1, 2. (a) Describe the journey of Ruth and Naomi and the burden of grief they carried. (b) How did Ruth’s journey differ from that of Naomi?

RUTH walked beside Naomi on a road that stretched across the high, windswept plains of Moab. They were alone now, two tiny figures in a vast landscape. Imagine Ruth noticing that the afternoon shadows had lengthened, then looking at her mother-in-law and wondering if it was time to find a place to rest for the night. She loved Naomi dearly and would do all she could to care for her.

² Each woman bore a heavy burden of grief. Naomi had been a widow for years now, but she was mourning more recent losses​—the deaths of her two sons, Chilion and Mahlon. Ruth too was grieving. Mahlon was her husband. She and Naomi were heading to the same destination, the town of Bethlehem in Israel. In a way, though, their journeys differed. Naomi was going home. Ruth was venturing into the unknown, leaving her own kin, her homeland, and all its customs​—including its gods—​behind her.​—Read Ruth 1:3-6.

3. The answers to what questions will help us to imitate the faith of Ruth?

³ What would move a young woman to make such a drastic change? How would Ruth find the strength to make a new life for herself and to take care of Naomi? In learning the answers, we will find much to imitate in the faith of Ruth the Moabitess. (See also the box “A Masterpiece in Miniature.”) First, let us consider how those two women came to be on that long road to Bethlehem.

A Family Torn Apart by Tragedy

4, 5. (a) Why did Naomi’s family move to Moab? (b) What challenges did Naomi face in Moab?

⁴ Ruth grew up in Moab, a small country that lay to the east of the Dead Sea. The region consisted mostly of high, sparsely wooded tablelands cut through by deep ravines. “The fields of Moab” often proved to be fertile farmland, even when famine stalked Israel. That, in fact, was why Ruth first came into contact with Mahlon and his family.​—Ruth 1:1.

⁵ A famine in Israel had convinced Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, that he must move his wife and two sons away from their homeland and take up living in Moab as aliens. The move must have presented challenges to the faith of each family member, for Israelites needed to worship regularly at the sacred place Jehovah had designated. (Deut. 16:16, 17) Naomi managed to keep her faith alive. Still, she was grief-stricken when her husband died.​—Ruth 1:2, 3.

6, 7. (a) Why might Naomi have been concerned when her sons married Moabite women? (b) Why was Naomi’s treatment of her daughters-in-law commendable?

⁶ Naomi might well have suffered again later when her sons married Moabite women. (Ruth 1:4) She knew that her nation’s forefather, Abraham, went to great lengths to procure a wife for his son, Isaac, from among his own people, who worshipped Jehovah. (Gen. 24:3, 4) Later, the Mosaic Law warned the Israelites not to let their sons and daughters marry foreigners, for fear that God’s people would be led into idolatry.​—Deut. 7:3, 4.

⁷ Nevertheless, Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite women. If Naomi was concerned or disappointed, she evidently made sure that she showed her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, genuine kindness and love. Perhaps she hoped that they too would someday come to worship Jehovah as she did. At any rate, both Ruth and Orpah were fond of Naomi. That good relationship helped them when tragedy struck. Before either of the young women had borne children, both became widows.​—Ruth 1:5.

8. What may have drawn Ruth to Jehovah?

⁸ Did Ruth’s religious background prepare her for such a tragedy? It is hard to see how it could have. The Moabites worshipped many gods, the chief among them being Chemosh. (Num. 21:29) It seems that the Moabite religion was not exempt from the brutality and horrors common in those times, including the sacrifice of children. Anything Ruth learned from Mahlon or Naomi about the loving and merciful God of Israel, Jehovah, surely struck her as a marked contrast. Jehovah ruled through love, not terror. (Read Deuteronomy 6:5.) In the wake of her devastating loss, Ruth may have drawn even closer to Naomi and listened willingly to the older woman as she spoke about the almighty God, Jehovah, his wonderful works, and the loving, merciful way he dealt with his people.

