1  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 Beth- lehem in Judah went to sojourn in the field of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

1  In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed to sojourn in the region of the Moabites with his wife and two children.

2  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 Beth-lehem in Judah. And they came into the field of Moab, and continued there.

2  He called himself Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and his two sons, the one Mahlon, and the other Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And entering into the region of the Moabites, they stayed there.

3  And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4  And they took them wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.

4  They took wives from among the Moabites, of whom one was called Orpah, and the other Ruth. And they lived there ten years.

5  And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

6  Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the field of Moab; for she had heard in the field of Moab how that YHWH had remembered His people in giving them bread.

6  And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited his people to give them bread.

7  And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

7  And so she departed from the place of her sojourn, with both her daughters-in-law, and having set out upon the way, she was about to return to the land of Judah.

7  So she went forth out of the place where they sojourned, along with her two daughters-in-law, to return and go to the land of Judah.

8  And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law: 'Go, return each of you to her mother's house; YHWH deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

8  She said to them, “Go to the home of your mother. May the Lord deal mercifully with you, just as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

8  And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Return, go back to your own country and to the house of your kinsmen; may the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with me and with both of my sons who now are dead.

9  YHWH grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.' Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

9  May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands, whom you will obtain by lot.” And she kissed them. They lifted up their voice, and began to weep,

9  The LORD grant you favor so that you may find rest in the house of your parents. Then she kissed them: and they lifted up their voices and wept.

10  And they said unto her: 'Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.'

10  and to say, “We will journey with you to your people.”

11  And Naomi said: 'Turn back, my daughters; why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

11  And Noemin said, Return now, my daughters; and why do ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands?

11  But she answered them, “Return, my daughters. Why come with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb, so that you could hope for husbands from me?

12  Turn back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say: I have hope, should I even have an husband to-night, and also bear sons;

12  Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons;

12  Return, my daughters, go forth. For I am now exhausted by old age, and not fit for the bond of marriage. Even if I were to conceive on this night, and bear sons,

13  would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye shut yourselves off for them and have no husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of YHWH is gone forth against me.'

13  would ye wait for them till they should be grown? or would ye refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters; for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.

13  if you were willing to wait until they were grown and had completed the years of adolescence, you would be elderly before you could marry. Do not do so, I beg you, my daughters. For your difficulties weigh upon me greatly, and the hand of the Lord has been set against me.”

14  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved unto her.

14  In response, they lifted up their voice and began to weep again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and then turned back. Ruth clung to her mother-in-law.

15  And she said: 'Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god; return thou after thy sister-in- law.'

15  Naomi said to her, “See, your kinswoman returns to her people, and to her gods. Hurry after her.”

16  And Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave thee, and 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;

16  She answered, “Do not be against me, as if I would abandon you and go away; for wherever you will go, I will go, and where you will stay, I also will stay with you. Your people are my people, and your God is my God.

16  And Ruth said to her, Far be it from me to return from following after you, and to leave you; for where you go, I will go; and where you dwell, I will dwell; your people shall be my people, and your God my God

17  where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; YHWH do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.'

17  And wherever thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if I leave thee, for death only shall divide between me and thee.

17  Whichever land will receive you dying, in the same I will die, and there I will have the place of my burial. May God cause these things to happen to me, and add more also, if anything except death alone should separate you and I.”

18  And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

18  Therefore, Naomi saw that Ruth, being firmly resolved in her soul, was determined to go with her, and that she was unwilling to be dissuaded, and that nothing further could convince her to return to her own.

18  When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, then she ceased from urging her to go back.

19  So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was astir concerning them, and the women said: 'Is this Naomi?'

19  And they went both of them until they came to Bethleem: and it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethleem, that all the city rang with them, and they said, Is this Noemin?

20  And she said unto them: 'Call me not Naomi, call me Marah; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

20  And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me «Bitter,’ for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.

20  But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter). For the Almighty has greatly filled me with bitterness.

21  I went out full, and YHWH hath brought me back home empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing the YHWH hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?'

21  I went out full and the Lord led me back empty. So then, why call me Naomi, whom the Lord has humbled and the Almighty has afflicted?”

21  For I went forth from here full, and the LORD has brought me back empty; why then call me Naomi, seeing the LORD has humbled me, and has sorely afflicted me?

22  So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the field of Moab--and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

22  So Noemin and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethleem in the beginning of barley harvest.

22  Therefore, Naomi went with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, from the land of her sojourn, and returned to Bethlehem, at the time of the first reaping of the barley.

2:1  And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of valour, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.

1  And Noemin had a friend an acquaintance of her husband, and the man was a mighty man of the kindred of Elimelech, and his name was Booz.

1  But there was a man related to Elimelech, a powerful man, and very wealthy, named Boaz.

2:2  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi: 'Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find favour.' And she said unto her: 'Go, my daughter.'

2  And Ruth, the Moabite, said to her mother-in-law, “If you order, I will go into the field and gather the ears of grain which escape the reaping hand, wherever I will find favor with the father of a family, who will be compassionate to me.” She answered her, “Go, my daughter.”

2:3  And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

3  And she went; and came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers; and she happened by chance to come on a portion of the land of Booz, of the kindred of Elimelech.

3  So Ruth went to glean ears of wheat after the reapers; and it happened that she came upon a portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimeleck.

2:4  And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers: 'YHWH be with you.' And they answered him: 'The YHWH bless thee.'

