And he said to his reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered,
The Lord bless thee.
Then he saw Ruth, who had happened to light upon his field, gleaning
after the reapers, and found out who she was, and bid her glean
without fear, and abide by his maidens, for he had charged the young
men that they shall not touch her.
'And Boaz said unto her, At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of
the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the
reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was
sufficed, and left.
'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 let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave
them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
'So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had
gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.'
Then follows the simple story, after the simple fashion of those
days. How Naomi bids Ruth wash and anoint herself, and put on her
best garments, and go down to Boaz' floor (his barn as we should call
it now) where he is going to eat, and drink, and sleep, and there
claim his protection as a near kinsman.
And how Ruth comes in softly and lies down at his feet, and how he
treats her honourably and courteously, and promises to protect her.
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