9-11. (a) What decision did Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah make? (b) What can we learn from the tragedies that befell Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah?

⁹ Naomi, for her part, was eager for news of her homeland. One day she heard, perhaps from a traveling merchant, that the famine in Israel was over. Jehovah had turned his attention to his people. Bethlehem was again living up to its name, which means “House of Bread.” Naomi decided to return home.​—Ruth 1:6.

¹⁰ What would Ruth and Orpah do? (Ruth 1:7) They had grown close to Naomi through their shared ordeal. Ruth in particular, it seems, was drawn to Naomi’s kindness and her steadfast faith in Jehovah. The three widows set off for Judah together.

¹¹ The account of Ruth reminds us that tragedy and loss beset good, honest people as well as bad. (Eccl. 9:2, 11) It shows us too that in the face of unbearable loss, we are wise to seek comfort and solace in others​—especially those who seek refuge in Jehovah, the God whom Naomi worshipped.​—Prov. 17:17.

The Loyal Love of Ruth

12, 13. Why did Naomi want Ruth and Orpah to go back to their homes instead of accompanying her, and how did the two young women react at first?

¹² As the miles stretched out behind the three widows, another concern began weighing on Naomi. She thought of the two young women at her side and of the love they had shown to her and her sons. She could not bear the thought of adding to their burdens now. If they left their homeland and came with her, what could she do for them in Bethlehem?

¹³ Finally, Naomi spoke up: “Go, return each one to the house of her mother. May Jehovah exercise loving-kindness toward you, just as you have exercised it toward the men now dead and toward me.” She also expressed a hope that Jehovah would reward them with new husbands and new lives. “Then she kissed them,” the account says, “and they began to raise their voices and weep.” It is not hard to see why Ruth and Orpah felt so attached to this kindhearted and unselfish woman. Both of them kept insisting: “No, but with you we shall return to your people.”​—Ruth 1:8-10.

14, 15. (a) To what did Orpah return? (b) How did Naomi try to persuade Ruth to leave her?

¹⁴ Naomi was not so easily persuaded, though. She reasoned forcefully that there was little that she could do for them in Israel, since she had no husband to provide for her, no sons for them to marry, and no prospects of either. She revealed that her inability to care for them was a source of real bitterness to her. With Orpah, Naomi’s words hit home. She had family there in Moab, a mother, and a home that was waiting for her. It really did seem more practical to remain in Moab. So, with a heavy heart, she kissed Naomi good-bye and turned away.​—Ruth 1:11-14.

¹⁵ What about Ruth? Naomi’s arguments applied to her as well. Yet, we read: “As for Ruth, she stuck with her.” Perhaps Naomi had resumed walking on the road when she noticed that Ruth was trailing behind her. She remonstrated: “Look! Your widowed sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Return with your widowed sister-in-law.” (Ruth 1:15) Naomi’s words reveal a vital detail to the reader. Orpah had returned not only to her people but also to “her gods.” She was content to remain a worshipper of Chemosh and other false gods. Was that how Ruth felt?

16-18. (a) How did Ruth demonstrate loyal love? (b) What can we learn from Ruth about loyal love? (See also the pictures of the two women.)

¹⁶ As she faced Naomi on that lonely road, Ruth’s heart was sure and clear. It swelled with love for Naomi​—and for the God whom Naomi served. So Ruth spoke: “Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I shall go, and where you spend the night I shall spend the night. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I shall die, and there is where I shall be buried. May Jehovah do so to me and add to it if anything but death should make a separation between me and you.”​—Ruth 1:16, 17.

¹⁷ Ruth’s words are remarkable​—so much so that they have long outlived her, echoing down through some 30 centuries. They perfectly reveal a precious quality, loyal love. The love that Ruth felt was so strong and so loyal that she would stick with Naomi wherever she went. Only death could separate them. Naomi’s people would become her own people, for Ruth was ready to leave behind everything she knew in Moab​—even the Moabite gods. Unlike Orpah, Ruth could wholeheartedly say that she wanted Naomi’s God, Jehovah, to be her own God as well.a

¹⁸ So they traveled on, just the two of them now, on the long road to Bethlehem. By one estimate, the journey might have taken as long as a week. Surely, though, each found in the company of the other some measure of comfort in the face of grief.

