At the time the judges ruled in Israel there was a famine in the land,
and a man went from Bethlehem to the land of the Moabites with his wife
Naomi and his two sons. The man died, and the sons married women of
Moab, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years both the sons were dead, and Naomi
made ready to return to the land of her fathers. Orpah and Ruth went
with her. On the way Naomi said: Go back, my daughters! The Lord deal
kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me. Orpah went
back; but Ruth said: Thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be
my God; only death shall part us. So they went together and came to
Bethlehem. It was at the time of the barley harvest, and Ruth went out
to glean heads of grain and came on a field of a rich man by the name of
Boaz. When Boaz learned that it was Ruth, who had come with Naomi, he
said to the reapers: Let grain fall on the ground that she may glean so
much more. And to Ruth he said: If thou thirst come hither and drink,
and if thou hunger come hither and eat of my bread. Ruth said: How have
I, a stranger, found favor in thine eyes? Boaz answered: I have heard
what thou hast done for thy mother-in-law: Thou hast left father and
mother and art come to a people thou didst not know. A full reward be
given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art
come to take refuge. When the harvest was over Boaz took Ruth to wife,
and she bore a son who was called Obed. He was the father of Jesse, and
Jesse was the father of David the king. (Book of Ruth.)