Day 97, 6 April 2024

1) Ruth
1 Chronicles 2:9-55
1 Chronicles 4:1-23
1 Samuel 1:1-8

RUTH 1

Naomi Loses

1 (Ge 12:10; 26:1) In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine
in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the land
of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
2 (Ge 35:19) The name of the man was Elimelek, the name of his wife
was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.
They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to Moab
and lived there.
3 Now Elimelek, the husband of Naomi, died,
so she was left alone with her two sons.
4 (Mt 1:5) They took Moabite wives for themselves; the name of one
was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
5 Then Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left
without her two sons and her husband.
6 (Ex 4:31; Ps 132:15) So she got up with her daughters-in-law to return
from the land of Moab, for in the land of Moab, she had heard
that the Lord had visited His people by giving them food.
7 She set out from the place where she had been,
with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way
to return to the land of Judah.
8 (Ru 1:5; 2:20) Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly
with you, as you have dealt with your deceased husbands and with me.
9 (Ru 3:1) May the Lord grant that you each find rest
in the house of another husband."
Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept aloud.
10 They said to her, "We will return with you to your people."
11 (Ge 38:11; Dt 25:5) But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters.
Why would you go with me? Are there sons in my womb,
who could become your husbands?
12 Turn back, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband.
Even if I thought that there was still hope for me, that I could have
a husband tonight and give birth to sons,
13 (Jdg 2:15; Job 19:2) 1would you wait until they were grown?
Would you refrain from getting married? No, my daughters.
It is much more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord
has turned against me."
14 (Pr 17:17; 18:24) Then they raised their voices and wept aloud once more.
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 (Jdg 11:24; Jos 24:15) Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned
to her people and her gods. Return with her!"
16 (Ru 2:11-12) But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back
from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay,
I will stay. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
17 (1Sa 3:17; 25:22) Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.
May the Lord do thus to me, and worse,
if anything but death separates you and me!"
18 (Ac 21:14) When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her,
she said no more to her.
19 (Mt 21:10) So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem.
When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them,
and the women asked, "Is this Naomi?"
20 (Job 6:4) But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara,
because the Almighty has brought great bitterness to me.
21 (Job 1:21) I was full when I left, but the Lord has caused me to return
empty. Why should you call me Naomi when the Lord has opposed me?
The Almighty has brought misfortune upon me!"
22 (Ru 2:23; 2Sa 21:9) So Naomi returned from the land of Moab
with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law.
They came to Bethlehem at the start of the spring barley harvest.

Ruth 1
[1] Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a
famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in
the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
[2] And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi,
and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of
Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
[3] And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
[4] And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was
Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten
years.
[5] And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of
her two sons and her husband.
[6] Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the
country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD
had visited his people in giving them bread.
[7] Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two
daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land
of Judah.
[8] And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her
mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the
dead, and with me.
[9] The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of
her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
[10] And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy
people.
[11] And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are
there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
[12] Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an
husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to
night, and should also bear sons;
[13] Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them
from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your
sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
[14] And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her
mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
[15] And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people,
and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
[16] And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou
lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
[17] Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do
so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
[18] When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she
left speaking unto her.
[19] So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass,
when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them,
and they said, Is this Naomi?
[20] And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the
Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
[21] I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why
then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the
Almighty hath afflicted me?
[22] So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with
her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem
in the beginning of barley harvest.

RUTH 2

Ruth Meets Boaz

1 (Ru 3:2; 3:12) Now Naomi had a relative of her husband,
a man of prominence and means from the clan of Elimelek. His name was Boaz.
2 (Lev 19:9; 23:22) Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go into
the field and glean among the heads of grain behind anyone
in whose eyes I may find favor."
Naomi said to her, "Go, my daughter.."
3 So she went to glean in the field behind the harvesters. She happened
to come to a part of the field belonging to Boaz,
who was from the clan of Elimelek.
4 (Ps 129:7-8; Lk 1:28) Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem
and said to the harvesters, "May the Lord be with you!"
And they said to him, "May the Lord bless you."
5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of his harvesters,
"Whose young woman is this?"
6 (Ru 1:22) So the servant who was in charge of his harvesters answered,
"She is the young Moabitess woman who came back with Naomi
from the land of Moab.
7 She said, 'Please let me glean and gather grain among the bundles
behind the harvesters.' So she came and has remained from morning
until now, though she rested a little while in the house."
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Do not go to glean
in another field and leave this one. Stay close to my young women.
9 Keep your eyes on the field in which they reap and follow after them.
I have commanded the men not to touch you. When you are thirsty,
go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn."
10 (1Sa 25:23) So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground,
and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes,
that you should acknowledge me, a foreigner?"
11 Boaz answered and said to her, "I have been told all that you have done
for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband,
and how you left your father and mother and your homeland
and came to a people you did not know before.
12 (1Sa 24:19; Ru 1:16) May the Lord reward your deeds.
May you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel,
under whose wings you have come to take refuge."
13 (Ge 33:15; 1Sa 1:18) Then she said, "May I find favor in your eyes,
my lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly
to your servant, though I am not like one of your servant girls."
14 (Ru 2:18) At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here,
and eat some bread, and dip your piece in the vinegar."
So she sat down beside the harvesters, and he passed her some roasted grain.
She ate and was full and had some left over.
15 When she got up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men,
"Let her glean even among the bundles, and do not harm her.
16 Also pull out some grain for her from the bundles and leave it
so that she may glean it, and do not rebuke her."
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out
what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah
[Likely about 30 pounds, or 13 kilograms.]
of barley.
18 (Ru 2:14) She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law
saw what she had gleaned. She drew it out and gave her what she had left,
after she had been satisfied.
19 (Ru 2:10; Ps 41:1) Her mother-in-law said to her,
"Where did you glean today, and where did you work?
May he who took notice of you be blessed."
So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked,
and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."
20 (2Sa 2:5; Ru 3:9-10) Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law,
"May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn His kindness
to the living and to the dead." Naomi said to her, "This man is
a close relative of ours, one of our redeeming relatives."
21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He even told me, 'You should stay close
to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.' "
22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law,
"It is better, my daughter, that you go with his young women,
for in someone else's field you might be harmed."
23 So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz to glean until
the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest.
And she lived with her mother-in-law.