Ruth

22 Verses: Leaving battered Israel to feed his family in the neighboring country Moav, an Israeli, Elimelech and his wife Noami establish themselves among the gentiles, so that their two sons marry locally. The man dies, then his two children pass on. By then conditions in Israel improve, and Noami the widow decides to return home, and release her two daughters in law, Ruth and Orpa to their native families. Orpa obliges, but Ruth refuses: "Wherever you go, I shall go too, wherever you stay, there stay I, your people are my people, your God is my God. And where you die, there I shall die. So will help me God, death only will separate between us." .

23 verses. Ruth and Noami, both without their man are doomed to collect abandoned foodstuff to live. Ruth collects unharvested wheat from a crew that work for an Israeli owner, a relative of the dead husband of her mother in law -- Boaz. Boaz takes fancy to Ruth, learns that she decided to join and support her mother in law rather than return to her people, and he respects her for that. He orders his people to be generous to her, and Ruth returns with plenty to Noami, telling her the happening of the day.

18 verses. Noami sees an opportunity, and instructs her daughter in law to steal to the threshing and grain storage place where Boaz takes his supper and lies to sleep. Noami is specific: be well washed and well anointed, wait for him to finish his supper and lay down. Then crawl up to him, expose his lower part and cling there. Then do to him whatever he would ask you to do. It works, Boaz is impressed, although because of the darkness perhaps is does not recognize her right away. Upon finding out who she is, he wishes to be her and Noami's official benefactor. He argues though that one man in the community is closer to her father in law, and he has the right to claim the property, so Boaz plans to clarify the situation, and sends Ruth off with 6 stems of wheat to bring food to her hungry mother in law. Noami is pleased and counsels Ruth to simply wait for Boaz to make the next move.

22 verses. Boaz discusses the inheritance of Elimelech, with Goel, the other claimant. Goal releases his claim, and Boaz brings many witnesses to certify that he buys, claims and receives all that belonged to Elimelech. He them 'owns' Naomi and her daughter in law Ruth. He marries Ruth and Noami takes over nursing their born son: Oved. The chapter then reveals that Boaz is a direct descended of Peretz that son born to Judah, the son of Jacob, from his 'stolen' union with Tamar, his daughter in law. The narrative counts 7 generations from Judah to Boaz, so 10 generations from Judah the son of Jacob and King David. It apparently conflicts with the narrative that states that 400 years of slavery took place in Egypt.