19. How do you think we can imitate Ruth’s loyal love in our family, among our friends, and in the congregation?

¹⁹ There is no shortage of grief in this world. In our own times, which the Bible calls “critical times hard to deal with,” we face all manner of losses as well as grief. (2 Tim. 3:1) The quality we find in Ruth has thus become more important than ever. Loyal love​—the kind of love that holds on to its object and simply refuses to let go—​is a powerful force for good in this darkening world. We need it in marriage, we need it in family relations, we need it in friendships, we need it in the Christian congregation. (Read 1 John 4:7, 8, 20.) As we cultivate that kind of love, we are imitating the outstanding example of Ruth.

Ruth and Naomi in Bethlehem

20-22. (a) How had Naomi’s life in Moab affected her? (b) Naomi held what mistaken view of her hardships? (See also James 1:13.)

²⁰ It is, of course, one thing to put loyal love into words; it is quite another to prove the quality in action. Ruth had before her the opportunity to show her loyal love not only to Naomi but also to the God whom she chose as her own, Jehovah.

²¹ The two women finally reached Bethlehem, a village about six miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem. Naomi and her family, it seems, had once been quite prominent in that little town, for the whole place was buzzing with the news of Naomi’s return. The women there would peer at her and say, “Is this Naomi?” Evidently, her sojourn in Moab had left her much changed; her countenance and bearing showed the mark of years of hardship and grief.​—Ruth 1:19.

²² To those kinswomen and neighbors of years past, Naomi revealed how bitter her life had become to her. She even felt that her name should be changed from Naomi, which means “My Pleasantness,” to Mara, which means “Bitter.” Poor Naomi! Much like Job before her, she believed that Jehovah God had brought her hardships on her.​—Ruth 1:20, 21; Job 2:10; 13:24-26.

23. What did Ruth begin to think about, and what provision did the Mosaic Law make for the poor? (See also footnote.)

²³ As the two women settled into life in Bethlehem, Ruth began thinking about how best to take care of herself and Naomi. She learned that the Law that Jehovah had given to his people in Israel included a loving provision for the poor. They were allowed to go into the fields at harvesttime and follow the reapers, gleaning what was left behind as well as what grew at the edges and corners of the fields.b​—Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19-21.

24, 25. What did Ruth do when she chanced upon the fields of Boaz, and what was the gleaning work like?

²⁴ It was the time of the barley harvest, likely in April by our modern calendar, and Ruth went to the fields to see who would let her work under the provision for gleaners. She chanced upon the fields of a man named Boaz, a wealthy landowner and a relative of Naomi’s dead husband, Elimelech. Though the Law gave her the right to glean, she did not take it for granted; she asked the young man in charge of the harvesters for permission to work. He granted it, and then Ruth got right to work.​—Ruth 1:22–2:3, 7.

²⁵ Imagine Ruth following the harvesters. As they cut through the barley with their flint sickles, she stooped to pick up what they dropped or left behind, bundled the stalks into sheaves, and carried them off to a spot where she could beat out the grain later. It was slow, tiring work, and it got harder as the morning wore on. Yet, Ruth kept at it, stopping only to wipe the sweat from her brow and to eat a simple lunch in “the house”​—likely a shelter set up to provide shade for the workers.

26, 27. What kind of a person was Boaz, and how did he treat Ruth?

²⁶ Ruth probably neither hoped nor expected to be noticed, but she was. Boaz saw her and asked the young foreman who she was. A remarkable man of faith, Boaz greeted his workers​—some of whom may have been day laborers or even foreigners—​with the words: “Jehovah be with you.” And they responded in kind. This spiritually-minded older man took a fatherly interest in Ruth.​—Ruth 2:4-7.

