New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Ruth 2
1
Naomi had a relative on her husband's side of the family. Her husband's name was Elimelech. The relative's name was Boaz. He was a very important man.
Reference
People
2
Ruth, who was from Moab, spoke to Naomi. She said, "Let me go out to the fields. I'll pick up the grain that has been left. I'll do it behind anyone who is pleased with me." Naomi said to her, "My daughter, go ahead."
Reference
3
So Ruth went out and began to pick up grain. She worked in the fields behind those who were cutting and gathering the grain. As it turned out, she was working in a field that belonged to Boaz. He was from the family of Elimelech.
Reference
4
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted those who were cutting and gathering the grain. He said, "May the Lord be with you!" "And may the Lord bless you!" they replied.
Reference
Blessing
Luke 1:28
Psalm 118:26
References Lord
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Judges 6:12
Ruth 4:11
2 Timothy 4:22
Joshua 24:15
Genesis 18:19
5
Boaz spoke to the man who was in charge of his workers. He asked, "Who is that young woman?"
6
The man replied, "She's from Moab. She came back from there with Naomi.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ruth 1:22
7
She said, 'Please let me walk behind the workers. Let me pick up the grain that is left.' Then she went into the field. She has kept on working there from morning until now. She took only one short rest in the shade."
Reference
8
So Boaz said to Ruth, "Dear woman, listen to me. Don't pick up grain in any other field. Don't go anywhere else. Stay here with my female servants.
9
Keep your eye on the field where the men are cutting grain. Walk behind the women who are gathering it. Pick up the grain that is left. I've told the men not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go and get a drink. Take water from the jars the men have filled."
Reference
10
When Ruth heard that, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked, "Why are you being so kind to me? In fact, why are you even noticing me? I'm from another country."
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 25:23
Romans 12:10
Luke 1:48
Luke 1:43
Ruth 2:13
2 Samuel 19:28
2 Samuel 9:8
11
Boaz replied, "I've been told all about you. I've heard about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know that you left your father and mother. I know that you left your country. You came to live with people you didn't know before.
Reference
12
"May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the God of Israel bless you richly. You have come to him to find safety under his care."
Reference
Faith
Psalm 36:7
Psalm 91:4
Psalm 61:4
Psalm 57:1
Parallel theme
Psalm 17:8
Psalm 63:7
Hebrews 11:26
References God
Hebrews 6:10
Ruth 1:16
References Lord
1 Samuel 24:19
13
"Sir, I hope you will continue to be kind to me," Ruth said. "You have comforted me. You have spoken kindly to me. And I'm not even as important as one of your female servants!"
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 1:18
Genesis 33:10
Genesis 34:3
Genesis 43:14
Judges 19:3
References Lord
Genesis 33:15
Proverbs 15:33
Genesis 33:8
1 Samuel 25:41
2 Samuel 16:4
14
When it was time to eat, Boaz spoke to Ruth again. "Come over here," he said. "Have some bread. Dip it in the wine vinegar." She sat down with the workers. Then Boaz offered her some grain that had been cooked. She ate all she wanted. She even had some left over.
Reference
15
Ruth got up to pick up more grain. Then Boaz gave orders to his men. He said, "Suppose she takes some stalks from what the women have tied up. If she does, don't make her look bad.
16
Instead, pull some stalks out for her. Leave them for her to pick up. Don't tell her she shouldn't do it."
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 12:13
17
So Ruth picked up grain in the field until evening. Then she separated the barley from the straw. It amounted to more than half a bushel.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 31:27
18
She carried it back to town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out the food that was left over from the lunch Boaz had given her. She gave it to Naomi.
Reference
19
Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you pick up grain today? Where did you work? May the man who noticed you be blessed!" Then Ruth told her about the man whose field she had worked in. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said.
Reference
20
"May the Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "The Lord is still being kind to those who are living and those who are dead." She continued, "That man is a close relative of ours. He's one of our family protectors."
Reference
Blessing
2 Samuel 2:5
Ruth 4:14
Parallel theme
Proverbs 17:17
Leviticus 25:25
Job 19:25
Ruth 4:6
2 Samuel 9:1
References Lord
Philippians 4:10
21
Then Ruth, who was from Moab, said, "He told me more. He even said, 'Stay with my workers until they have finished bringing in all of my grain.' "
22
Naomi replied to her daughter-in-law Ruth. She said, "That will be good for you, my daughter. Go with his female servants. You might be harmed if you go to someone else's field."
