Heroes of Israel Part 22

So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pa.s.s, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

And she said unto them, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?"

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her; and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

=--55. In the Barley Field= (Ruth 2)

A. THE GLEANERS

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth; and his name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, "Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor."

And she said unto her, "Go, my daughter."

And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to light on the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz.

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, "The Lord be with you."

And they answered him, "The Lord bless thee."

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, "Whose damsel is this?"

And he answered, "It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: and she said, 'Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house."

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, "Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pa.s.s from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn."

Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, "Why have I found favor in thy sight, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner?"

And Boaz answered and said unto her, "It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge."

Then she said, "Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens."

And at meal-time Boaz said unto her, "Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar."

And she sat beside the reapers; and they reached her parched grain, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof.

And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not. And also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and rebuke her not."

B. THE HUMBLE AND HAPPY HOME

So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about a bushel of barley. And she took it up, and went into the city; and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had left after she was sufficed.

And her mother-in-law said unto her, "Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee."

And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, "The man's name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz."

And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." And Naomi said unto her, "The man is nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen."

And Ruth the Moabitess said, "Yea, he said unto me, 'Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.'"

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, and that they meet thee not in any other field."

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

=--56. At the Threshing Floor= (Ruth 3)

A. THE PLAN

And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor; but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down: and he will tell thee what thou shalt do." And she said unto her, "All that thou sayest I will do."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Copyright 1904 by Underwood and Underwood_ WINNOWING GRAIN]

B. THE DUTY OF THE KINSMAN

And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

And it came to pa.s.s at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

And he said, "Who art thou?"

And she answered, "I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman."

And he said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; but if he will not, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning."

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor."

And he said, "Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it," and she held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city.

And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How hast thou fared, my daughter?"

And she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, "These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, 'Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.'"

Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day."

=--57. At the City Gate= (Ruth 4:1-17)

A. THE PURCHASE

Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by: unto whom he said, "Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here." And he turned aside, and sat down.

And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit ye down here." And they sat down.

And he said unto the near kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: and I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, 'Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people.' If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee."