
you,
saying, ‘Buy
it
before
those
who
sit
here,
and
before
the
elders
of
my
people.’
If
you
will
redeem
it,
redeem
it;
but
if
you
will
not
redeem
it,
then
tell
me,
that
I
may
know.
For
there
is
no
one
to
redeem
it
besides
you;
and
I
am
after
you.”
\par }{\PP He
said, “I
will
redeem
it.”
\par }{\PP \VS{5}Then
Boaz
said, “On
the
day
you
buy
the
field
from
the
hand
of
Naomi,
you
must
buy
it
also
from
Ruth
the
Moabitess,
the
wife
of
the
dead,
to
raise
up
the
name
of
the
dead
on
his
inheritance.”
\par }{\PP \VS{6}The
near
kinsman
said, “I
can’t
redeem
it
for myself,
lest
I endanger
my own
inheritance. Take
my
right
of
redemption
for
yourself;
for
I
can’t
redeem
it.”
\par }{\PP \VS{7}Now
this
was
the
custom
in
former
time
in
Israel
concerning redeeming
and
concerning exchanging,
to
confirm
all
things:
a
man
took
off
his
sandal,
and
gave
it
to
his neighbour;
and
this
was
the
way
of formalizing transactions
in
Israel.
\VS{8}So
the near
kinsman
said
to
Boaz, “Buy
it
for yourself,”
then
he took off
his
sandal.
\par }{\PP \VS{9}Boaz
said
to
the
elders
and
to
all
the
people, “You
are
witnesses
today,
that
I
have
bought
all
that
was Elimelech’s,
and
all
that
was Chilion’s
and Mahlon’s,
from
the
hand
of
Naomi.
\VS{10}Moreover,
Ruth
the
Moabitess,
the
wife
of
Mahlon,
I
have
purchased
to
be
my
wife,
to
raise
up
the
name
of
the
dead
on
his
inheritance,
that
the
name
of
the
dead
may
not
be
cut
off
from amongst
his
brothers
and
from
the
gate
of
his
place.
You
are
witnesses
today.”
\par }{\PP \VS{11}All
the
people
who
were
in
the
gate,
and
the
elders,
said, “We
are
witnesses.
May
the
LORD
make
the
woman
who
has
come
into
your
house
like
Rachel
and
like
Leah,
which
both
built
the
house
of
Israel;
and
treat
you worthily
in
Ephrathah,
and
be
famous
in
Bethlehem.
\VS{12}Let
your
house
be
like
the
house
of
Perez,
whom
Tamar
bore
to
Judah,
of
the
offspring\FTNT{*}{{\FR 4:12 }
or, seed}
which
the
LORD
will
give
you
by
this
young
woman.”
\par }{\PP \VS{13}So
Boaz
took
Ruth
and she
became
his
wife;
and
he
went
in
to
her,
and
the
LORD
enabled
her
to
conceive,
and she
bore
a
son.
\VS{14}The
women
said
to
Naomi, “Blessed
be
the
LORD,
who
has
not left
you
today
without
a
near
kinsman.
Let
his
name
be
famous
in
Israel.
\VS{15}He
shall
be
to
you
a
restorer
of
life
and
sustain
you
in
your
old
age;
for
your
daughter-in-law,
who
loves
you,
who
is
better
to
you
than
seven
sons,
has
given
birth
to
him.”
\VS{16}Naomi
took
the
child,
laid
him
in
her
bosom,
and
became
nurse
to
him.
\VS{17}The
women,
her neighbours,
gave
him
a
name,
saying, “A
son
is
born
to
Naomi”.
They
named
him
Obed.
He
is
the
father
of
Jesse,
the
father
of
David.
\par }{\PP \VS{18}Now
this
is
the
history
of
the
generations
of
Perez:
Perez
became
the
father
of
Hezron,
\VS{19}and
Hezron
became
the
father
of
Ram,
and
Ram
became
the
father
of
Amminadab,
\VS{20}and
Amminadab
became
the
father
of
Nahshon,
and
Nahshon
became
the
father
of
Salmon,
\VS{21}and
Salmon
became
the
father
of
Boaz,
and
Boaz
became
the
father
of
Obed,
\VS{22}and
Obed
became
the
father
of
Jesse,
and
Jesse
became
the
father
of
David.
\par }