1 Noemi tinha um parente por parte do marido. Era um homem rico e influente, pertencia ao clã de Elimeleque e chamava-se Boaz.

2 Rute, a moabita, disse a Noemi: "Vou recolher espigas no campo daquele que me permitir". "Vá, minha filha", respondeu-lhe Noemi.

3 Então ela foi e começou a recolher espigas atrás dos ceifeiros. Por acaso entrou justamente na parte da plantação que pertencia a Boaz, que era do clã de Elimeleque.

4 Naquele exato momento, Boaz chegou de Belém e saudou os ceifeiros: "O Senhor esteja com vocês! " Eles responderam: "O Senhor te abençoe! "

5 Boaz perguntou ao capataz dos ceifeiros: "A quem pertence aquela moça? "

6 O capataz respondeu: "É uma moabita que voltou de Moabe com Noemi.

7 Ela me pediu que a deixasse recolher e juntar espigas entre os feixes, após os ceifeiros. Ela chegou cedo e está de pé até agora. Só sentou-se um pouco no abrigo".

8 Disse então Boaz a Rute: "Ouça bem, minha filha, não vá colher noutra lavoura, nem se afaste daqui. Fique com minhas servas.

9 Preste atenção onde os homens estão ceifando, e vá atrás das moças que vão colher. Darei ordem aos rapazes para que não toquem em você. Quando tiver sede, beba da água dos potes que os rapazes encheram".

10 Ela se inclinou e, prostrada rosto em terra, exclamou: "Por que achei favor a seus olhos, a ponto de o senhor se importar comigo, uma estrangeira? "

11 Boaz respondeu: "Contaram-me tudo o que você tem feito por sua sogra, depois que você perdeu o marido: como deixou seu pai, sua mãe e sua terra natal para viver com um povo que pouco conhecia.

12 O Senhor lhe retribua o que você tem feito! Que você seja ricamente recompensada pelo Senhor, o Deus de Israel, sob cujas asas você veio buscar refúgio! "

13 E disse ela: "Continue eu a ser bem acolhida, meu senhor! O senhor me deu ânimo e encorajou sua serva — e eu sequer sou como uma de suas servas! "

14 Na hora da refeição, Boaz lhe disse: "Venha cá! Pegue um pedaço de pão e molhe-o no vinagre". Quando ela se sentou junto aos ceifeiros, Boaz lhe ofereceu grãos tostados. Ela comeu até ficar satisfeita e ainda sobrou.

15 Quando ela se levantou para recolher, Boaz deu estas ordens a seus servos: "Mesmo que ela recolha entre os feixes, não a repreendam!

16 Pelo contrário, quando estiverem colhendo, tirem para ela algumas espigas dos feixes e deixem-nas cair para que ela as recolha, e não a impeçam".

17 E assim Rute colheu na lavoura até o entardecer. Depois debulhou o que tinha ajuntado: quase uma arroba de cevada.

18 Carregou-o para o povoado, e sua sogra viu o quanto ela havia recolhido quando Rute trouxe e lhe ofereceu o que havia sobrado da refeição.

19 "Onde você colheu hoje? ", a sogra lhe perguntou: "Onde trabalhou? Bendito seja aquele que se importou com você! " Então Rute contou à sogra com quem tinha trabalhado: "O nome do homem com quem trabalhei hoje é Boaz".

20 E Noemi exclamou: "Seja ele abençoado pelo Senhor, que não deixa de ser leal e bondoso com os vivos e com os mortos! " E acrescentou: "Aquele homem é nosso parente; é um de nossos resgatadores! "

21 Continuou Rute, a moabita: "Pois ele mesmo me disse também: ‘Fique com os meus ceifeiros até que terminem toda a minha colheita’ ".

22 E Noemi aconselhou à sua nora Rute: "É melhor mesmo você ir com as servas dele, minha filha. Noutra lavoura poderiam molestá-la".

23 Assim Rute ficou com as servas de Boaz para recolher espigas, até acabarem as colheitas de cevada e de trigo. Entretanto, ela ficou morando com a sua sogra.

1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband', a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

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

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless you.

5 Then said Boaz to his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz to Ruth, Hear you not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9 Let your eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go you after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch you? and when you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found grace in your eyes, that you should take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been showed me, all that you have done to your mother in law since the death of your husband: and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your nativity, and are come to a people which you knew not heretofore.

12 The LORD recompense your work, and a full reward be given you of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to trust.

13 Then she said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for that you have comforted me, and for that you have spoken friendly to your handmaid, though I be not like to one of your handmaidens.

14 And Boaz said to her, At mealtime come you here, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

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

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

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

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 she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19 And her mother in law said to her, Where have you gleaned to day? and where worked you? blessed be he that did take knowledge of you. And she showed her mother in law with whom she had worked, and said, The man' name with whom I worked to day is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said to her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of our next kinsmen.

21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, You shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, that they meet you not in any other field.

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