Eli Miller, a wealthy resident living in Bethlehem, is as hungry and cold as everyone else. In order to survive, he had to flee with his wife and children and visit relatives and friends in Moab. Because of his hard work, he soon died in another country, leaving behind his wife Naomi and his sons Mahlon and Kirian. When the two sons grew up, they married Moab's daughters Orba and Ruth respectively. They have lived together for ten years, with harmonious families and deep feelings. Who knows, the good times didn't last long. Two men died one after another, leaving only two generations of widows miserable.
Poor Naomi, widowed in middle age and childless in old age, is in a foreign country, always sad and misses her hometown. One day, she heard that the situation in her hometown was improving and decided to leave this sad place and return to her hometown. But what about the two daughters-in-law? She must think of them!
So she told her two daughters-in-law: "Daughters-in-law, now, I want to leave my roots and go back to China. Although I like you very much, I can't take you to my country and let you live among strangers. " Seeing that the daughters-in-law wanted to talk, she stopped them with her hand and continued: "What about you? I suggest that we go back to our parents' house, find a good man to marry and rebuild a happy little family. May God be kind to you, just as you are kind to your husband and me. " Say that finish, ready to kiss them goodbye.
However, the two daughters-in-law are reluctant to part with their mother-in-law. They burst into tears: "Mother-in-law, we will never leave you, and we will go back to your country with you."
Naomi was sad, too. She and her two daughters-in-law get along like mother and daughter, but she still persuades them with tears: "Daughters, listen to me and go back to your relatives' home. Why do you have to leave your hometown with me and suffer in a strange place? " The two daughters-in-law have their own opinions. She added, "Now that I am old, I can't have another son to be your husband. Why do you want to live alone all your life? Even if I have children now, you can't wait for them to grow up and not get married! "
The two daughters-in-law burst into tears. As a last resort, Oba had to kiss her mother-in-law goodbye with tears in her eyes. Ruth doesn't want to leave her mother-in-law anyway. She wants to accompany her, take care of her and be a daughter-in-law's filial piety.
Naomi advised her, "Look, my dear daughter, Orba, has stayed in her own country and returned to her parents' house. Please follow her. "
Ruth made up her mind, and she replied, "You can't say anything. Now that you are old and need someone to take care of you, I will follow you. Your country is my country, and your god is my god. Wherever you go, I will go; Where you live, I will live; Wherever you die and are buried, I will die and be buried. "
Seeing that Ruth was so determined, Naomi stopped persuading her to go back to her mother's house and took her back to her hometown-Bethlehem.
When two widows appeared in Bethlehem, the whole city was surprised. The villagers asked, "Isn't this Naomi who escaped from the desert?"
Naomi replied, "Folks, don't call me Naomi again. I am no longer a happy person. I am in pain. " You see, I returned with a full load, but empty-handed. This is God's punishment for me. For me, a bad karma person, you should call me Mara (bitter meaning). "
When people learned about her misfortune and her daughter-in-law's filial piety, they were filled with emotion, and at the same time they were full of praise and admiration for Lu.
When the mother-in-law returned to her original home, she saw that her ancestral home, which had been uninhabited for many years, was dilapidated and surrounded by weeds. Ruth immediately rolled up her sleeves and cleaned up without complaint.
Two widows, empty-handed, must find something to do to support themselves. At that time, it was the season of sickle harvest. Ruth discussed with her mother-in-law and said, "Mother-in-law, let me pick some wheat ears in the field for a living." Mother-in-law nodded helplessly and told her to go early and come back early.
Ruth came to the wheat field outside the city and followed the reaper to pick up the lost ears of wheat. The place where she picked the ears of wheat was the field of Boaz, a rich man in the city. It happened that Boaz, who had just returned from Bethlehem, came to the wheat field and politely greeted his servants: "May God be with you!" " "
The servants enthusiastically replied, "God bless you!" "
Looking around, he saw the mature ears of wheat swaying gently in the breeze, and piles of wheat bundles stood up in rows. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the earth is golden. Suddenly, he found a strange woman bending over to pick up the ears of wheat in the field. He asked the supervisor curiously, "Whose woman is that?"
The supervisor replied, "That's the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi. Her name is Ruth. She asked to pick some ears of wheat in the field and feed them to her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She has been picking it from morning until now, and she only took a break in the middle. "
Boaz went over and greeted Ruth. Ruth was a little scared when she saw her master. Boaz smiled and said gently, "Don't worry, Miss Ruth, just collect wheat from me and don't go to other fields. From now on, follow my servants, where they harvest, you will pick, and when you are thirsty, drink their water. I have told them not to bully you. "
Hearing this, Ruth bowed and thanked him and said, "I am a foreigner, and I appreciate you taking care of me."
Boaz replied, "You're welcome. I heard that you have been very filial to your mother-in-law since your husband died. In order to take care of your mother-in-law, you left your country and relatives to seek a life in this strange place. May God think of you and bless you. "
Ruth was very moved. She said, "Lord, thank you for understanding me. Although we are not familiar, you said this to comfort me. "
It's time for dinner. The servants sat together, and Ruth was the only one hiding behind the wheat pile. Boaz met her and immediately called to her, "Miss Ruth, come here and have dinner with everyone. Dip some bread in sauce. Very delicious. "
Ruth came and sat among the servants. Boaz handed her some biscuits. She only ate a little, put the rest away and took it to her mother-in-law, and continued to pick wheat ears by herself.
Boaz looked in his eyes and said to his servants privately, "Listen, everyone should be kind to the girl who gleaned wheat. You shouldn't yell at her or humiliate her, even if she picks them from the bundled wheat. I also want to deliberately throw some ears of wheat on the ground and let her pick them up. " In this way, Ruth picked many ears of wheat a day.
After work, she brought the ears of wheat back to the city, spread them out for her mother-in-law, and took the biscuits to her mother-in-law. Seeing her bumper harvest, her mother-in-law asked her, "Whose field did you pick wheat ears in today?" May God bless that kind man. "
Ruth told her mother-in-law, "I picked up ears of wheat in a rich field named Boaz today. He is really a good man. "
Naomi understood at once. She said, "May God be kind to him. He is a close relative of our family. "
Ruth also told her mother-in-law that Boaz told her to pick wheat ears in her field until the harvest was finished. Naomi said happily, "That's great. Don't go to other fields, lest people say that he doesn't take care of his relatives. " So, throughout the harvest season, Ruth left her mother-in-law to go out of town to pick wheat ears in the morning and went home to take care of her mother-in-law at night, every day.
When a filial daughter-in-law meets a charitable mother-in-law, Naomi always thinks of Ruth. Through observation and understanding during this period, she understood that Boaz and Ruth had good feelings for each other and were determined to complete the marriage.
One day, Naomi said to Ruth, "Daughter, as an elder, I should find you a place to live and let you enjoy it. According to the custom of our family, a close relative will marry his widow, and the eldest son born will be adopted to the name of the deceased, so as to inherit the industry and carry on the family line, so as not to make people die and the name will disappear from the world. I think Boaz is a good man and a close relative. I wonder if he will marry you? " In order to test each other, she told Ruth her plan: "Daughter, aren't you picking wheat ears in Boaz field?" He will winnow the wheat on the threshing floor tonight. You go to the threshing floor, take a bath, oil yourself, freshen up, put on new clothes, and go to the threshing floor before he recognizes who you are. When he goes to bed after dinner, you go in and uncover the quilt at his feet, and lie there obedient. "
Ruth replied, "I listen to you and do as you tell me."
In the evening, Lu had to do as her mother-in-law said. In the middle of the night, Boaz turned over and found a woman. He woke up and asked, "Who are you?"
Ruth answered, "I am your servant Ruth." Please cover me with your skirt, because you are my closest relative. "
Boaz immediately understood each other's purpose. He said, "Miss Ruth, God bless you. Your future happiness will be greater than the last one. Because you can marry a young man and enjoy yourself, but you don't. You should honor your mother-in-law and do a good deed in return. Now, don't be afraid Everyone in the city knows that you are a virtuous woman. What about me? It is true that he is your closest relative, but there are people closer than me. Tomorrow, I will ask his advice. If he wants to be a relative, let him be. If he refuses, I swear before God that I will do my duty for you and marry you. Stay here tonight, have a good rest and lie down until tomorrow morning. " Say that finish, they went to bed.
The next day, the east turned white and Ruth got up. Boaz said, "Please leave quickly, and don't let others know that you were here last night, so as not to gossip and ruin your reputation." Then, pinch six dustpans of barley, let her wrap it in a coat and carry it on her shoulders, and go into the city.
When her mother-in-law saw it, she asked with concern, "Daughter, what happened?"
Ruth told Boaz's words and deeds to her mother-in-law, and her mother-in-law comforted her and said, "Just wait, that man is very trustworthy, and he will never stop until this is done."
Boaz sent Ruth away, and went into the city himself, waiting for a relative who was closer to him. When the relative came to the city gate, he greeted him and said, "Please sit down. I have something to discuss with you." Meanwhile, Boaz invited four elders and told them to sit down. He turned to the relative and said, "Naomi has come back from Moab and wants to sell our brother Elimelech's land. You and I are both qualified to buy this land, but you are more qualified than me. You can talk about your thoughts in front of me and several elders. "
The next of kin said, "Of course I will buy it."
Boaz said, "You can buy land, but according to the custom, people who buy land must marry Ruth, the widow of Naomi's family, so that the deceased can share the inheritance."
The closest relative shook his head and said, "Then I won't buy it. Buy it yourself." As he spoke, he took off his shoes and handed them to Boaz (according to local rules, one of them had to take off his shoes to make a deal or decide something for another).
Boaz announced on the spot, "Please testify that I bought all things belonging to Elimelech, Mahlon and killian from Naomi, and married Ruth, a Moabitess, in order to leave a name for the dead in my estate and not make them extinct in my family."
Several elders and people around them said, "We can testify. May God bless you, bless you, make a fortune and give it to your descendants. "
So Boaz married Ruth as scheduled and gave birth to a son. The women blessed Naomi: "God took care of you and didn't leave you, a lonely old woman. We bless the eternal God! This child will love you and honor you in the future, because he gave birth to a daughter-in-law who loves you. It is better to have this daughter-in-law than to have seven sons. "
Naomi happily held the child in her arms and became his foster mother. Someone suggested, "If Naomi gives birth to a son in her later years, let's name him Obeid."
Later, Obed gave birth to Jesse, the father of the hero David.