Reference
Summary of Ruth 2
Ruth chapter 2 starts to unravel the plan for Ruth and Naomi to survive after going back to Bethlehem. Ruth goes to the fields to glean the grain that falls from the reapers’ sheaves. She unknowingly goes to the field of Boaz, a wealthy relative of Elimelech. Boaz sees Ruth, finds out about her loyalty to Naomi, and takes special care to protect and nurture her.
At the start of the chapter, the reader meets Boaz, a mighty man of wealth belonging to the family of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband.
Ruth wants to find a way to feed herself and Naomi. Ruth asks Naomi for permission to go glean the grain in the fields. The Torah allows poor people, aliens, and widows to glean the grain of the rich. It is a way for the poor to survive and a reminder to the wealthy to remember their poverty.
Ruth goes to the field and follows the reapers. She unknowingly comes to the part of the field that belongs to Boaz. Although Ruth does not know it yet, this meeting is one of the most significant in the book.
Boaz comes from Bethlehem and calls out to his reapers, wishing them the blessing of the LORD. The workers respond with a blessing to Boaz. The boss asks the foreman about the young woman following the reapers.
The foreman informs him that it is the Moabite woman that came back with Naomi. He explains to Boaz that Ruth asked permission to glean the grain. Ruth has been following the reapers from morning until now when she has only had a little break.
Boaz tells Ruth not to glean the grain in other fields but to stay close to his female workers. Ruth is to follow the reapers, and the young men are not to bother her. If she feels like it, Ruth may take a drink from the water that the young men have brought.
Ruth is surprised at the favor shown to her and bows before Boaz to ask why he has shown such kindness to her, a foreigner.
Boaz tells Ruth that he knows of her devotion to Naomi. He knows that she has left her father and mother and her people to come to a land that is not her own. He sees her sacrifice and that she has chosen to live among people she did not know before.
Boaz tells Ruth that the Lord will reward her for her loving act and devotion to Naomi. Ruth has come under the wings of the Lord of Israel, and He will repay her.
Ruth continues to glean in the field until the time of the evening meal. Boaz invites Ruth to come and partake of the food with his workers. He offers some roasted grain, and she eats until she is full. Ruth saves some of the food and later gives it to Naomi.
Boaz goes even further to show kindness to Ruth. He tells his young men to let her glean among the sheaves. They are to leave some grain for her, and not to rebuke her.
Ruth continues to glean until the evening and then beats out the grain that she has gathered. She has gathered a great amount of barley and takes it back to the city with her. She shows Naomi how much grain she has gleaned and gives her the food that she saved from the meal with Boaz.
Naomi is delighted to see how much Ruth has gathered. She asks the girl where she has been gleaning and blesses the man who has shown Ruth such kindness. When Ruth tells her that the man is named Boaz, Naomi realizes that it is one of their closest relatives belonging to the family of Elimelech.
Naomi sees the hand of God in Ruth’s favor. Earlier, she had returned to Bethlehem feeling that the Lord had brought them back empty, but now she knows that they are not empty after all.
Ruth continues to glean the barley harvest and the wheat harvest in the fields of Boaz. She stays close to his female workers and follows his instructions throughout the day.
The chapter ends with Ruth living with Naomi.
Ruth chapter 2 is significant because the mighty man Boaz is introduced. Ruth is a poor foreigner and a widow, but Boaz notices her and takes special care to protect and nurture her. Her devotion to Naomi is not lost on Boaz either. He finds her to be a woman of quality and offers Ruth food and protection.
Ruth herself is a woman of quality. She wants to take care of Naomi and does not want to be fed while doing nothing. She goes out to the fields and works from morning until the evening meal. Ruth takes her devotion to Naomi seriously and does not take advantage of the opportunity to glean the grain of the rich but works tirelessly.
Naomi’s fortunes start to turn. She goes from being empty-handed to having food. Ruth finds a safe place to glean the grain, and Naomi discovers that Boaz belongs to the family of Elimelech. He is one of the possible goel (family redeemer) that can marry Ruth and bring Naomi a son.
The chapter introduces the idea of a goel, which becomes more critical as the story unfolds. Boaz might not be the redeemer, but he is a close relative and one of the wealthiest. If Ruth marries him, they will not starve. Naomi sees the hand of God in the kindness shown to Ruth, and she realizes that they are not as helpless as they thought.
