Day 118 of 730

¹Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

²Now isn't Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley tonight at the threshing floor.

³Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do."

⁵She said to her, "All that you say I will do."

⁶She went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law told her.

⁷When Boaz had eaten and drank, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

⁸It happened at midnight, that the man was startled and turned over; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

⁹He said, "Who are you?" She answered, "I am Ruth your handmaid. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your handmaid; for you are a redeeming kinsman."

¹⁰He said, "Blessed are you by the Lord, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you didn't follow young men, whether poor or rich.

¹¹Now, my daughter, do not be afraid; I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people does know that you are a worthy woman.

¹²Now it is true that I am a redeeming kinsman; however there is a redeemer closer than I am.

¹³Stay this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform for you the part of a redeemer, well; let him do the redeemer's part. But if he will not do the part of a redeemer for you, then I will do the part of a redeemer for you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until the morning."

¹⁴She lay at his feet until the morning. She rose up before one could discern another. For he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."

¹⁵He said, "Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it." She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; and he went into the city.

¹⁶When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" She told her all that the man had done to her.

¹⁷She said, "He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, 'Do not go empty to your mother-in-law.'"

¹⁸Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day."

¹Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, "Come over here, friend, and sit down!" He turned aside, and sat down.

²He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." They sat down.

³He said to the near kinsman, "Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's.

⁴I thought to disclose it to you, saying, 'Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you." He said, "I will redeem it."

⁵Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance."

⁶The near kinsman said, "I can't redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can't redeem it."

⁷Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of attestation in Israel.

⁸So the near kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." He took off his shoe.

⁹Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, "You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day."

¹¹All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

¹²Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give you of this young woman."

¹³So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

¹⁴The women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer; and let his name be famous in Israel.

¹⁵He shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."

¹⁶Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and looked after him.

¹⁷The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

¹⁹and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,

²⁰and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

²¹and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,

²²and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

²Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

³Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

⁴Now let those who fear the Lord say that his loving kindness endures forever.

⁵Out of my distress, I called on Yah. Yah answered me with freedom.

⁶The Lord is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

⁷The Lord is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In the name of the Lord I indeed cut them off.

¹²They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In the name of the Lord I cut them off.

¹³You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the Lord helped me.

¹⁴Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.

¹⁵The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. "The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

¹⁶The right hand of the Lord is exalted! The right hand of the Lord does valiantly!"

¹⁷I will not die, but live, and declare the works of Yah.

¹⁸Yah has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to Yah.

²⁰This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter into it.

²¹I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.

²²The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

²³This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

²⁵Save us now, we beg you, Lord! Lord, we beg you, send prosperity now.

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

²⁷The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.

²⁹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

¹These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and material comes out for the refiner;

⁵Take away the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.

⁶Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;

⁷for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

⁸Do not be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?

⁹Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not betray the confidence of another;

¹⁰lest one who hears it put you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.

¹³As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to those who send him; for he refreshes the soul of his masters.

¹⁴As clouds and wind without rain, so is he who boasts of gifts deceptively.

¹⁵By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.

¹⁶Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.

¹⁷Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor's house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.

¹⁸A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth, or a lame foot.

²⁰As one who takes away a garment in cold weather, or vinegar on soda, so is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink:

²²for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

²³The north wind brings forth rain: so a backbiting tongue brings an angry face.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than to share a house with a contentious woman.

²⁵Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶Like a muddied spring, and a polluted well, so is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey; nor is it honorable to seek one's own honor.

²⁸Like a city that is broken down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without restraint.