Ruth gleaneth in the field of Booz, who sheweth her favour.
2:1. Now her husband Elimelech had a kinsman, a powerful man, and very
rich, whose name was Booz.
2:2. And Ruth, the Moabitess, said to her mother-in-law: If thou wilt, I
will go into the field, and glean the ears of corn that escape the hands
of the reapers, wheresoever I shall find grace with a householder, that
will be favourable to me. And she answered her: Go, my daughter.
2:3. She went, therefore, and gleaned the ears of corn after the
reapers. And it happened that the owner of that field was Booz, who was
of the kindred of Elimelech.
2:4. And behold, he came out of Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The
Lord be with you. And they answered him: The Lord bless thee.
2:5. And Booz said to the young man that was set over the reapers: Whose
maid is this?
2:6. And he answered him: This is the Moabitess, who came with Noemi,
from the land of Moab,
2:7. And she desired leave to glean the ears of corn that remain,
following the steps of the reapers: and she hath been in the field from
morning till now, and hath not gone home for one moment.
2:8. And Booz said to Ruth: Hear me, daughter, do not go to glean in any
other field, and do not depart from this place: but keep with my maids,
2:9. And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to
molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of
the waters whereof the servants drink.
2:10. She fell on her face, and worshipping upon the ground, said to
him: Whence cometh this to me, that I should find grace before thy eyes,
and that thou shouldst vouchsafe to take notice of me, a woman of
another country?
2:11. And he answered her: All hath been told me, that thou hast done to
thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left
thy parents, and the land wherein thou wast born, and art come to a
people which thou knewest not heretofore.
2:12. The Lord render unto thee for thy work, and mayst thou receive a
full reward of the Lord the God of Israel, to whom thou art come, and
under whose wings thou art fled.
2:13. And she said: I have found grace in thy eyes, my lord, who hast
comforted me, and hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, who am not
like to one of thy maids.
2:14. And Booz said to her: At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the
bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. So she sat at the side of the
reapers, and she heaped to herself frumenty, and ate and was filled, and
took the leavings.
2:15. And she arose from thence, to glean the ears of corn as before.
And Booz commanded his servants, saying: If she would even reap with
you, hinder her not:
2:16. And let fall some of your handfuls of purpose, and leave them,
that she may gather them without shame, and let no man rebuke her when
she gathereth them.
2:17. She gleaned therefore in the field till evening: and beating out
with a rod, and threshing what she had gleaned, she found about the
measure of an ephi of barley, that is, three bushels:
2:18. Which she took up, and returned into the city, and shewed it to
her mother-in-law: moreover, she brought out, and gave her of the
remains of her meat, wherewith she had been filled.
2:19. And her mother-in-law said to her: Where hast thou gleaned today,
and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that hath had pity on thee.
And she told her with whom she had wrought: and she told the man's name,
that he was called Booz.
2:20. And Noemi answered her: Blessed be he of the Lord: because the
same kindness which he shewed to the living, he hath kept also to the
dead. And again she said: The man is our kinsman.
2:21. And Ruth said: He also charged me, that I should keep close to his
reapers, till all the corn should be reaped.
2:22. And her mother-in-law said to her: It is better for thee, my
daughter, to go out to reap with his maids, lest in another man's field
some one may resist thee.
2:23. So she kept close to the maids of Booz: and continued to glean
with them, till all the barley and the wheat were laid up in the barns.