A long time ago there was a man named Elimelech, who had a wife and two sons. His wife was named Naomi and the sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. When Elimelech died, Mahlon and Chilion married Orpah and Ruth. Ten years after they married, Mahlon and Chilion died, and Naomi was left without a male heir. Naomi decided to go to Judah. Orpah and Ruth wanted to go with her, but Naomi insisted that they return. Ruth decided she was going with Naomi.
When they came to Bethlehem, people asked, "Is not this Naomi?" "Call me not Naomi, but Mara," Naomi responded, "for Yahweh has dealt bitterly with me." Now there was a relative of Naomi's named Boaz and Ruth said, "I will go into a field and glean there." Now Ruth went to a field that happened to belong to Boaz. When Boaz went to greet the workers, he saw Ruth in his field. "Who is that young maiden over there?" he asked the overseer. It is the Moabitess Ruth, who came with her mother-in-law, Naomi," the overseer responded.
Boaz walked over and told Ruth to glean only in his field. Ruth thanked him and ate with him at lunchtime. When she went home, she had an ephah of barley. Naomi asked her where she went and when he responded, Naomi said, "Yahweh has blessed us, keep near." After the barley harvest, Naomi said "Is not this man our kindred?" Go lay down with him after he had laid down in the threshhold." When Boaz saw her, he said there was a closer relative. The relative did not want Ruth, so Boaz married Ruth, and they had a son who became the grandpa of King David.
By: Micaela Avalos
