2:1 Now Naomi¹ had a relative² named Boaz on her husband’s side. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.³ 2:2 Ruth, the Moabite girl, said to Naomi, “Let me go⁴ to the field so I can gather⁵ grain behind someone who permits me to do so.”⁶ Naomi⁷ replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 2:3 So she went and gathered grain in the field⁸ behind the harvesters. She just happened to land⁹ in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

2:4 Now¹⁰ Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted¹¹ the harvesters, “May the LORD be with you!” They replied,¹² “May the LORD bless you!” 2:5 Boaz asked¹³ his servant,¹⁴ the one in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”¹⁵ 2:6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s a Moabite girl, the one who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab.” 2:7 She asked,¹⁶ ‘May I go behind the harvesters and gather¹⁷ grain among the bundles?’¹⁸ She has stayed here since she arrived. From this morning until right now, she has taken only a brief rest.”¹⁹

2:8 Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,²⁰ my daughter. Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not²¹ go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside²² my female workers.²³ 2:9 Take note of²⁴ the field where the men²⁵ are harvesting and follow along after the female workers.²⁶ I will tell the servants²⁷ to leave you alone.²⁸ When you get thirsty, you may go to²⁹ the water jars³⁰ and drink some of the water³¹ the servants draw.”³² 2:10 She knelt before him with her forehead to the ground³³ and said to him, “Why are you so kind to me and so attentive, even though I am a foreigner?”³⁴ 2:11 Boaz replied to her,³⁵ “I have been given a full report of³⁶ all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left³⁷ your father, your mother and your homeland and came to live among people you did not know before. 2:12 May the LORD reward your efforts!³⁸ May your wages be paid in full³⁹ by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to find shelter!” 2:13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,⁴⁰ my master, for you have reassured⁴¹ me and encouraged⁴² your servant,⁴³ though I could never be⁴⁴ equal to one of your servants.”⁴⁵

2:14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have⁴⁶ some food! Dip your bread⁴⁷ in the vinegar!” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed⁴⁸ her some roasted grain. She ate what she wanted and saved the rest.⁴⁹ 2:15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told⁵⁰ his servants, “Let her gather grain among⁵¹ the bundles! Don’t chase her off!⁵² 2:16 Make sure you pull out⁵³ ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t yell at her!”⁵⁴ 2:17 She gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed⁵⁵ what she had gathered, there were about thirty pounds⁵⁶ of barley!

2:18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw⁵⁷ how much grain⁵⁸ she had gathered. Then she gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.⁵⁹ 2:19 Her mother-in-law asked her,⁶⁰ “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”⁶¹ Then she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded⁶² by the LORD because he has not abandoned his loyalty to the living or to the dead!”⁶³ Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”⁶⁴ 2:21 Ruth, the Moabite girl, replied, “He even⁶⁵ told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants⁶⁶ until they have finished gathering in all my harvest.’“⁶⁷ 2:22 Naomi then said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants.⁶⁸ That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”⁶⁹ 2:23 So she worked beside⁷⁰ Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.⁷¹ After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.⁷²