Ruth was a young girl who lived in the country of Moab. Her father and mother and all her relatives worshiped idols. Her neighbors worshiped idols, too. In fact, Ruth had never heard about the true God. Her nation, the Moabites, had never served God. They served a hideous-looking idol named Chemosh. This idol was some-times called a fire-god, because he was worshiped with fire. His image was made of brass, with a hollow place on the inside, in which fire was built. Then, when the brass image became red-hot, the sacrifices were placed in the outstretched arms. Sometimes even children were offered as sacrifices to this god. Ruth had often seen her people bow down before Chemosh. She, too, had been taught to fear and worship him.
Then one day some people from the land of Israel came to live near Ruth’s home. Because so little rain had fallen in their own land these people could not raise food enough: to eat. So they had come to Moab, where plenty of rain fell, and there they decided to stay until the famine should end in their own country.
After a while Ruth became acquainted with this Israelite family. She soon learned that they worshiped a different God from the god of the Moabites. Finally the man, whose name was Elimelech, died, leaving his wife, Naomi, and her two sons alone in a strange land. When the sons grew to manhood they married girls of Moab. One of the girls was named Of pah, and the other one was named Ruth—the Ruth of our story.
Now Ruth went to live with Naomi, her mother-in-law. Orpah, too, lived with them. And there these young women learned about the God of the Israelites. Instead of teaching her young husband to serve Chemosh, the fire-god, Ruth learned to serve the true God.
Ten years passed by, and Ruth’s husband died. His brother also died, leaving his mother alone with her two daughters-in-law. Now Naomi was very sad. She was too poor to care for herself, and when she heard that the famine had ended in her homeland she decided to return again to her own people. With a sad heart she started away from the strange country where her husband and sons lay buried.
Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi, and they wished to go with her to the land of Israel. But after they started Naomi urged them to turn back and leave her to go alone. She knew the journey would be long and tiresome for them, and she knew they had no friends waiting to welcome them there. Once she had been a stranger in Moab, and she remembered how it felt to live among people of a different nation. She told them they might be happier with their own people.
After a while Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by and turned back; but Ruth clung only more tightly to the dear old lady who had helped to teach her about the true God. She said: “Do not try to force me to turn back, for I will never leave you alone. Where you go, I will go; from this time your people shall become my people, and your God I choose to be my God.”
Naomi saw how truly Ruth loved her, and she did not talk to her any more about going back to her own mother’s home. Together these two women walked on and on, over the fields and hills. At last they came to the city of Bethlehem, where Naomi had once lived so happily with her husband and two little boys.
The people of Bethlehem were glad to see Naomi again. But they noticed quickly how trouble and sorrow had changed their old friend. They asked each other, “Can this be Naomi?” And when she heard them she said, “Do not call me Naomi now, but call me Mara,; for God has taken my loved ones away from me, and my life has become bitter indeed.” The word “Naomi” means pleasant, and the Word “Mara” means bitter; and Naomi thought her name should be changed because her happiness had been changed to sorrow. And Naomi told her friends how Ruth had chosen to come with her and to worship the God of Israel. At this time the grain was ripe in the fields, and the reapers were busy cutting it with sickles and binding it in bundles. The custom of the Israelites was to leave some stalks of grain in the fields for the poor people to gather. And Ruth went out to glean some grain for herself and; for her mother-in-law.
Now it happened that Ruth began to glean in the field of a very rich man, named Boaz. This man lived in Bethlehem, and his servants worked in his fields. While Ruth was busy at work, Boaz came to talk with his servants. He saw the strange young woman and he asked who she Was. The master of his servants replied, “This is the young Moabitess who came with Naomi from her own land. She asked me whether she might glean after our reapers, and I gave her my consent. sent.”
Boaz had heard how Ruth forsook her idol-worship and began to serve the true God. He had heard, too, how kind she had been to her mother-in-law. And now he saw her toiling patiently among strange people, trying to find food for herself and Naomi. And he admired the beautiful young woman. He told the reapers to treat her kindly, and to let some grain fall on purpose for her to gather. And he spoke kindly to her, and told her to come back every morning to glean in his fields. He invited her to eat lunch with his servants and tio relieve her thirst from their water-pitchers.
Ruth was very thankful for ruth this kindness. She “, n, bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Why are you so kind to one who is a Stranger?”
And Boaz replied, “I have been told about your kindness to your mother-in-law since your husband died, and I have heard how you left your own people and their idols to worship the true God. And now may the true God reward you with many blessings.”
Ruth told Naomi about the kindness of Boaz when she returned at evening with her garnered sheaves, or bundles. And Naomi said “This man is a relative of my husband’s. Stay in his field as long as the harvest lasts.”
At the end of the harvest the bundles were taken to the threshing-floor, where the kernels of grain were separated from the chaff and straw. “Then a feast was held, and the rich and the poor rejoiced to gether because God had given them food for another year. Naomi sent Ruth to the threshing-floor when Boaz held a feast. She told Ruth to speak to Boaz about their kinship, and to ask him to treat them kindly for the sake of her husband and his father, Who had died in Moab.
Boaz had seen how well Ruth behaved, how quietly and carefully she worked, and he had admired her conduct very much. Now he saw that he loved her. And when she told him about Naomi’s words he promised to treat them kindly.
Not long after this time Boaz married Ruth, and took her to live in his own house. And he took care of Naomi, too, as long as she lived. And Naomi became the nurse of the baby boy which God gave to Boaz and Ruth. This little boy they named Obed.
Because Ruth chose to serve God, he blessed her and gave her a happy home in the land of Israel. And she became the great-grand-mother of David, who was one of Israel’s bravest kings. From her descendants long years afterwards was born the wonderful Child who became the Savior of the world.