Leviticus 19 - KJV & KBTP

But Ruth replied, 'Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

The love story of Ruth and Boaz is one of the most heartwarming narratives in the Bible. It highlights loyalty, kindness, and the providence of God. Below is a seven-part exploration of their story, showcasing key moments and lessons we can learn.

1. Ruth’s Loyal Love for Naomi

Bible Verse: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'” (Ruth 1:16)

The story begins with Ruth’s decision to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after the loss of their husbands. Despite being a Moabite with no obligation to remain, Ruth chooses loyalty and selfless love over personal comfort. Her declaration of commitment is a profound example of love rooted in devotion and faith.

Lesson: True love often involves sacrifice and putting others’ needs before your own.

2. Ruth’s Humility and Hard Work

Bible Verse: “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” (Ruth 2:2)

Arriving in Bethlehem, Ruth immediately seeks ways to provide for herself and Naomi. She humbly works in the fields, gleaning leftover grain, which was allowed under the law for the poor (Leviticus 19:9-10). Her actions reflect love expressed through diligence and service.

Lesson: Love is not just about words but is demonstrated through actions of care and responsibility.

3. Boaz’s Kindness Toward Ruth

Bible Verse: “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier… You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.” (Ruth 3:10)

Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Naomi, notices Ruth’s character and dedication. He treats her with kindness, ensuring she has more than enough grain and protection while working in his fields. Boaz’s actions are motivated by compassion and respect for Ruth’s integrity.

Lesson: Love involves recognizing and honoring the worth of others, especially their character and efforts.

4. Ruth’s Bold Request for Redemption

Bible Verse: “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” (Ruth 3:9)

Following Naomi’s guidance, Ruth approaches Boaz at night, asking him to act as her kinsman-redeemer. This was not a romantic gesture in the modern sense but a cultural and legal request for protection and provision. Ruth’s boldness reflects her trust in both Boaz and God’s plan.

Lesson: Love sometimes requires stepping out in faith and making courageous decisions.

5. Boaz’s Integrity and Commitment

Bible Verse: “I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.” (Ruth 3:11)

Boaz agrees to Ruth’s request but ensures the proper legal steps are taken first. He respects the traditions and laws of Israel, seeking permission from a closer relative before redeeming Ruth. His actions show his integrity and willingness to do things the right way.

Lesson: Love is honorable and seeks to uphold righteousness in all circumstances.

6. The Marriage of Ruth and Boaz

Bible Verse: “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” (Ruth 4:13)

Boaz redeems Ruth and marries her, fulfilling his role as her kinsman-redeemer. Their union is not only a picture of love between two people but also a reflection of God’s faithfulness in providing for His people.

Lesson: God honors love that is rooted in obedience, faithfulness, and His divine plan.

7. God’s Providential Love Through Their Lineage

Bible Verse: “Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:16-17)

Ruth and Boaz’s love story is woven into God’s grand plan. Their son, Obed, becomes the grandfather of King David, placing them in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). This demonstrates how God uses love and faithfulness to fulfill His promises.

Lesson: Love that honors God has eternal significance, impacting generations to come.

Conclusion

The story of Ruth and Boaz is more than a romance—it’s a testament to God’s providence and the power of love rooted in loyalty, humility, and faith. Their story encourages us to trust God’s plan, love selflessly, and honor Him in all our relationships.

Let this example inspire us to live with the same devotion and integrity, trusting that God is working behind the scenes to bring about His perfect plan for our lives.

Ruth and Boaz: A Love Story About Loyalty, Faith, and God's Plan

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

3 ¶ Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

4 ¶ Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

5 ¶ And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will. 6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. 7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. 8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

9 ¶ And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

11 ¶ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

12 ¶ And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

13 ¶ Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

14 ¶ Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

15 ¶ Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

16 ¶ Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

17 ¶ Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

18 ¶ Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

19 ¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

20 ¶ And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

23 ¶ And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of. 24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal . 25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

26 ¶ Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. 27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. 28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

29 ¶ Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

30 ¶ Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

31 ¶ Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

32 ¶ Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

33 ¶ And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

35 ¶ Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Milayo ye kuyengemala ne ndulamo

1 Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, 2 “Idwa gubungano le Baiziraela uti, ‘Yengemalani, ngoti imi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ndakayengemala. 3 Nthu mmwe ne mmwe atete mmeyabe na tate babe, kakale mulondolodze mazhuba angu e kunyaluluka e Sabata, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

