024 Ruth and Naomi - A Bible Story for Children

Ruth 1-2; 4

There once was a famine in the land of the Israelites, and a young man named Elimelech, who lived near Bethlehem, went with his wife and two sons to Moab, where there was still enough food.

Shortly after the family settled in Moab, Elimelech died. His wife Naomi, was left with her sons, who chose wives from among the Moabites. One these women was named Orpah; the other was name Ruth. They all lived in Moab for about ten years. But then both sons died, leaving only Naomi and her two daughters by marriage.

Naomi's life had been hard, so when she heard that the famine in her homeland was over, she decided to leave Moab. Her daughters-in-law went part of the way with her, but as Naomi came near her homeland, she told them, "Now you must both go back to your mothers. May the Lord be kind to you, as you have been to me." Then the three women hugged each other and wept.

Sadly, Orpah left her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to Naomi. "Orpah is going back to her home and the gods of her people," said Naomi. "You should do the same thing, Ruth, for you will be a stranger in my land."

"Do not ask me to leave you," Ruth begged. "Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Only death will part us."

When Naomi saw how much Ruth loved her, she did not argue with her any further. The two women went on together, until they reached Bethlehem, just as the barley harvest was beginning. In those days poor people used to follow the harvesters and glean, picking up any stalks of grain the workers left behind.

"I will go out and glean for our food," Ruth said.

Ruth first came to the fields of Boaz, an Israelite known for his kindness and generosity. Ruth did not know he came from the same family as Naomi's husband, Elimelech. After a few days Boaz noticed how hard Ruth was working, and asked who she was.

"She is the Moabite girl who came here with Naomi," the workers said.

Boaz went over to Ruth. "Do not glean in anyone else's fields," he told her kindly. "Keep close to the other women, so that the young men do not bother you. Take what you need, and when you are thirsty, drink the water that my young men have drawn from the well."

Ruth bowed low before him. "Why are you so kind to me?" she asked "I am a stranger here."

"I have heard how you left your home to stay with Naomi," he said. "The Lord of Israel will reward you for it."

Then Boaz gave Ruth some food to eat, and told his field workers to let her glean whenever she wanted. He even told them to leave a few extra stalks for her to pick up.

Ruth stayed for the entire barley season, and for the wheat harvest that followed. Each morning Boaz watched her walk through his fields, taking only as much grain as she needed. Each night he watched her leave his fields and return to Naomi, bringing the grain for their bread. He saw how Ruth kept close to the other women, and did not waste time with the young men. The more Boaz saw Ruth, the more he liked her, and by the time the harvest was over, he decided to marry her. Naomi was delighted. "The Lord has watched over us and taken care of us," she said.

Soon after, Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, and Naomi loved her grandchild. When he was grown, Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, and David became the greatest king the Israelites ever had.

Category: Children's Bible Stories