12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They asked, "How could such an evil thing happen among you? 13 Now hand over those worthless men in Gibeah. We must put them to death to rid ourselves of this kind of evil in Israel."

But the men of Benjamin refused to listen to the men of Israel. 14 So the men of Benjamin went from their towns and assembled at Gibeah to go to war with the men of Israel. 15 That day 26,000 men armed with swords came from Benjamin's cities and organized for battle along with 700 of Gibeah's best men. 16 Out of all these troops, the best 700 were left-handed. Each could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 The men of Israel (Benjamin not included) totaled 400,000 soldiers armed with swords.

18 The men of Israel went to Bethel. They asked Elohim, "Who will go first to fight Benjamin?"

Yahweh answered, "Judah will go first."

19 The Israelites got up early in the morning and camped at Gibeah. 20 So the men of Israel went to war with the men of Benjamin. The Israelites formed their battle line facing Gibeah. 21 That day the men of Benjamin came out from Gibeah. They slaughtered 22,000 of Israel's men.

22 But Israel's troops got reinforcements. They formed their battle line where they had formed it on the first day. 23 The Israelites went and cried in the presence of Yahweh until evening. They asked Yahweh, "Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin?"

Yahweh answered, "Go fight them!"

24 On the second day the Israelite troops advanced against Benjamin. 25 Benjamin went out from Gibeah to meet them. This time they slaughtered 18,000 men from Israel who were armed with swords. 26 Then all the men of Israel and all the troops went to Bethel. They sat there and cried in the presence of Yahweh and fasted that day until evening. Then they sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to Yahweh.

27 In those days the ark of Elohim's promise was at Bethel. 28 (Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, served in front of it.) So the people of Israel asked Yahweh, "Should we continue to wage war against our close relatives, the men of Benjamin? Or should we stop?"

Yahweh answered, "Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you."

29 Then Israel placed troops in ambush around Gibeah. 30 On the third day the men of Israel went to fight the men of Benjamin. They formed their battle line facing Gibeah as they did before. 31 The men of Benjamin went out to attack Israel's troops and were led away from the city. They started to inflict casualties as before. They killed about 30 men from Israel in the open country and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. 32 The men of Benjamin shouted, "They're defeated as before!"

But the men of Israel had said, "Let's flee in order to lead them from the city to the roads." 33 So the men of Israel left their positions. They formed their battle line at Baal Tamar. Meanwhile, those waiting in ambush rushed from their position to the west of Gibeah. 34 Then 10,000 of Israel's best men attacked Gibeah. The battle was fierce. But Benjamin's men didn't realize their own evil was about to overtake them. 35 So Yahweh defeated them in front of Israel. On that day the Israelites slaughtered 25,100 men from Benjamin who were armed with swords. 36 Then the men of Benjamin realized they were defeated.

The Israelites had allowed the men of Benjamin to take back some ground. The Israelites relied on those waiting in ambush near Gibeah. 37 The men in ambush quickly charged toward Gibeah. They spread out in the city and killed everyone. 38 The men of Israel had arranged with those waiting in ambush that they would make a big column of smoke rise from the city as a signal. 39 Then the men of Israel would turn around in the battle.

The men of Benjamin had already killed about 30 men of Israel. They even said, "Israel is completely defeated, just like in the first battle."

40 But when the column of smoke started to rise from the city, the men of Benjamin turned around and saw the whole city going up in smoke. 41 Then the men of Israel turned around, and the men of Benjamin panicked. They realized that their evil had overtaken them. 42 They turned in front of Israel toward the road to the desert. But the battle caught up with the men of Benjamin. Israel slaughtered whoever came out of the cities on the road to the desert. 43 They closed in on the men of Benjamin and pursued them without stopping. They overtook them east of Gibeah. 44 There were 18,000 experienced men from Benjamin who died in battle. 45 The others turned and fled into the desert to Rimmon Rock. But the men of Israel killed 5,000 more on the roads. They caught up with another 2,000 and killed them near Gidom. 46 In all, 25,000 men from Benjamin who were armed with swords were killed that day. They were all experienced men.

47 But 600 men turned and fled into the desert to Rimmon Rock. They stayed at Rimmon Rock for four months.

48 Then the men of Israel went back to attack the rest of the territory of Benjamin. They killed all the people and cattle they found in every city. They also burned down every city they came to.

Israel Provides Wives for the Surviving Men of Benjamin 21 1 The men of Israel had taken this oath in Mizpah: "None of us will ever let our daughters marry anyone from Benjamin."

