¶ And Naomi had a kinsman¹ of her husband's, a mighty² man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz³.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears⁵ 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 gleaned⁶ in the field after the reapers: and her hap was⁷ 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 LORD⁸ be with you. And they⁹ answered him, The LORD bless thee.

¹⁰Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

And the servant¹¹ that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the¹² Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

And she said, I pray¹³ you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued¹⁴ even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house¹⁵.

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter¹⁶? Go not to glean in another field, neither¹⁷ go from hence, but abide¹⁸ 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?¹⁹ and when thou art athirst, go²⁰ unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

¶ Then she fell²¹ on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have²² I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing²³ I am a stranger?

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that²⁴ thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how²⁵ 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 recompense²⁶ thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings²⁷ thou art come to trust.

Then she said, Let me find²⁸ favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly²⁹ unto thine handmaid, though I be not like³⁰ unto one of thine handmaidens.

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime³¹ come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel³² in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched³³ corn, and she did³⁴ eat, and was sufficed³⁵, and left.

And when she was risen up to glean³⁶, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach³⁷ her not:

³⁸And 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 gleaned³⁹ in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah⁴⁰ 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 reserved⁴¹ after she was sufficed.

And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed⁴² 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 Boaz⁴³.

¶ And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed⁴⁴ be he of the LORD, who hath not⁴⁵ 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 our⁴⁶ next kinsmen.

And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt⁴⁷ keep fast by my young men⁴⁸, until they have ended all my harvest.

And Naomi said unto Ruth⁴⁹ her daughter in law, It is good⁵⁰, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet⁵¹ thee not in any other field.

⁵²So 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.