²⁷ Calling her “my daughter,” Boaz advised Ruth to keep coming to his fields to glean and to stay near the young women of his household to avoid being harassed by any of the workmen. He made sure that she had food to eat at lunchtime. (Read Ruth 2:8, 9, 14.) Above all, though, he sought to commend and encourage her. How so?

28, 29. (a) What kind of reputation did Ruth have? (b) How can you, like Ruth, take refuge in Jehovah?

²⁸ When Ruth asked Boaz what she, a foreigner, had done to deserve his kind favor, he replied that he had heard about all that she had done for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Likely Naomi had praised her beloved Ruth among the women of Bethlehem, and word had reached Boaz. He knew, too, that Ruth had turned to the worship of Jehovah, for he said: “May Jehovah reward the way you act, and may there come to be a perfect wage for you from Jehovah the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”​—Ruth 2:12.

²⁹ How those words must have encouraged Ruth! She had, indeed, decided to take refuge under the wings of Jehovah God, like a young bird securely nestled against a protective parent. She thanked Boaz for speaking to her so reassuringly. And she kept on working until evening fell.​—Ruth 2:13, 17.

30, 31. What can we learn from Ruth about work habits, appreciation, and loyal love?

³⁰ Ruth’s faith in action is an excellent example for all of us today who struggle in these difficult economic times. She did not think that others owed her anything, so she appreciated everything that was offered her. She felt no shame in working long and hard to care for one she loved, even though it was humble work. She gratefully accepted and applied wise advice about how to work safely and in good company. Most important, she never lost sight of where her true refuge lay​—with her protective Father, Jehovah God.

³¹ If we show loyal love as Ruth did and follow her example in humility, industriousness, and appreciation, we will find that our faith too will become a helpful example for others. How, though, did Jehovah provide for Ruth and Naomi? We will discuss the matter in the following chapter.

1, 2. (a) What kind of work was Ruth doing? (b) Ruth learned of what positive aspects of God’s Law and his people?

RUTH knelt by the pile of barley stalks she had gathered during the day. Evening was descending on the fields around Bethlehem, and many workers were already wending their way up to the gate of the little city perched atop a nearby ridge. Ruth’s muscles surely protested the long day’s labor, for she had been working steadily since the morning. Still she kept at it, swinging a small rod or flail down onto the stalks to loosen the grains. All in all, it had been a good day​—better than she could ever have hoped for.

² Were things finally starting to look up for this young widow? As we saw in the preceding chapter, she had attached herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi, vowing to stick with her and to make Naomi’s God, Jehovah, her own God. Together the two bereaved women had come to Bethlehem from Moab, and Ruth the Moabitess soon learned that Jehovah’s Law made practical, dignified provisions for the poor in Israel, including foreigners. And now she found that some of Jehovah’s people, who lived under the Law and were trained by it, showed a degree of spirituality and kindness that touched her wounded heart.

3, 4. (a) How had Boaz encouraged Ruth? (b) How can Ruth’s example help us in today’s hard economic times?

³ One such person was Boaz, the wealthy older man in whose fields she was gleaning. He had taken fatherly notice of her today. She could not help but smile inwardly when she thought of his kind words praising her for caring for Naomi and for choosing to seek refuge under the wings of the true God, Jehovah.​—Read Ruth 2:11-14.

⁴ Still, Ruth may have wondered about the life ahead of her. As an impoverished foreigner with neither husband nor child, how would she support herself and Naomi in the years ahead? Would gleaning suffice? And who would take care of her when she grew old? It would be understandable if such concerns weighed on her mind. In today’s hard economic times, many struggle with similar anxieties. As we learn how Ruth’s faith helped her through such challenges, we will find much to imitate.

What Makes a Family?

5, 6. (a) How successful was Ruth’s first day of gleaning in the field of Boaz? (b) How did Naomi react when she saw Ruth?