Perhaps most significant is the introduction of God’s care. Ruth goes out looking for some grain to eat, but she finds protection from the heat of the day, food, drink, and an opportunity to make a better life for herself and Naomi.
At the start of the chapter, the reader meets Boaz, a mighty man of wealth belonging to the family of Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband.
Ruth wants to find a way to feed herself and Naomi. Ruth asks Naomi for permission to go glean the grain in the fields. The Torah allows poor people, aliens, and widows to glean the grain of the rich. It is a way for the poor to survive and a reminder to the wealthy to remember their poverty.
Ruth goes to the field and follows the reapers. She unknowingly comes to the part of the field that belongs to Boaz. Although Ruth does not know it yet, this meeting is one of the most significant in the book.
Boaz comes from Bethlehem and calls out to his reapers, wishing them the blessing of the LORD. The workers respond with a blessing to Boaz. The boss asks the foreman about the young woman following the reapers.
The foreman informs him that it is the Moabite woman that came back with Naomi. He explains to Boaz that Ruth asked permission to glean the grain. Ruth has been following the reapers from morning until now when she has only had a little break.
Boaz tells Ruth not to glean the grain in other fields but to stay close to his female workers. Ruth is to follow the reapers, and the young men are not to bother her. If she feels like it, Ruth may take a drink from the water that the young men have brought.
Ruth is surprised at the favor shown to her and bows before Boaz to ask why he has shown such kindness to her, a foreigner.
Boaz tells Ruth that he knows of her devotion to Naomi. He knows that she has left her father and mother and her people to come to a land that is not her own. He sees her sacrifice and that she has chosen to live among people she did not know before.
Boaz tells Ruth that the Lord will reward her for her loving act and devotion to Naomi. Ruth has come under the wings of the Lord of Israel, and He will repay her.
Ruth continues to glean in the field until the time of the evening meal. Boaz invites Ruth to come and partake of the food with his workers. He offers some roasted grain, and she eats until she is full. Ruth saves some of the food and later gives it to Naomi.
Boaz goes even further to show kindness to Ruth. He tells his young men to let her glean among the sheaves. They are to leave some grain for her, and not to rebuke her.
Ruth continues to glean until the evening and then beats out the grain that she has gathered. She has gathered a great amount of barley and takes it back to the city with her. She shows Naomi how much grain she has gleaned and gives her the food that she saved from the meal with Boaz.
Naomi is delighted to see how much Ruth has gathered. She asks the girl where she has been gleaning and blesses the man who has shown Ruth such kindness. When Ruth tells her that the man is named Boaz, Naomi realizes that it is one of their closest relatives belonging to the family of Elimelech.
Naomi sees the hand of God in Ruth’s favor. Earlier, she had returned to Bethlehem feeling that the Lord had brought them back empty, but now she knows that they are not empty after all.
Ruth continues to glean the barley harvest and the wheat harvest in the fields of Boaz. She stays close to his female workers and follows his instructions throughout the day.
The chapter ends with Ruth living with Naomi.
Ruth chapter 2 is significant because the mighty man Boaz is introduced. Ruth is a poor foreigner and a widow, but Boaz notices her and takes special care to protect and nurture her. Her devotion to Naomi is not lost on Boaz either. He finds her to be a woman of quality and offers Ruth food and protection.
Ruth herself is a woman of quality. She wants to take care of Naomi and does not want to be fed while doing nothing. She goes out to the fields and works from morning until the evening meal. Ruth takes her devotion to Naomi seriously and does not take advantage of the opportunity to glean the grain of the rich but works tirelessly.
Naomi’s fortunes start to turn. She goes from being empty-handed to having food. Ruth finds a safe place to glean the grain, and Naomi discovers that Boaz belongs to the family of Elimelech. He is one of the possible goel (family redeemer) that can marry Ruth and bring Naomi a son.
The chapter introduces the idea of a goel, which becomes more critical as the story unfolds. Boaz might not be the redeemer, but he is a close relative and one of the wealthiest. If Ruth marries him, they will not starve. Naomi sees the hand of God in the kindness shown to Ruth, and she realizes that they are not as helpless as they thought.
Perhaps most significant is the introduction of God’s care. Ruth goes out looking for some grain to eat, but she finds protection from the heat of the day, food, drink, and an opportunity to make a better life for herself and Naomi.