Through the Bible – Day 92

Bible text(s)

Ruth 1

Ruth is loyal to Naomi

1-2Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there, 3Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.

4Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, 5Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.

6-7When Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, 8Naomi said to them, “Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you. 9May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own.”

Naomi kissed them. They cried 10and said, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”

11But she replied, “My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry? 12You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, 13would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me.”

14They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her. 15Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?”

16Ruth answered,

“Please don't tell me

to leave you

and return home!

I will go where you go,

I will live where you live;

your people will be my people,

your God will be my God.

17I will die where you die

and be buried beside you.

May the LORD punish me

if we are ever separated,

even by death!”

18When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.

19They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, “Can this really be Naomi?”

20Then she told them, “Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter. 21I had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?”

22The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.

Ruth 2

Ruth meets Boaz

1-3One day, Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me see if I can find someone who will let me pick up the grain left in the fields by the harvest workers.”

Naomi answered, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So straight away, Ruth went out to pick up grain in a field owned by Boaz. He was a relative of Naomi's husband Elimelech, as well as a rich and important man.

4When Boaz left Bethlehem and went out to his field, he said to the harvest workers, “The LORD bless you!”

They replied, “And may the LORD bless you!”

5Then Boaz asked the man in charge of the harvest workers, “Who is that young woman?”

6The man answered, “She is the one who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7She asked if she could pick up grain left by the harvest workers, and she has been working all morning without a moment's rest.”

8Boaz went over to Ruth and said, “I think it would be best for you not to pick up grain in anyone else's field. Stay here with the women 9and follow along behind them, as they gather up what the men have cut. I have warned the men not to bother you, and whenever you are thirsty, you can drink from the water jars they have filled.”

10Ruth bowed down to the ground and said, “You know I come from another country. Why are you so good to me?”

11Boaz answered, “I've heard how you've helped your mother-in-law ever since your husband died. You even left your own father and mother to come and live in a foreign land among people you don't know. 12I pray that the LORD God of Israel will reward you for what you have done. And now that you have come to him for protection, I pray that he will bless you.”

13Ruth replied, “Sir, it's good of you to speak kindly to me and make me feel so welcome. I'm not even one of your servants.”

14At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come, eat with us. Have some bread and dip it in the sauce.” Straight away she sat down with the workers, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain. Ruth ate all she wanted and had some left over.

15When Ruth got up to start picking up grain, Boaz told his men, “Don't stop her, even if she picks up grain from where it is stacked. 16Be sure to pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them on the ground for her. And don't speak harshly to her!”

17Ruth worked in the field until evening. Then after she had pounded the grain off the stalks, she had a large basket full of grain. 18She took the grain to town and showed Naomi how much she had picked up. Ruth also gave her the food left over from her lunch.

19Naomi said, “Where did you work today? Whose field was it? God bless the man who treated you so well!” Then Ruth told her that she had worked in the field of a man named Boaz.

20“The LORD bless Boaz!” Naomi replied. “He has shown that he is still loyal to the living and to the dead. Boaz is a close relative, one of those who is supposed to look after us.”

21Ruth told her, “Boaz even said I could stay in the field with his workers until they had finished gathering all his grain.”

22Naomi replied, “My daughter, it's good that you can pick up grain beside the women who work in his field. Who knows what might happen to you in someone else's field!” 23And so, Ruth stayed close to the women, while picking up grain in his field.

Ruth worked in the fields until the barley and wheat were harvested. And all this time she lived with Naomi.

Ruth 3

Naomi makes plans for Ruth

1One day, Naomi said to Ruth:

It's time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.

2You have been picking up grain beside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain. 3Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don't let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.

5Ruth answered, “I'll do whatever you say.” 6She went out to the place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her.

7After Boaz finished eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted the cover and lay down near his feet.

8In the middle of the night, Boaz suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a woman lying at his feet. 9“Who are you?” he asked.