⁵ By the time Ruth finished beating out the grain and collecting it all together, she found that she had gleaned about an ephah measure, or 20 dry quarts (22 L), of barley. Her load may have weighed some 30 pounds (14 kg)! She hoisted it, perhaps bundling it in a cloth and carrying it on her head, and then made her way to Bethlehem in the gathering darkness.​—Ruth 2:17.

⁶ Naomi was pleased to see her beloved daughter-in-law, and perhaps she gasped in surprise as she saw Ruth’s heavy load of barley. Ruth also brought some food left over from the meal that Boaz had provided for the workers, and the two thus shared a simple meal. Naomi asked: “Where did you glean today, and where did you work? May the one who took notice of you become blessed.” (Ruth 2:19) Naomi was attentive; she saw proof in Ruth’s heavy load of provisions that someone had taken notice of the young widow and had treated her kindly.

7, 8. (a) Naomi saw the kindness of Boaz as coming from whom, and why? (b) How did Ruth further show her loyal love toward her mother-in-law?

⁷ The two fell to conversing, and Ruth told Naomi about the kindness of Boaz. Moved, Naomi replied: “Blessed be he of Jehovah, who has not left off his loving-kindness toward the living and the dead.” (Ruth 2:20) She saw the kindness of Boaz as coming from Jehovah, who moves his servants to be generous and promises to reward his people for the kindness they show.a​—Read Proverbs 19:17.

⁸ Naomi urged Ruth to accept Boaz’ offer to keep gleaning in his fields and to stay near the young women of his own household so that she would escape harassment from the reapers. Ruth took that advice. She also “kept on dwelling with her mother-in-law.” (Ruth 2:22, 23) In those words we see once more her hallmark quality​—loyal love. Ruth’s example may move us to ask ourselves whether we honor the bonds of family, loyally supporting our loved ones and offering them help as needed. Jehovah never fails to notice such loyal love.

9. What can we learn from Ruth and Naomi about family?

⁹ Were Ruth and Naomi somehow less than a family? Some assume that there must be someone to fill each role​—husband, wife, son, daughter, grandparent, and so forth—​for a family to be “real.” But the examples of Ruth and Naomi remind us that servants of Jehovah can open their hearts and make even the smallest of families glow with warmth, kindness, and love. Do you appreciate what family you have? Jesus reminded his followers that the Christian congregation can provide family even for those who have none.​—Mark 10:29, 30.

“He Is One of Our Repurchasers”

10. In what way did Naomi want to help Ruth?

¹⁰ From the barley harvest in April until the wheat harvest in June, Ruth kept gleaning in the fields of Boaz. As the weeks passed, Naomi no doubt thought more about what she could do for her beloved daughter-in-law. Back in Moab, Naomi had been convinced that she could never help Ruth find another husband. (Ruth 1:11-13) Now, though, she was beginning to think differently. She approached Ruth and said: “My daughter, ought I not to look for a resting-place for you?” (Ruth 3:1) It was customary in those days for parents to find mates for their children, and Ruth had become a true daughter to Naomi. She wanted to find Ruth “a resting-place”​—referring to the security and protection that a home and a husband might provide. But what could Naomi do?

11, 12. (a) When Naomi called Boaz a “repurchaser,” to what loving provision of God’s Law was she referring? (b) How did Ruth respond to her mother-in-law’s advice?

¹¹ When Ruth first mentioned Boaz, Naomi said: “The man is related to us. He is one of our repurchasers.” (Ruth 2:20) What did that mean? God’s Law to Israel included loving provisions for families who as a result of poverty or bereavement fell on hard times. If a woman was widowed while still childless, she was especially devastated because her husband’s name, his posterity, would be cut off, lost to future generations. However, God’s Law allowed the man’s brother to marry the widow so that she could give birth to an heir who might carry on her deceased husband’s name and care for the family property.b​—Deut. 25:5-7.

