One time when there was not much food to eat, a man took his family and went into another country where there was food. The man’s wife’s name was Naomi.

As time passed in the other country, the man died and his two sons got married. One wife’s name was Orpah and the other ones name was Ruth.

The sons both got sick and died and so Naomi got ready to go back home because she had heard that the Lord had visited his people and gave them food.

She said to her sons wives, Go home to your mother’s houses, my daughters. The Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me and my sons.

May the Lord grant you to find rest, each one of you in the house of your husband. Then she kissed them and they all cried.

The daughters said to Naomi, We will go home with you to your people.

Naomi said, Why will you do that? Are there more sons from me to marry? Turn and go home. I am too old to have a husband again. If I did, you would have to wait a long time for my sons to grow up.

My heart is very sad for you that the hand of the Lord has been against me to take my sons. They all cried again.

Orpah kissed Naomi and went home to her own mother. But Ruth held on tight to Naomi and would not leave her.

She said, Please don’t ask me to leave you or not follow you for where you go, I am going. And where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.

Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. The Lord do that to me if anything but death takes me from you.

So Naomi saw that Ruth was set to go with her, she stopped talking about it and they left to go back to Bethlehem.

When they got to Bethlehem, the whole town knew about it. They said, Is this Naomi?

Naomi said, Do not call me Naomi, but call me bitter because the All powerful One has given bitter things into my life. I left here full and the Lord has brought me back here empty. So don’t call me Naomi, but call me bitter since the Lord has been against me.

When they got home, the barley was ready to be cut and eaten.

In Naomi’s family in Bethlehem was a man who was from her husband’s family. He was powerful and rich.

Ruth said to Naomi, Let me go pick up grain that the harvesters miss where someone lets me. Naomi said, Go, my daughter.

So Ruth went to pick up grain that had been left behind so she and Naomi would have food to eat.

The field she found to pick up grain in belonged to the rich man from Naomi’s family. The rich, powerful man’s name was Boaz.

Boaz came to the field to check on his workers and said to them, The Lord be with you. And they said back to him, The Lord be with you.

Then Boaz asked his workers, Who is this woman? They told him, She is the Moabite woman that came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

She asked to glean grain behind the harvesters and has been picking up the dropped grain all morning. But she did rest a bit in the house.

Boaz went to Ruth and said to her, Listen to me, Do not go into other fields to glean. Stay here with my maidens. Watch where they harvest and pick up grain behind them. I have commanded my harvesters not to touch you. You will be safe.

When you are thirsty, go drink from the waters that my young men have drawn from the well.

Ruth fell on her face before Boaz and asked, Why are you being so good to me? I am a foreigner.

Boaz told her, I have been shown all the good that you have done to your mother-in-law since her husband died.

The Lord repay you all this kindness and a full reward be given to you by the Lord God of Israel.

Ruth said to Boaz, Let me find grace in your eyes because you have comforted me.

Boaz had her come share his food when it was time to eat. Ruth saved some of her food to take to Naomi.

Then Boaz told his young men to treat Ruth well and let her even take grain from the bundles instead of only picking up what fell to the ground.

When the day was done, she had a big load of grain to take back to Naomi. Naomi saw the huge amount of grain and said, Where did you glean today? The Lord do much good to the man who was so kind to you.

Ruth told Naomi about Boaz. Naomi said, He is a close part of our family.

So Ruth stayed close to the maidens of Boaz through the harvesting of the barley and the wheat.

Naomi told Ruth, My daughter I seek rest for you that life may be good for you.

Bathe and put on your best clothes and go down the to the threshing floor tonight. When Boaz goes to sleep, lift the blanket off his feet. That is the sign that you want him to buy back our property into the family. Then do what he tells you.

So Ruth did what Naomi said. When Boaz woke up and found Ruth at his feet he said, Who are you?
 

She said, I am Ruth, your servant. You are a near relative and can buy back Naomi’s and my land.

Boaz said, You will have many blessings from the Lord, because you have showed more kindness now than before.

I will do as you ask, but there is another man who is a closer relative than I. I will ask him tomorrow and if he wants to buy back the property, then good. If not, I will do it. I promise as God lives.

Boaz gave Ruth much grain in her shawl to take home to Naomi.

Boaz went to the gate of the city where city business was done and waited for the other relative who was closer.

They talked together and the man said that he wouldn’t buy back for their family, so Boaz did it.

He bought the property of Naomi and her family and also married Ruth.

Boaz and Ruth had a son and Naomi nursed it as her own so that the name and the family would have a place in God’s special land forever.

This child was born a part of the royal family that will rule forever in the Lord.