4  And behold, he came out of Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They answered him, “May the Lord bless you.”

2:5  Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers: 'Whose damsel is this?'

5  And Booz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose is this damsel?

2:6  And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said: 'It is a Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the field of Moab;

6  He answered him, “This is the Moabite woman, who came with Naomi, from the land of the Moabites,

6  And the young man answered and said to him, It is the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the land of Moab;

2:7  and she said: Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves; so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house.'

7  and she asked to gather the remnants of the ears of grain, following the steps of the reapers, and from morning until now she has remained in the field, and, indeed, not for one moment has she returned home.”

7  And she said, Let me glean the ears of wheat after the reapers; so she has been gleaning from the morning until the time of rest.

2:8  Then said Boaz unto Ruth: 'Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.

8  And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen to me, daughter. Do not go to gather in any other field, nor depart from this place, but join with my young women,

8  Then Boaz said to Ruth, My daughter, have you not heard the saying, Do not glean in a field which is not yours? Now therefore stay here, and spend the night with my maidens.

2:9  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? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.'

9  and follow where they reap. For I given orders to my young men, so that no one is to harass you. And so, whenever you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from the waters that the young men also drink.”

9  Look at the field where they are reaping, and follow them; behold, I have charged the young men that no man shall harm you; and when you get thirsty, go and drink from the vessels which the young men have drawn.

2:10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground, and said unto him: 'Why have I found favour in thy sight, that thou shouldest take cognizance of me, seeing I am a foreigner?'

10  And she fell upon her face, and did reverence to the ground, and said to him, How is it that I have found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take notice of me, whereas I am a stranger?

10  She, falling on her face and paying homage on the ground, said to him: “How did this happen to me, that I should find favor before your eyes, and that you would condescend to accept me, a foreign woman?”

2:11  And Boaz answered and said unto her: 'It hath fully been told me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore.

11  He answered her, “Everything has been reported to me, what things you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your parents, and the land in which you were born, and came to a people you did not know before.

11  And Boaz said to her, I have been fully informed of all that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband; and how you have left your father and mother and your family, and come to a people that you did not know before.

2:12  YHWH recompense thy work, and be thy reward complete from YHWH, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge.'

12  May the Lord repay you for your work, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you have come, and under whose wings you have taken refuge.”

12  May the LORD God of Israel reward you, and may the One under whose wings you have come to take shelter recompense you.

2:13  Then she said: 'Let me find favour in thy sight, my YHWH; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens.'

13  She said, “I have found favor before your eyes, my lord, who has consoled me, and you have spoken to the heart of your handmaid, who is unlike one of your young women.”

2:14  And Boaz said unto her at meal-time: 'Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sat beside the reapers; and they reached her parched corn, and she did eat and was satisfied, and left thereof.

14  And Booz said to her, Now it is time to eat; come hither, and thou shalt eat of the bread, and thou shalt dip thy morsel in the vinegar: and Ruth sat by the side of the reapers: and Booz handed her meal, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left.

14  And Boaz said to her at mealtime, Come near and eat of the bread; and he set her beside the reapers, and gave her barley-meal, and dipped bread in milk; then he gave her parched wheat, and she did eat and was satisfied, and she had some left over.

2:15  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying: 'Let her glean even among the sheaves, and put her not to shame.

15  And she rose up to glean; and Booz charged his young men, saying, Let her even glean among the sheaves, and reproach her not.

15  And then she arose from there, so as to gather the ears of grain, according to the custom. But Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “If she is even willing to reap with you, do not prevent her,

2:16  And also pull out some for her of purpose from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not.'

16  And do ye by all means carry it for her, and ye shall surely let fall for her some of that which is heaped up; and let her eat, and glean, and rebuke her not.

16  And they let her glean between the sheaves, and they did not harm her.

2:17  So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

17  And so she gathered in the field until evening. And striking and threshing with a staff what she had gathered, she found about the measure of an ephah of barley, that is, three measures.

2:18  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 which she had left after she was satisfied.

18  Carrying this, she returned into the city and showed it to her mother-in-law. Moreover, she offered it to her and even gave her the leftovers of her food, with which she had been satisfied.

2:19  And her mother-in-law said unto her: 'Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee.' And she told her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said: 'The man's name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz.'

19  And her mother-in-law said to her, Where did you glean today? Blessed be the place in which you were and the man in whose eyes you have found favor. And she told her mother-in-law where she had been, and said, The man's name in whose field I gleaned today is Boaz.

2:20  And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law: 'Blessed be he of YHWH, who hath not left off His kindness to the living and to the dead.' And Naomi said unto her: 'The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen.'

20  Naomi answered her, “May he be blessed by the Lord, because the same kindness which he provided for the living, he also kept for the dead.” And again she said: “This man is our near relative.”

2:21  And Ruth the Moabitess said: 'Yea, he said unto me: Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.'

21  And Ruth said to her mother-in-law, Yea, he said also to me, Keep close to my damsels, until the men shall have finished all my reaping.

21  And Ruth said, “He charged me with this also, that from now on I should join with his reapers until all the crop has been reaped.”

2:22  And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law: 'It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that thou be not met in any other field.'

2:23  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

23  And Ruth joined herself to the damsels of Booz to glean until they had finished the barley-harvest and the wheat-harvest.

23  And so, she joined with the young women of Boaz, and from then on reaped with them, until the barley and the wheat were stored in the barns.