¹² Naomi related to Ruth a plan of action. We might imagine the young woman’s eyes widening as her mother-in-law spoke. Israel’s Law was still new to Ruth, and many of its customs were still quite foreign to her. Even so, she held Naomi in such high regard that she listened carefully to every word. What Naomi advised her to do might have seemed awkward or embarrassing​—even potentially humiliating—​yet Ruth agreed. She meekly said: “All that you say to me I shall do.”​—Ruth 3:5.

13. What lesson can we learn from Ruth about accepting advice from older ones? (See also Job 12:12.)

¹³ Sometimes it is difficult for young people to listen to the advice of those who are older and more experienced. It is easy to assume that older ones do not really understand the challenges and problems the young face. Ruth’s humble example reminds us that listening to the wisdom of older ones who love us and have our best interests at heart can be very rewarding. (Read Psalm 71:17, 18.) But what was Naomi’s advice, and was Ruth really rewarded for heeding it?

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

14. What was a threshing floor, and how was it used?

¹⁴ That evening, Ruth made her way to the threshing floor​—a flat, hard-packed area where a number of farmers would take their grain for threshing and winnowing. The spot chosen was usually on a hillside or hilltop, where the breezes were strong in the late afternoon and early evening. To release the grain from the chaff and straw, workers used big forks or shovels to toss the mixture into the wind, which carried off the lighter chaff and allowed the heavier grains to fall back to the floor.

15, 16. (a) Describe the scene at the threshing floor as Boaz finished working for the evening. (b) How did Boaz discover that Ruth was lying at his feet?

¹⁵ Ruth watched discreetly as the work wound down in the evening. Boaz oversaw the winnowing of his grain, which grew into a great heap. After eating heartily, he lay down at one end of the heap. This was evidently a common practice, perhaps designed to protect the precious harvest from thieves and marauders. Ruth saw Boaz settling down for the night. The time had come to put Naomi’s plan into action.

¹⁶ Ruth crept closer, her heart racing. She could tell that the man was sound asleep. So just as Naomi had said, she went over to his feet, uncovered them, and lay down by them. Then she waited. The time passed. To Ruth, it must have felt like an eternity. Finally, around midnight, Boaz began to stir. Trembling from the cold, he stretched forward, likely to cover his feet up again. But he sensed that someone was there. As the account reads, “Look! a woman lying at his feet!”​—Ruth 3:8.

17. Those who imply that there was something improper in Ruth’s actions ignore what two simple facts?

¹⁷ “Who are you?” he asked. Ruth replied, perhaps with a tremor in her voice: “I am Ruth your slave girl, and you must spread out your skirt over your slave girl, for you are a repurchaser.” (Ruth 3:9) Some modern interpreters have sought to imply that there were some sexual undertones in Ruth’s actions and words, but they ignore two simple facts. First, Ruth was acting according to the customs of the day, many of which are long lost to us. So it would be a mistake to view her actions through the warped lens of today’s debased moral standards. Second, Boaz responded in a way that clearly shows that he saw Ruth’s conduct as morally chaste and highly commendable.

18. What did Boaz say to comfort Ruth, and to what two instances of her loving-kindness did he refer?

¹⁸ Boaz spoke, and no doubt his gentle, soothing tone comforted Ruth. He said: “Blessed may you be of Jehovah, my daughter. You have expressed your loving-kindness better in the last instance than in the first instance, in not going after the young fellows whether lowly or rich.” (Ruth 3:10) “The first instance” referred to Ruth’s loyal love in accompanying Naomi back to Israel and caring for her. “The last instance” was the present one. Boaz noted that a young woman like Ruth might easily have sought a husband among much younger men, whether rich or poor. Rather, she wanted to do good not only to Naomi but also to Naomi’s deceased husband, to carry on the dead man’s name in his homeland. It is not hard to see why Boaz was moved by this young woman’s unselfishness.

19, 20. (a) Why did Boaz not marry Ruth right away? (b) In what ways did Boaz show kindness and sensitivity toward Ruth and her reputation?

