Editing Book of Ruth (section)

==Summary==
[[File:Ruth.JPG|thumb|Hebrew text of Ruth]]
During the time of the [[Biblical judges|judges]], an Israelite family from [[Bethlehem]] (who are [[Ephrath]]ites)—[[Elimelech (biblical figure)|Elimelech]], his wife [[Naomi (Bible)|Naomi]], and their sons [[Mahlon and Chilion]]—emigrate to the nearby country of [[Moab]]. Elimelech dies, and the sons marry two Moabite women: Mahlon weds [[Ruth (biblical figure)|Ruth]] and Chilion [[Orpah]].

After about ten years, the two sons of Naomi also die in Moab ([[Ruth 1#Verse 4|1:4]]). Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. She tells her daughters-in-law to return to their own mothers and remarry. Orpah reluctantly leaves. However, Ruth demurs: "Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more may the Lord do to me if anything but death parts me from you." (Ruth 1:16–17 NJPS).

[[Image:1795-William-Blake-Naomi-entreating-Ruth-Orpah.jpg|thumb|300px|Naomi entreating Ruth and Orpah to return to the land of Moab by [[William Blake]], 1795]]
[[File:Dore Bible The Gleaners.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"The Gleaners", an engraving illustrating the Book of Ruth by [[Gustave Doré]] (1832–1883)]]
Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem at the beginning of the [[barley]] harvest and, in order to support her mother-in-law and herself, Ruth goes to the fields to [[gleaning|glean]]. As it happens, the field belongs to a man named [[Boaz]], who is kind to her because he has heard of her loyalty to her mother-in-law. Ruth tells Naomi of Boaz's kindness, and Ruth continues to glean in his field through the remainder of barley and wheat harvests.

Boaz, being a close relative of Naomi's husband's family, is therefore obliged by the [[Yibbum|levirate]] law to marry Ruth, Mahlon's widow, to carry on his family's inheritance. Naomi sends Ruth to the [[threshing floor]] at night where Boaz sleeps, directing Ruth to "uncover his feet and lie down" and await his instructions" ([[Ruth 3#Verse 4|3:4]]). Ruth complies. On awakening, Boaz asks her who she is, and she replies: "I am your [[handmaid]] Ruth. Spread your robe over your handmaid, for you are a redeeming kinsman" (3:9 NJPS).

Acknowledging he is a close relative, Boaz [[blessing|blesses]] her and agrees to do all that is required. He notes that "all the elders of my town know what a fine woman you are" (3:11 NJPS). However, Boaz advises her that she has a male relative closer than he. Ruth remains in submission at his feet until she returns to the city in the morning.

Early that morning, Boaz goes to the city gate to meet with the other male relative before the town elders. The relative is not named. Boaz addresses him as ''[[Ploni Almoni|ploni almoni]]'' "so and so". The relative, unwilling to jeopardize the inheritance of his own estate by marrying Ruth, relinquishes his [[right of redemption]], thus freeing Boaz to marry Ruth. They transfer the property, redeeming it, and ratify the redemption by the nearer kinsman taking off his shoe and handing it over to Boaz. [[Ruth 4#Verse 7|Ruth 4:7]] notes for later generations that:
:Now this was formerly done in Israel in cases of redemption or exchange: to validate any transaction, one man would take off his sandal and hand it to the other. Such was the practice in Israel. (NJPS)

Boaz and Ruth are then married and have a son. The women of the city celebrate Naomi's joy in finding a redeemer to preserve her family name. Naomi takes the child and places it on her bosom.

The child is named [[Obed (biblical figure)|Obed]], whom the reader discovers is "the father of [[Jesse (biblical figure)|Jesse]], the father of David" (Ruth 4:13–17); that is, he is the grandfather of [[King David]], and so Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David.

The book concludes with an appendix tracing the Davidic genealogy all the way back from [[Perez (son of Judah)|Perez]], "whom [[Tamar (Genesis)|Tamar]] bore to [[Judah (son of Jacob)|Judah]]", through to Obed, down to David.