Ruth Works Hard and Meets Boaz

Ruth and Naomi were in Bethlehem, but they had no food and no money. Ruth said, 'Let me go to the fields. I can pick up the leftover grain that the workers drop. That way we'll have food!'

Naomi said, 'Okay, go ahead.'

Ruth went to a field and started picking up grain. It was hot, hard work. She bent down again and again, picking up pieces of grain from the ground.

She didn't know it, but the field belonged to a nice man named Boaz. And Boaz was part of Naomi's family!

Boaz came to check on his workers. He saw Ruth. 'Who is that?' he asked.

'That's Ruth. She came from Moab to take care of Naomi. She's been working hard all day!'

Boaz went over to Ruth. 'Stay in my field,' he said kindly. 'Don't go anywhere else. Stay with my workers. They'll keep you safe. When you're thirsty, drink from our water jars.'

Ruth was so surprised! She bowed down. 'Why are you being so kind to me? I'm from a different country!'

Boaz said, 'I heard about you! I heard how you left everything to take care of Naomi. I heard how you chose to follow the true God. May God bless you for being so good!'

'Thank you!' said Ruth. 'You're so kind!'

At lunch time, Boaz invited Ruth to eat with him! He gave her bread and grain. She ate until she was full and even had extra to take home.

Then Boaz told his workers secretly, 'Drop extra grain for Ruth to find. Make it easy for her to pick up lots of grain.'

Ruth worked until evening. When she measured the grain she'd picked up, she had SO much! Way more than she expected!

She carried it home to Naomi. Naomi's eyes got big. 'Where did you work? Who helped you?'

'A man named Boaz!' said Ruth.

Naomi smiled for the first time in a long time. 'Boaz! He's part of our family! God is being so good to us!'

Ruth kept working in Boaz's field all summer long. Boaz was always kind to her. God was taking care of Ruth and Naomi!