Rute 2

Rute no campo de Boaz

1 Noemi tinha em Belém um parente de Elimeleque, seu marido; era um homem muito rico chamado Boaz.

2 Em certa ocasião, Rute disse a Noemi: "Olha, vou sair pelos campos para ver se apanho as espigas que vão caindo atrás daquele que for amável comigo." Ela respondeu-lhe: "Pois sim, minha filha, vai lá então!"

3 E ela foi e aconteceu que o campo para onde foi era precisamente do tal Boaz que era da família de Elimeleque.

4 Boaz apareceu por lá, vindo da cidade, enquanto Rute ali estava e saudou os ceifeiros: "O Senhor esteja convosco!" E eles responderam: "O Senhor te abençoe!" 5 A seguir, perguntou ao capataz: "Escuta, de quem é aquela rapariga que ali está?"

6 "É a moabita que veio com Noemi. 7 Pediu-me esta manhã se podia apanhar as espigas que os ceifeiros deixavam caídas e tem estado sempre aqui, exceto quando foi descansar um pouco à sombra."

8 Boaz foi ter com ela para lhe falar: "Minha filha, fica aqui connosco neste campo a apanhar espigas. Não precisas de ir a outros campos. Junta-te às moças que aí estão a trabalhar. 9 Já avisei os rapazes para não te incomodarem; quando tiveres sede vai beber à tua vontade."

10 Ela agradeceu-lhe muito: "Não há razão para seres assim tão amável comigo. Eu não passo duma estrangeira."

11 "Sim, eu sei. Mas sei também de toda a afeição e carinho que tens mostrado para com a tua sogra, desde a morte do teu marido, e como preferiste deixar o teu pai e a tua mãe para viver entre estranhos. 12 Que o Senhor, Deus de Israel, sob cujas asas vieste refugiar-te, te abençoe por tudo."

13 "Agradeço-te muito. Foste muito bom para mim, não sendo eu sequer uma empregada tua!"

14 À hora do almoço, Boaz chamou-a: "Vem comer connosco." Rute veio sentar-se junto dos ceifeiros e ele serviu-a generosamente, muito mais do que podia comer.

15 Quando a jovem voltou ao trabalho, Boaz disse ao capataz que a deixasse apanhar mesmo entre os feixes sem lhe dizer nada; 16 e que fizessem de propósito deixar cair espigas, sem que ela se sentisse incomodada por as apanhar.

17 Assim, ficou ali o dia todo. Ao fim da tarde, quando foi juntar o que debulhara, contou uns 22 litros! 18 Trouxe o grão para a povoação e entregou-o à sogra, e também o que lhe sobejara do almoço.

19 "Mas tanto!", exclamou Noemi. "Onde é que andaste hoje a apanhar? Que Deus abençoe quem foi tão generoso contigo!" E Rute contou-lhe tudo o que se passara, dizendo que o dono do campo se chamava Boaz.

20 "Que o Senhor seja louvado, porque continua a ser bondoso para com os vivos, tanto quanto para com os que já morreram!", exclamou Noemi comovida. "Porque esse homem é um dos nossos parentes mais chegados!"

21 "Ele disse-me para lá ficar a apanhar espigas, atrás dos ceifeiros, até que todo o campo estivesse ceifado."

22 "Isso é maravilhoso! Ouve bem: faz conforme ele te disse. Fica lá com as outras moças até ao fim da ceifa. Ali estarás mais segura do que em qualquer outro campo!"

23 Rute assim fez, indo lá apanhar espigas até ao fim das ceifas, tanto da cevada como do trigo. E ficou a viver com a 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.*2.1 Boaz: Gr. Booz 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto 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 unto 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 unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.*2.3 hap…: Heb. hap happened

4 And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. 5 Then said Boaz unto 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 hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, 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 thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.*2.13 Let me…: or, I find*2.13 friendly: Heb. to the heart 14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy 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:*2.15 reproach…: Heb. shame 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 unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath 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 next kinsmen.*2.20 one of…: or, one that hath right to redeem 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast 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 thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.*2.22 meet…: or, fall upon thee 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.