Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. 2Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favour. She said to her, Go, my daughter. 3She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, As-Salam-u Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah[1]. They answered him, Wa Alaikum As-Salam Wa Rahmatullah-i Wa Barakat-uh[2]. 5Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose young lady is this? 6The servant who was set over the reapers answered, It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7She said, Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she stayed a little in the house. 8Then Boaz said to Ruth, Don’t you hear, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field, neither pass from here, but stay here close to my maidens. 9Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them: haven’t I charged the young men that they shall not touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favour in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, seeing I am a foreigner? 11Boaz answered her, It has fully been shown me, all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband; and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you did not know before. 12May Allah pay you for your work, and a full reward be given you by Allah, the God of Israel, under whose wings you are come to take refuge. 13Then she said, Let me find favour in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not as one of your maidservants. 14At meal-time Boaz said to her, Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar. She sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she ate, and was sufficed, and left of it. 15When she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and do not rebuke her. 17So she gleaned in the field until even; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18She 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. 19Her mother-in-law said to her, Where have you gleaned today? And where have you worked? Blessed be he who did take knowledge of you. She showed her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz. 20Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Allah, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. Naomi said to her, The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen. 21Ruth the Moabitess said, Yes, he said to me, You shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field. 23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.
[1] Often translated, “The Lord be with you.” This is similar in function to the greeting given here. It would have been unusual for an employer to express such goodwill towards his employees. It demonstrates character in Boaz.
[2] Often translated, “And the Lord bless you!” This is similar in function to the greeting given here.