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's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

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

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to come to a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

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

5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose young woman is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabite young woman 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, except that she tarried a little in the house.

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Will you not hear, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from here, but abide here close by my maidens:

9 Let your eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch you? and when you are thirsty, go unto 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 unto 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 unto her, It has fully been shown me, all that you have done unto 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 birth, and are come unto a people which you knew not before.

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

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

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

15 And when she rose 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 on purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what 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 what she had reserved after she was satisfied.

19 And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where have you gleaned today? and where did you work? 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's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said unto 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 unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our closest kinsmen.

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

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

23 So she kept close by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother-in-law.