Ruth

路得在波阿斯田里捡麦穗

1拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒的亲族中，有一个人名叫波阿斯，是个大财主。

2摩押女子路得对拿俄米说：「容我往田间去，我蒙谁的恩，就在谁的身后拾取麦穗。」拿俄米说：「女儿啊，你只管去。」

3路得就去了，来到田间，在收割的人身后拾取麦穗。她恰巧到了以利米勒本族的人波阿斯那块田里。

4波阿斯正从伯利恒来，对收割的人说：「愿耶和华与你们同在！」他们回答说：「愿耶和华赐福与你！」

5波阿斯问监管收割的仆人说：「那是谁家的女子？」

6监管收割的仆人回答说：「是那摩押女子，跟随拿俄米从摩押地回来的。

7她说：『请你容我跟着收割的人拾取打捆剩下的麦穗。』她从早晨直到如今，除了在屋子里坐一会儿，常在这里。」

8波阿斯对路得说：「女儿啊，听我说，不要往别人田里拾取麦穗，也不要离开这里，要常与我使女们在一处。

9我的仆人在那块田收割，你就跟着他们去。我已经吩咐仆人不可欺负你；你若渴了，就可以到器皿那里喝仆人打来的水。」

10路得就俯伏在地叩拜，对他说：「我既是外邦人，怎么蒙你的恩，这样顾恤我呢？」

11波阿斯回答说：「自从你丈夫死后，凡你向婆婆所行的，并你离开父母和本地，到素不认识的民中，这些事人全都告诉我了。

12愿耶和华照你所行的赏赐你。你来投靠耶和华—以色列 神的翅膀下，愿你满得他的赏赐。」

13路得说：「我主啊，愿在你眼前蒙恩。我虽然不及你的一个使女，你还用慈爱的话安慰我的心。」

14到了吃饭的时候，波阿斯对路得说：「你到这里来吃饼，将饼蘸在醋里。」路得就在收割的人旁边坐下；他们把烘了的穗子递给她。她吃饱了，还有余剩的。

15她起来又拾取麦穗，波阿斯吩咐仆人说：「她就是在捆中拾取麦穗，也可以容她，不可羞辱她；

16并要从捆里抽出些来，留在地下任她拾取，不可叱吓她。」

17这样，路得在田间拾取麦穗，直到晚上，将所拾取的打了，约有一伊法大麦。

18她就把所拾取的带进城去给婆婆看，又把她吃饱了所剩的给了婆婆。

19婆婆问她说：「你今日在哪里拾取麦穗，在哪里做工呢？愿那顾恤你的得福。」路得就告诉婆婆说：「我今日在一个名叫波阿斯的人那里做工。」

20拿俄米对儿妇说：「愿那人蒙耶和华赐福，因为他不断地恩待活人死人。」拿俄米又说：「那是我们本族的人，是一个至近的亲属。」

21摩押女子路得说：「他对我说：『你要紧随我的仆人拾取麦穗，直等他们收完了我的庄稼。』」

22拿俄米对儿妇路得说：「女儿啊，你跟着他的使女出去，不叫人遇见你在别人田间，这才为好。」

23于是路得与波阿斯的使女常在一处拾取麦穗，直到收完了大麦和小麦。路得仍与婆婆同住。

1Now her husband Elimelech had a kinsman, a powerful man, and very rich, whose name was Booz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said to her mother in law: If thou wilt, I will go into the field, and glean the ears of corn that escape the hands of the reapers, wheresoever I shall find grace with a householder that will be favourable to me. And she answered her: Go, my daughter.

3She went therefore and gleaned the ears of corn after the reapers. And it happened that the owner of that field was Booz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4And behold, he came out of Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The Lord be with you. And they answered him: The Lord bless thee.

5And Booz said to the young man that was set over the reapers: Whose maid is this?

6And he answered him: This is the Moabitess who came with Noemi, from the land of Moab,

7And she desired leave to glean the ears of corn that remain, following the steps of the reapers: and she hath been in the field from morning till now, and hath not gone home for one moment.

8And Booz said to Ruth: Hear me, daughter, do not go to glean in any other field, and do not depart from this place: but keep with my maids,

9And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of the waters whereof the servants drink.

10She fell on her face and worshipping upon the ground, said to him: Whence cometh this to me, that I should find grace before thy eyes, and that thou shouldst vouchsafe to take notice of me a woman of another country?

11And he answered her: All hath been told me, that thou hast done to thy mother in law after the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left thy parents, and the land wherein thou wast born, and art come to a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12The Lord render unto thee for thy work, and mayest thou receive a full reward of the Lord the God of Israel, to whom thou art come, and under whose wings thou art fled.

13And she said: I have found grace in thy eyes, my lord, who hast comforted me and hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, who am not like to one of thy maids.

14And Booz said to her: At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. So she sat at the side of the reapers, and she heaped to herself frumenty, and ate and was filled, and took the leavings.

15And she arose from thence, to glean the ears of corn as before. And Booz commanded his servants, saying: If she would even reap with you, hinder her not:

16And let fall some of your handfuls of purpose, and leave them, that she may gather them without shame, and let no man rebuke her when she gathereth them.

17She gleaned therefore in the field till evening: and beating out with a rod and threshing what she had gleaned, she found about the measure of an ephi of barley, that is, three bushels:

18Which she took up and returned into the city, and shewed it to her mother in law: moreover she brought out, and gave her of the remains of her meat, wherewith she had been filled.

19And her mother in law said to her: Where hast thou gleaned today, and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that hath had pity on thee. And she told her with whom she had wrought: and she told the man’s name, that he was called Booz.

20And Noemi answered her: Blessed be he of the Lord: because the same kindness which he shewed to the living, he hath kept also to the dead. And again she said: The man is our kinsman.

21And Ruth said, He also charged me, that I should keep close to his reapers, till all the corn should be reaped.

22And her mother in law said to her: It is better for thee, my daughter, to go out to reap with his maids, lest in another man’s field some one may resist thee.

23So she kept close to the maids of Booz: and continued to glean with them, till all the barley and the wheat were laid up in the barns.