Ruth 2 - Prayer Tents

Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field

2Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi's husband, Elimelech.H5281H4129H3045H376H1368H376H2428H4940H458H8034H1162 2One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it." Naomi replied, "All right, my daughter, go ahead."H7327H4125H559H5281H3212H7704H3950H7641H310H5869H4672H2580H559H3212H1323 3So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.H3212H935H3950H7704H310H7114H4745H7136H2513H7704H1162H4940H458 4While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. "The LORD be with you!" he said. "The LORD bless you!" the harvesters replied.H1162H935H1035H559H7114H3068H559H3068H1288 5Then Boaz asked his foreman, "Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?"H559H1162H5288H5324H7114H5291 6And the foreman replied, "She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi.H5288H5324H7114H6030H559H4125H5291H7725H5281H7704H4124 7She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes' rest in the shelter."H559H3950H622H310H7114H6016H935H5975H227H1242H3427H4592H1004 8Boaz went over and said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don't go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field.H559H1162H7327H8085H1323H3212H3950H312H7704H5674H1692H5291 9See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well."H5869H7704H7114H1980H310H6680H5288H5060H6770H1980H3627H8354H5288H7579 10Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "What have I done to deserve such kindness?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner."H5307H6440H7812H776H559H4672H2580H5869H5234H5237 11"Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.H1162H6030H559H5046H5046H6213H2545H310H4194H376H5800H1H517H776H4138H3212H5971H3045H8543H8032 12May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."H3068H7999H6467H8003H4909H3068H430H3478H3671H935H2620 13"I hope I continue to please you, sir," she replied. "You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers."H559H4672H2580H5869H113H5162H1696H3820H8198H259H8198 14At mealtime Boaz called to her, "Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine." So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.H1162H559H6256H400H5066H1988H398H3899H2881H6595H2558H3427H6654H7114H6642H7039H398H7646H3498 15When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, "Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.H6965H3950H1162H6680H5288H559H3950H6016H3637 16And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don't give her a hard time!"H7997H6653H7997H5800H3950H1605 17So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket.H3950H7704H6153H2251H3950H374H8184 18She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.H5375H935H5892H2545H7200H3950H3318H5414H3498H7648 19"Where did you gather all this grain today?" Naomi asked. "Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!" So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, "The man I worked with today is named Boaz."H2545H559H3950H3117H375H6213H1288H5234H5046H2545H6213H559H376H8034H6213H3117H1162 20"May the LORD bless him!" Naomi told her daughter-in-law. "He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers."H5281H559H3618H1288H3068H5800H2617H2416H4191H5281H559H376H7138H1350 21Then Ruth said, "What's more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed."H7327H4125H559H559H1692H5288H3615H7105 22"Good!" Naomi exclaimed. "Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you'll be safe with him."H5281H559H7327H3618H2896H1323H3318H5291H6293H312H7704 23So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz's fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.H1692H5291H1162H3950H3615H8184H7105H2406H7105H3427H2545