2 The people went to Bethel and sat there in the presence of Elohim until evening. They cried very loudly, 3 "Yahweh Elohim of Israel, why has this happened among us? Why should one tribe be missing today in Israel?"

4 The next day the people got up early. They built an altar there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. 5 The people asked, "Is there any family from Israel that did not take part in the assembly in the presence of Yahweh?" They had taken a solemn oath that whoever had not come into the presence of Yahweh at Mizpah must be put to death.

6 The people of Israel felt sorry for their close relatives, the men of Benjamin. They said, "Today one tribe has been excluded from Israel. 7 What will we do to provide wives for the men who are left? We swore to Yahweh that we would not let any of our daughters marry them." 8 Then they asked, "Is there any family from Israel that did not come into the presence of Yahweh at Mizpah?" No one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the assembly in the camp. 9 So they questioned the people, and there was no one there from Jabesh Gilead.

10 The congregation sent 12,000 soldiers. They ordered them, "Go and kill the people of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and children. 11 These are your directions: Claim every female who has gone to bed with a man, and claim every male. Claim them for the LORD by destroying them."

12 Among the people of Jabesh Gilead they found 400 unmarried women who had never gone to bed with a man. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh in Canaan.

13 Then the whole congregation sent messengers to the men of Benjamin at Rimmon Rock and offered them peace. 14 So the men of Benjamin came back at that time. These men were given the women from Jabesh Gilead who had been kept alive. However, the congregation had not found enough women for all of them.

15 The congregation felt sorry for the people of Benjamin because Yahweh had broken the unity of the tribes of Israel. 16 The leaders of the congregation asked, "What should we do to provide wives for the men who are left, since the women in Benjamin have been killed?"

17 Some said, "Benjamin's men who survived must be allowed to have families. No tribe of Israel should be wiped out. 18 However, we can't give them any of our daughters as wives. The people of Israel have taken an oath that whoever gives wives to the men of Benjamin is under a curse."

19 Others said, "Every year Yahweh's festival is held at Shiloh. Shiloh is north of Bethel, east of the highway going from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah." 20 So they told the men of Benjamin, "Hide in the vineyards and 21 watch. When the young women of Shiloh come out to take part in the dances, come out of the vineyards. Each of you catch a woman from Shiloh to be your wife. Then go back to the territory of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come to us to complain, we'll tell them, 'Have pity on them, since we didn't provide a wife for each man in the battle. You won't be guilty because you didn't give them the wives yourselves.'"

23 The men of Benjamin did just that. They captured the number of wives they needed from the women who were dancing and went home. So they rebuilt their cities and lived in them.

24 At that time the people of Israel left. Each man went to his tribe and family. They all went home.

25 In those days Israel didn't have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right.

a Robert M. Sapolsky, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers (New York: Holt, 2004), 6.

b Ibid., 5.

a 2:1 Or "covenant."

a 2:16 The judges served as God-appointed political/religious leaders of Israel.

a 3:22 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

b 3:23 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

a 5:11 Hebrew meaning of this line uncertain.

a 6:37 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks.

a 8:27 Or "ephod," a technical term for a part of the priest's clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown.

b 8:31 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law.

a 9:29 Greek; Masoretic Text "So he said to Abimelech."

a 13:4 "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 17:5 Ephod is a technical term for a part of the priest's clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown.

a 19:1 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law.

a 20:4 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law.

b 20:9 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

c 20:10 Or "10 out of every battalion, 100 out of every regiment, and 1,000 out of every company."

Introduction to RUTH.

Nestled among books full of bloodshed and debauchery, the book of Ruth makes a refreshing contrast. It is a simple love story, and all its characters are good, decent, compassionate people.

This book is the source of a beautiful poem that is still said or sung at many weddings: "Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your Elohim will be my Elohim" (1:16). What most people today don't realize is that Ruth is saying these words to her mother-in-law!

The situation is this: Elimelech and Naomi, a couple from the tribe of Benjamin, move to neighboring Moab to escape a famine. They settle in, and their sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later, Elimelech and his two sons have died. Naomi decides to return home and encourages her daughters-in-law to go back to their mothers. Ruth refuses to leave Naomi.

Once back in Bethlehem, Ruth goes to Boaz's field to forage for food (landowners were required by law to leave some grain behind for poor people to gather). Boaz is extraordinarily protective of this young foreigner, and Naomi comes up with a plan to ensure her future, as well as Ruth's. Read the book to find out what happens.