“Sir, I am Ruth,” she answered, “and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me.”

10Boaz replied:

The LORD bless you! This shows how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn't. 11Don't worry, I'll do what you have asked. You are respected by everyone in town.

12It's true that I am one of the relatives who is supposed to take care of you, but there is someone who is an even closer relative. 13Stay here until morning, then I will find out if he is willing to look after you. If he isn't, I promise by the living God to do it myself. Now go back to sleep until morning.

14Ruth lay down again, but she got up before daylight, because Boaz did not want anyone to know she had been there. 15Then he told her to spread out her cape. And he filled it with a lot of grain and placed it on her shoulder.

When Ruth got back to town, 16Naomi asked her what had happened, and Ruth told her everything. 17She also said, “Boaz gave me this grain, because he didn't want me to come back without something for you.”

18Naomi replied, “Just be patient and don't worry about what will happen. He won't rest until everything is settled today!”

Ruth 4

Ruth and Boaz get married

1Meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited him to come over and sit down, and he did. 2Then Boaz got ten of the town leaders and also asked them to sit down. After they had sat down, 3he said to the man:

Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling the land that belonged to her husband Elimelech. 4I am telling you about this, since you are his closest relative and have the right to buy the property. If you want it, you can buy it now. These ten men and the others standing here can be witnesses. But if you don't want the property, let me know, because I am next in line.

The man replied, “I will buy it!”

5“If you do buy it from Naomi,” Boaz told him, “you must also marry Ruth. Then if you have a son by her, the property will stay in the family of Ruth's first husband.”

6The man answered, “If that's the case, I don't want to buy it! That would make problems with the property I already own. You may buy it yourself, because I cannot.”

7To make a sale legal in those days, one person would take off a sandal and give it to the other. 8So after the man had agreed to let Boaz buy the property, he took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz.

9Boaz told the town leaders and everyone else:

All of you are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi the property that belonged to Elimelech and his two sons, Chilion and Mahlon. 10You are also witnesses that I have agreed to marry Mahlon's widow Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the property in his family's name, and he will be remembered in this town.

11The town leaders and the others standing there said:

We are witnesses to this. And we pray that the LORD will give your wife many children, just as he did Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob. May you be a rich man in the tribe of Ephrath and an important man in Bethlehem. 12May the children you have by this young woman make your family as famous as the family of Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.

13Boaz married Ruth, and the LORD blessed her with a son. 14After his birth, the women said to Naomi:

Praise the LORD! Today he has given you a grandson to take care of you. We pray that the boy will grow up to be famous everywhere in Israel. 15He will make you happy and take care of you in your old age, because he is the son of your daughter-in-law. And she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you.

16Naomi loved the boy and took good care of him. 17The neighbourhood women named him Obed, but they called him “Naomi's Boy”.

When Obed grew up he had a son named Jesse, who later became the father of King David. 18-22Here is a list of the ancestors of David: Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Ram, Hezron, and Perez.

Ruth 1:1-4:22CEVOpen in Bible reader

Luke 6

Judging others

37Jesus said:

Don't judge others, and God won't judge you. Don't be hard on others, and God won't be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.

39Jesus also used some sayings as he spoke to the people. He said:

Can one blind person lead another blind person? Won't they both fall into a ditch? 40Are students better than their teacher? But when they are fully trained, they will be like their teacher.

41You can see the speck in your friend's eye. But you don't notice the log in your own eye. 42How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don't see the log in your own eye? You show-offs! First, get the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.

Jesus continued:

43A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 44You can tell what a tree is like by the fruit it produces. You cannot pick figs or grapes from thorn bushes. 45Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart.

Jesus continued:

46Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say? 47Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When the flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn't even shake. 49But anyone who hears what I say and doesn't obey me is like someone whose house wasn't built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!

Luke 6:37-49CEVOpen in Bible reader
Canadian Bible Societyv.4.23.1
Follow us on: