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When Boaz looked round the field,
he saw Ruth very busy gleaning, and he asked who she was. His
servant said, "It is the damsel who came with Naomi from
Moab." Then Boaz went to her, and said, "Stay here with my
maidens, and follow them, and glean after the reapers; and when thou art
thirsty, go and drink what my servants have drawn." Ruth
wondered at the kindness of Boaz, whom she had never seen before, and she
fell down humbly before him, and asked, "Why dost thou show so much
kindness to me a stranger?" Then Boaz said, "Because I
have heard all thou hast done to thy mother-in-law: thou hast left
thy home to go with her, and thou hast chosen the Lord to be thy God, and
put thy trust in Him. May He bless and reward thee." Then
Ruth thanked Boaz. She was not proud of her goodness. She knew
she was a sinner, and deserved nothing; but she felt thankful to God, who
gave her kind friends in a strange country. When
it was meal-time, Boaz told Ruth to sit by his servants, and eat; and when
she had finished, she went again directly to her work. Ruth did not
eat all the food given her, but put some away for her mother-in-law, and
when it was evening, she took up her barley, and went home. She did
not stay talking and idling, for she knew that her mother was alone, so
she made haste to go to her. Then Naomi asked, "Where hast thou
gleaned to-day?" And Ruth told her all about Boaz, and his
kindness in letting her glean in his field. Naomi was much pleased
to hear this; and she told Ruth, that Boaz was her relation, and that she
felt sure he would be kind to them, and help them. All
the harvest time, Ruth went every day to glean in the fields of Boaz, and
came home every evening, with corn and food for Naomi. Were they
happy? Yes, because they lived together in the love of God.
They were poor, but they knew that God could keep them, and they trusted
in Him. Riches cannot make us happy; but God's blessing can make us
happy without them. At
last, harvest time was over, and what could Ruth do then? There was
no more corn to glean, but God did not forget her. She had given
herself up to Him, and He promises always to take care of His
people. Naomi's relation, Boaz, was very fond of Ruth. He
loved her, because she loved God, and because she was industrious, and
dutiful, and attentive to Naomi. Elimelech had had a possession in
Canaan, and Boaz said, he would buy that possession, and marry Ruth,
according to a custom among the Israelites. So Boaz and Ruth
married, and were happy together, because they both served God, and His
blessing was upon them. They had a little son named Obed.
Naomi loved this child, and she took him in her arms, and nursed him, and
praised God who had made them all so happy, and given them so many
blessings. Obed lived to
grow up to be a man. He was the father of Jesse, and the grandfather
of David king of Israel; and many kings descended from him. Thus God
honored His faithful servants.
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