¹⁹ Boaz continued: “And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. All that you say I shall do for you, for everyone in the gate of my people is aware that you are an excellent woman.” (Ruth 3:11) He was pleased at the prospect of marrying Ruth; perhaps he was not completely surprised to be asked to be her repurchaser. However, Boaz was a righteous man, and he was not about to act merely on his own preferences. He told Ruth that there was another repurchaser, one more closely related to the family of Naomi’s dead husband. Boaz would approach that man first and give him the opportunity to become Ruth’s husband.

²⁰ Boaz urged Ruth to lie down again and rest until morning was near; then she could slip away unnoticed. He wanted to protect her reputation as well as his own, since people might wrongly assume that something immoral had taken place. Ruth lay near the man’s feet again, perhaps with a mind more at ease after he had responded to her petition so kindly. Then, while it was still dark, she rose. Boaz filled her cloak with a generous gift of barley, and she made her way back into Bethlehem.​—Read Ruth 3:13-15.

21. What contributed to Ruth’s being known as “an excellent woman,” and how can we imitate her example?

²¹ How satisfying it must have been for Ruth to contemplate what Boaz had said​—that she was known among all the people as “an excellent woman”! No doubt her eagerness to get to know Jehovah and to serve him had much to do with that reputation. She had also shown great kindness and sensitivity toward Naomi and her people, willingly adapting to ways and customs that were surely unfamiliar to her. If we imitate Ruth’s faith, we will seek to treat others and their ways and customs with deep respect. If we do, we too may find that we develop a reputation for excellence.

A Resting-Place for Ruth

22, 23. (a) What may have been the meaning behind the gift that Boaz bestowed on Ruth? (See also footnote.) (b) What did Naomi urge Ruth to do?

²² “Who are you, my daughter?” Naomi said when Ruth arrived home. Perhaps it was the darkness that prompted the question, but Naomi also wanted to know whether Ruth was still the same unattached widow or one with prospects of marriage before her. Ruth quickly told her mother-in-law of all that had passed between her and Boaz. She also presented the generous gift of barley that Boaz had told her to give to Naomi.c​—Ruth 3:16, 17.

²³ Wisely, Naomi urged Ruth to sit at home quietly that day instead of going out to glean in the fields. She assured Ruth: “The man will have no rest unless he has brought the matter to an end today.”​—Ruth 3:18.

24, 25. (a) How did Boaz show that he was an upright and unselfish man? (b) In what ways was Ruth blessed?

²⁴ Naomi was quite right about Boaz. He went to the city gate, where the city elders usually met, and waited until the man who was a closer relative passed by. In front of witnesses, Boaz offered the man the opportunity to act as repurchaser by marrying Ruth. However, the man refused, claiming that doing so would ruin his own inheritance. Then, before the witnesses there at the city gate, Boaz stated that he would act as the repurchaser, buying up the estate of Naomi’s dead husband, Elimelech, and marrying Ruth, the widow of Elimelech’s son Mahlon. Boaz declared his hope that doing so would “cause the name of the dead man to rise upon his inheritance.” (Ruth 4:1-10) Boaz truly was an upright and unselfish man.

²⁵ Boaz married Ruth. Thereafter, we read: “Jehovah granted her conception and she bore a son.” The women of Bethlehem blessed Naomi and praised Ruth for being better to Naomi than seven sons would have been. Later, we learn, Ruth’s son became an ancestor of the great King David. (Ruth 4:11-22) David, in turn, was an ancestor of Jesus Christ.​—Matt. 1:1.d

26. Of what do the examples of Ruth and Naomi remind us?

²⁶ Ruth was blessed indeed, as was Naomi, who helped to raise the child as if he were her own. The lives of these two women stand as vivid reminders that Jehovah God notices all those who toil humbly to provide for their own and who serve him loyally with his chosen people. He never fails to reward faithful people, such as Boaz, Naomi, and Ruth.