Study Desk

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

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 Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

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 Yahweh had visited his people in giving them bread.

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

Then Boaz said to his attendant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

And when she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don't reproach her.

And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Yahweh, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of our near kinsmen.

And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they don't meet you in any other field.

And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lay down; and he will tell you what you shall do.

And when Boaz had ate and drank, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid down.

And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and saw that a woman lay at his feet.

And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Don't let it be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.

Then Boaz said, The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you buy from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.

Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel.

So the near kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. And he drew off his shoe.

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 shall not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place: you are witnesses this day.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and Yahweh gave her conception, and she bore a son.

And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.

Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite: