During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while.

And the name of the man Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi, and the name of his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from the house of bread of Judah. And they will come to the field of Moab and be there.

And Elimelech will die, the husband of Naomi; and she will be left, and her two sons.

And they will take to them wives from the Moabitesses; the name of the one, Orpah, and the name of the second, Ruth: and they will dwell there about ten years.

Then Naomi's two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. So the woman was left all alone -- bereaved of her two children as well as her husband!

She and her daughters-in-law prepared to return from the country of Moab, because she had heard while living there how the LORD had come to the aid of his people, giving them relief.

And she will go forth from the place where she was there, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they will go in the way to turn back to the land of Judah.

And Naomi will say to her two daughters-in-law, Go, turn back each to the house of her mother: Jehovah will do mercy with you according as ye did with the dead, and with me.

Jehovah will give to you, and find ye rest, each in the house of her husband And she will kiss to them, and they will lift up their voice and weep.

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?

surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! No, my daughters, you must not return with me. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. For the Lord is afflicting me!"

And they will lift up their voice and weep yet. And Orpah will kiss to her mother-in law; and Ruth adhered to her.

And she will say, Behold, thy sister-in-law turned back to her people, and to her gods: turn thou back 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.

And she will see that she strengthening herself to go with her, and she will cease to speak to 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 to them, Do not let my name be Naomi, but Mara, for the Ruler of all has given me a bitter fate.

I went out full, and the Lord has sent me back again with nothing; why do you give me the name Naomi, seeing that the Lord has given witness against me, and the Ruler of all has sent sorrow on me?

And Naomi will turn back, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law, with her, turned back from the field of Moab: and they came to the house of bread in the beginning of the harvest of barley.

Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone who allows me to?”

Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

And she will go, and come and gather in the field after the reapers; and she will happen from chance upon a part of the field to Boaz, who was from the family of Elimelech.

And behold, Boaz came from the house of bread, and he will say to the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they will say to him, Jehovah will bless thee.

And Boaz will say to his young man set over the reapers, To whom this maiden?

And the young man set over the reapers will answer and say, The Moabitess maiden; she turned back with Naomi from the field of Moab.

And she said, 'Please let me glean and let me gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came and remained from the morning up to now. {She is sitting for a little while in the house}."

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Will you not hear, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from here, but abide here close by my maidens:

Take note of the field where the men are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers. I will tell the men to leave you alone. When you are thirsty, you may go to the water jars and drink some of the water the servants draw."

And she will fall upon her face and worship to the earth, and she will say to him, Wherefore did I find favor in thine eyes, and thou didst recognize me, and I 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.

Jehovah will recompense thy work, and thy reward shall be complete from Jehovah God of Israel, because thou camest to trust under his wings.

And she will say, Shall I find favor in thine eyes, my lord? For thou didst comfort me, and that thou spakest to the heart of thy servant, and shall I not be as one of thy servants?

At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here and eat some bread and dip your bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and she had some left [for Naomi].

After she had left to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, "Allow her to glean also among the cut sheaves, and don't taunt her.

And she will gather in the field till the evening, and she will beat out what she gathered, and it will be about an ephah of barley.

And she will lift up and come to the city: and her mother-in-law will see what she gathered: and she will bring forth and give to her what she left from her being filled.

And her mother-in-law will say to her, Where didst thou gather this day? and where didst thou work? he recognizing thee shall be blessed. And she will announce to her mother-in-law whom she worked with him, and she will say, The name of the man whom I worked with him this day, is Boaz.

And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, May the blessing of the Lord, who has at all times been kind to the living and to the dead, be on him. And Naomi said to her, The man is of our family, one of our near relations.

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 to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "[It is] good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidservants so that you will not {be bothered} in another field."

So Ruth continued to stay close to the young women who worked for Boaz, gathering grain until both the barley and wheat harvests were complete, all the while living 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?

Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished 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 Boaz will eat and drink, and his heart will be done good to; and he will go to lie down upon the end of the heap: and she will come secretly and she will uncover from his feet, and lie down.

And it will be in the middle of the night, and the man will be terrified: and he will turn and behold a woman lying from his feet

And he will say, Who art thou? And she will say, I am Ruth thy servant: and spread thy wing over thy servant, for thou a blood relation.

And he will say, Blessed thou to Jehovah, my daughter: thou didst make good thy mercy at the last more than the beginning, so that thou wentest not after the young men, if poor and if 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.

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.

So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

And he will say, Bring me the upper garment which is upon thee, and hold fast upon it. And she will hold fast upon it, and he will measure six of barley, and he will place upon her: and he will go to 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 will say, These six of barley he gave to me; for he said, Thou shalt not go empty to 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.

And Boaz went up to the gate and sat there: and behold, the blood relation whom Boaz spake of, passing by; and he will say, Turn aside, sit down here; thou such a one. And he will turn aside, and sit down.

And he will take ten men from the old men of the citv, and he will say, Sit ye down here. And they will sit down.

Then he said unto the kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, will sell 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 Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”

The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t 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.

And the blood relative will say to Boaz, Buy for thee. And he will draw 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.

I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

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:

Further, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

And Boaz will take Ruth, and she will be to him for a wife: and he will come in to her, and Jehovah will give to her conception, and she will bring forth a son.

And the women will say to Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah who caused not to cease to thee a blood relation this day; and his name shall be called in Israel.

He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

And Naomi will take the child and put him in her bosom, and she will be to him for nurse.

And the neighbors will call to him a name, saying, A son was born to Naomi; and they will call his name Obed: he the father of Jesse, the father of David.