路得记 第二章

 路得跟随她的婆婆拿俄米从摩押来到以色列。为了跟随婆婆，路得必须离开她的娘家和朋友，抛弃她所拜的偶像和文化。然而，这两个女人都是寡妇。她们依靠上帝，相依为命。当她们在拿俄米的家乡安顿下来以后，路得觉得她必须去打工谋生，不然她们连吃饭都会成问题。

2 摩押女子路得对拿俄米说：“让我到田里去，我在谁的眼前蒙恩，我就跟在谁的背后捡麦穗。”拿俄米说：“女儿啊，你尽管去。”

3 路得就去了，来到田里，在收割的人背后捡麦穗。她恰巧来到以利米勒同族的人波阿斯那块田。

她选的那片农田是属于一个名为波阿斯的人的。那时，路得并不知道波阿斯是她公公家的一个亲戚，属于姻亲那一类的表亲。波阿斯看到她在田里，就问了他的雇工。

5 波阿斯问那监督收割的仆人：“那是谁家的姑娘呢？”

6 监督收割的仆人回答：“她是跟拿俄米从摩押地回来的摩押女子。

7 她说：‘请让我捡一点麦穗吧。让我跟在收割的人背后，在禾捆堆中捡些零碎的穗子。’于是她来了。除了在房子里休息了一会儿之外，从早晨到现在一直都留在这里。”

波阿斯的仆人与路得的交谈是友善的。因为路得是一个有信心而且有责任感的儿媳妇，再说她又努力工作。看到这样的人，波阿斯很高兴。但是他也晓得，一个年轻的寡妇单独在田里工作是不很安全的。而且路得是从摩押地来的，而摩押是以色列的敌人，所以事情可能会更复杂。他就对路得说，你就留在我的田里吧。他也告诉他的雇工不可骚扰她。他们就照顾她，还故意把麦穗掉下来，可以让路得来捡。听到波阿斯这么说，路得甚是惊讶。

10 路得就俯伏在地叩拜，对他说：“我是个外族人，为什么会在你眼前蒙恩，蒙你关照呢？”

11 波阿斯回答她说：“自从你丈夫去世以后，你对婆婆所行的，和你怎样离开父母与出生之地，来到素来不认识的人中间，这一切我都知道得很清楚了。

12 愿耶和华照你所作的报答你；你来投靠在耶和华以色列上帝的翅膀下，愿他充充足足酬报你。”

旁晚，当路得回到家里的时候，拿俄米十分惊讶路得居然捡到了那么多的麦穗。

19 婆婆问她：“你今天在哪里捡麦穗？在哪里工作呢？愿那关照你的人蒙福。”路得就告诉婆婆她在谁那里工作，说：“我今天在一个名叫波阿斯的人那里工作。”

20 拿俄米对媳妇说：“愿不断施慈爱给活人和死人的耶和华赐福给他。”拿俄米又对她说：“这个人是我们的亲人，有买赎权的一位近亲。”

真的，上帝祝福路得和拿俄米。上帝把路得带到了一块属于慈善者的田里，而且这个人还是她的亲戚。上帝通过波阿斯赐给了路得和拿俄米足够的食量。上帝还会赐更多的福分和路得。路得真的是一位很忠诚的儿媳妇。她靠劳动来养家，而上帝祝福她使她满足了她的需要。虽然她很年轻，她完全可以离开她的婆婆自己单独谋生，但是她选择了供养婆婆。圣经在《路得记》第二章结束的时候这样说，“路得一直与婆婆住在一起。”

讨论问题：

1.      你会怎样来描写像路得这样的一个女人？

2.      你是不是觉得路得显示了她对拿俄米的衷心?

3.      对于波阿斯是拿俄米的亲属，你是不是感到惊讶？

4.      上帝是怎样来向路得提供帮助的？

Ruth, chapter 2

Ruth followed Naomi, her mother-in-law, from Moab to Israel. Ruth left her family, her friends, her gods, and culture to remain with Naomi. Both women had lost their husbands. They relied on each other and on God. Once they were settled in Naomi’s hometown, Ruth decided she needed to work so they would have food to eat.

2 One day Ruth said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the fields to gather leftover grain behind anyone who will let me do it." And Naomi said, "All right, my daughter, go ahead." 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

The field she chose belonged to a man named Boaz. At the time Ruth did not realize that Boaz was a member of the same family as her father-in-law, possibly a cousin. Boaz saw her working in the field and he asked his workers about her.

5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, "Who is that girl over there?" 6 And the foreman replied, "She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes' rest over there in the shelter."

Their words were kind towards Ruth. She was a faithful and dutiful daughter-in-law, and she was a very hard worker. Boaz was pleased, but he knew it was not always safe for a young widow to work in the fields alone. Plus, Ruth was from Moab which was Israel’s enemy. He spoke to Ruth and told her to stay in his fields. He also told his workers to not harass Ruth. They were to watch out for her and to let extra grain fall to the ground so Ruth could pick it up. Ruth was surprised to hear such kind words from Boaz.

10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner." 11 "Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about the love and kindness you have shown your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully."

When Ruth returned home later that evening Naomi was surprised to see how much grain Ruth had collected.

19 "So much!" Naomi exclaimed. "Where did you gather all this grain today? Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!" So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. And she said, "The man I worked with today is named Boaz." 20 "May the LORD bless him!" Naomi told her daughter-in-law. "He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers."

Surely God had blessed Ruth and Naomi. God had led Ruth to work in a field which belonged not only to a good and kind man, but a man who was a relative. Through Boaz God provided plenty of food for Ruth and Naomi. Soon, God would provide for Ruth in a greater way. Ruth was indeed a faithful daughter-in-law. She was working to provide for her family and God had blessed her by providing for her needs. Although she was young and could have left her mother-in-law to take care of herself, the Bible closes chapter 2 with these words, “But all the while she (Ruth) lived with her mother-in-law.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1.      How would you describe a woman like Ruth?

2.      Do you think Ruth showed honor and faithfulness towards Naomi?

3.      Did it surprise you to discover Boaz is Naomi’s relative?

4.      In what ways did God provide for Ruth?