Ruth is a book about kindness. Individual acts of kindness abound: Naomi's graciousness to Ruth and Orpah, Ruth's loyalty to Naomi, Boaz's protection of Ruth and Naomi. The Israelite community's kindness is evident in their joyful acceptance of their returning friend and her foreign daughter-in-law, as well as in their provision for widows, orphans, and other impoverished people. When Boaz blesses Ruth, he appeals to God's kindness: "May you receive a rich reward from Yahweh Elohim of Israel, under whose protection you have come for shelter" (2:12).

Ruth does indeed receive a rich reward. She marries a wealthy landowner and secures her future by giving birth to a son. She becomes the great-grandmother of David, one of Israel's greatest kings. And-though once a penniless refugee, dependent on an equally destitute, widowed mother-in-law-she becomes an ancestor of Jesus.

Key Names of God in Ruth Yahweh LORD Elohim God Shadday Almighty RUTH.

1 2 3 4.

The Move to Moab and Tragedy 1 1 In the days when the judges were ruling, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah went with his wife and two sons to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were descendants of Ephrathah from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. They went to the country of Moab and lived there.

3 Now, Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left alone with her two sons. 4 Each son married a woman from Moab. One son married a woman named Orpah, and the other son married a woman named Ruth. They lived there for about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion died as well. So Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Departure from Moab 6 Naomi and her daughters-in-law started on the way back from the country of Moab. (While they were still in Moab she heard that Yahweh had come to help his people and give them food. 7 So she left the place where she had been living, and her two daughters-in-law went with her.) They began to walk back along the road to the territory of Judah.

Naomi's Appeal to Her Daughters-in-law 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back! Each of you should go back to your mother's home. May Yahweh be as kind to you as you were to me and to our loved ones who have died. 9 May Yahweh repay each of you so that you may find security in a home with a husband."

When she kissed them goodbye, they began to cry loudly. 10 They said to her, "We are going back with you to your people."

11 But Naomi said, "Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb who could be your husbands? 12 Go back, my daughters. Go, because I am too old to get married again. If I said that I still have hope. . . And if I had a husband tonight. . . And even if I gave birth to sons, 13 would you wait until they grew up and stay single just for them? No, my daughters. My bitterness is much worse than yours because Yahweh has sent me so much trouble."

14 They began to cry loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her tightly. 15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law."

16 But Ruth answered, "Don't force me to leave you. Don't make me turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your Elohim will be my Elohim. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and I will be buried there with you. May Yahweh strike me down if anything but death separates you and me!"

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ended the conversation.

Naomi Arrives in Bethlehem 19 So both of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about them. "This can't be Naomi, can it?" the women asked. 20 She answered them, "Don't call me Naomi [Sweet]. Call me Mara [Bitter] because Shadday has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but Yahweh has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi when Yahweh has tormented me and Shadday has done evil to me?"

22 When Naomi came back from the country of Moab, Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, came along with her. They happened to enter Bethlehem just when the barley harvest began.

Ruth

Ruth, a Moabite widow who followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem and adopted her faith, referred to God as Elohim (Ruth 1:16) Yahweh (Ruth 1:17)

Ruth Gathers Grain in the Field of Boaz 2 1 Naomi had a relative. He was from Elimelech's side of the family. He was a man of outstanding character named Boaz.

2 Ruth, who was from Moab, said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field of anyone who will be kind to me. There I will gather the grain left behind by the reapers."

Naomi told her, "Go, my daughter."

3 So Ruth went. She entered a field and gathered the grain left behind by the reapers. Now it happened that she ended up in the part of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was from Elimelech's family.

4 Just then, Boaz was coming from Bethlehem, and he said to his reapers, "May Yahweh be with all of you!"

They answered him, "May Yahweh bless you!"

5 Boaz asked the young man in charge of his reapers, "Who is this young woman?"

6 The young man answered, "She's a young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, 'Please let me gather grain. I will only gather among the bundles behind the reapers.' So she came here and has been on her feet from daybreak until now. She just sat down this minute in the shelter."

Boaz Speaks with Ruth 8 Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Don't go in any other field to gather grain, and don't even leave this one. Stay here with my young women. 9 Watch where my men are reaping, and follow the young women in that field. I have ordered my young men not to touch you. When you're thirsty, go to the jars and drink some of the water that the young men have drawn."

10 Ruth immediately bowed down to the ground and said to him, "Why are you so helpful? Why are you paying attention to me? I'm only a foreigner."