Once, when the Judges were ruling Israel, there was a famine. A certain man from the tribe of juda therefore took his wife and two sons, and went to live in the land of Moab. This man died there.Once, when the Judges were ruling Israel, there was a famine. A certain man from the tribe of juda therefore took his wife and two sons, and went to live in the land of Moab. This man died there.
After several years the two sons married women of Moab, named Orpha and Ruth. When about ten more years had passed, the two sons also died. Their mother, Noemi, was left alone with her sons' wives.
Noemi decided to return to her people in Israel. She said to her daughters-in-law, "Go back to the house of your fathers. May God give you peace and happiness."
Orpha and Ruth wept, and wanted to follow Noemi, but she said, "Go back, my daughters." She then kissed them good-bye.
So Orpha left Noemi. But Ruth clung to her and would not leave her. She said, "Do not ask me to leave you, to be separated from you. For wherever you go. there will I go. Wherever you live, there I too will live. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you die, there I shall die and be buried. Nothing will part me from you."
Noemi was happy to see Ruth so faithful. She let her go along with her to the old home in Bethlehem of Judea.
Noemi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the harvest. Ruth asked permission of Noemi to pick up grain after reapers. She went to the field of Booz, a rich relative of Noemi's husband.
When Booz saw Ruth, he said to his workers, "Let her gather as much as she can. Leave some of your grain on the field, so that she may gather more, and do not disturb her."
Ruth worked in the field of Booz every day until evening, to the end of the harvest. She did not go to another field, because Booz was kind to her. She gathered after the reapers all day, beat out the grain, then went home and gave it to Noemi.
Later on, Ruth married Booz, and had a son. This son was named Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, the King.
- from My Bible History in Pictures, by Bishop Louis LaRavoire Morrow, D.D., 1934; it has the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael J O'Doherty of Manila, Philippines