1 Noemi tinha em Belém um parente do marido, um homem muito rico chamado Boaz.2 Em certa ocasião Rute disse a Noemi: Olha, vou aí aos campos de algum homem rico a ver se apanho os grãos que vão caindo atrás dos ceifeiros.Pois sim, minha filha, vai lá então.3 E ela foi. Aconteceu precisamente que o campo onde foi calhar era o do tal Boaz, o parente de Noemi por afinidade.4 Boaz por sinal apareceu ali, vindo da cidade enquanto Rute lá estava. Depois de saudar os ceifeiros, disse para o capataz: Escuta, quem é aquela rapariga que ali está?6 É a moabita que veio com Noemi. Pediu-me esta manhã se podia apanhar as espigas caídas atrás dos ceifeiros e cá tem estado sempre, excepto para descansar um pouco à sombra.8 Boaz foi ter com ela para lhe falar: Minha filha, fica aqui neste campo connosco para apanhares as espigas. Não precisas de ir a outros campos. Junta-te às moças que aí estão a trabalhar. 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 para comigo. Sabes bem que 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 vires viver entre estranhos.12 Que o Senhor Deus de Israel, sob cujas asas vieste refugiar-te, te abençoe por isso 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 abundantemente, muito mais do que ela podia comer.15 Quando a jovem voltou para o trabalho, Boaz disse para o capataz que a deixasse apanhar mesmo entre os feixes sem lhe dizer nada, e que fizesse mesmo de propósito para deixar cair espigas, sem que ela se sentisse incomodada em as apanhar.17 E assim ficou ali o dia todo. Ao fim da tarde, quando foi juntar o que debulhara, contou uns trinta e cinco litros! Trouxe o grão para a povoação e entregou-o à sogra, mais o que lhe sobejara do almoço.19 Mas tanto!, exclamou Noemi. Onde é que andaste tu hoje a apanhar? Que Deus abençoe quem foi tão bom para 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 abençoar-nos a nós,os vivos, tanto quanto aos que já morreram!, exclamou Noemi comovida. Porque esse homem é um dos nossos parentes mais chegados!21 E ele disse-me mesmo para lá ficar, atrás dos ceifeiros, até que todo o campo estivesse ceifado.22 Isso é maravilhoso! Ouve bem; faz tudo conforme ele te disse. Fica lá com as outras moças até ao fim da ceifa. Estarás lá muito mais segura do que em qualquer outro campo!23 Rute assim fez, ficando lá apanhar espigas até ao fim das ceifas, tanto da cevada como do trigo.

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 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 lot 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 Beth-lehem, and said to the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.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 from 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 to 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 thy eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art 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 thy eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?11 And Boaz answered and said to her, It hath fully been shown to me, all that thou hast done to thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and hast come to 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 hast come to trust.13 Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly to thy handmaid, though I am not like to one of thy handmaidens.14 And Boaz said to her, At meal-time 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 ate, and was satisfied, and left.15 And when she had risen 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 evening, and beat out that which she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.18 And she took it, 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 to her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou labored? blessed be he that took knowledge of thee. And she showed 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 to 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 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, Thou shalt 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 thou shouldst go out with his maidens, that they meet thee 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 dwelt with her mother-in-law.