4 “ ‘Musipambukile ku midzimu ye zwifano kene kuzwithamigwa midzimu ye zwifano, Ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

5 “ ‘Ha mubhayila Yahwe tjibhayilo tje mbakisano, mutjiyise nge zila inowothama kuti muamutjigwe. 6 Nyama ye tjibhayilo ijiwe mu zhuba latjayisiwa ndilo kene tjimuka, ngono tjingabe tjasala kuswikila zhuba le butatu tjipisiwe nge moto. 7 Ha kuna tjingajiwa mu zhuba le butatu, tjowobe tjatemapala kakale atjitowoamutjigwa. 8 Nthu ungatjija unozwidanila nlandu, ngobe atemapadza kuthu kwakayengemala kwa Yahwe, ngono iwoyo nthu unowothubugwa mu bathu bakanyi kwabo.

9 “ ‘Muti mu vuna mathunde e minda yenyu, musitongothusa ndima nenguba kuli kubgwililila zwiyako zwasala pamavuna. 10 Kakale musitongoti matjela minda yenyu ye mizhambi mukadwapo mukabgwilulula mukanonungidzila zwasala ne zwawa, musiyile bashayi ne bataya, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

11 “ ‘Musitongokwiba, kene thama zwe kutjebela, kene nyepelana. 12 Musitongotuna nge zina langu munyepa, kowobe kuli lengudza zina le Ndzimu wenyu, ndimi Yahwe.

13 “ ‘Usitongotjebela ikamu tjitjo kene kutjitolela. Usitongoshingisa nlanda ukalala usanlipa kuswikila tjimuka. 14 Usitongolonga bhubuzebe bhiso kene kubigila bhofu ikuthi mbeli kwalo, koga utje Ndzimu uwo, ndimi Yahwe.

15 “ ‘Musumikilise nge ndulamo, musitongoshalaula bashayi kene kuli thamila hanya bafumi, koga musumikilise ikamu tjenyu nge ndulamo. 16 Usitongoyenda yenda uleba bungwa muna bakanyi kwenyu, kakale usitongothama tjimwe tjinolonga butjilo gwe ikamu tjitjo mu mbatsha. Ndimi Yahwe.

17 “ ‘Usitongobhata mwana wa tate babo nge moyo, koga ungakumbuludzana ne ikamu tjitjo, kuti usidwe ushanganyila tjibi naye. 18 Usitongobgwilizila kene kuli kubhata mmwe we bakanyi kwenyu nge moyo, koga ude ikamu tjitjo sekwa unozwida, ndimi Yahwe.

19 “ ‘Mulondolodze milayo yangu. Usitongoletja zwithuwo zwizo zwakasiyana zwikakwiilana, kakale usitongodzwala zhila le zhowu mu nnda uwo, kene kuli kuambala tjiambalo tjakathumwa nge matyila mabili asingafanane.

20 “ ‘Ha nlume angawalilana ne nkadzi ali nlanda ngono ali nkadzi wakabigilidziwa nge mmwe nlume koga asathu kadzutunugwa kene kasunungugwa mu bulanda, basumikilisiwe, ngono basi bulawe, ngobe nkadzi wakabe asathu kasunungugwa mu bulanda, 21 koga nlume aduse nyundo ezwiyisila tjibhayilo tje nlandu kuna Yahwe ku nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo. 22 Mpirisiti unowon'gadzanya na Yahwe nge nyundo ye tjibhayilo tje nlandu ngekwe tjibi tjaathama, ngono banowonzwiibhatigwa.

23 “ ‘Mowoti musinoswika mu shango ye Kanana, miti yose yamunowodzwala ye mitjelo, mutole mitjelo yayo ili yakatemapala kwe makole matatu, kube kuyila mu muli kuja mitjelo yayo. 24 Ngono mu gole le bunna, mitjelo yayo yose inowobe yakayengemala, kube ingadusigwa tjipo tje mboko kuna Yahwe. 25 Koga mu gole le bushanu mungaja mitjelo yayo, ndizo inomuwatshila mitjelo, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

26 “ ‘Musitongoja nyama ina malopa ayo. Musitongoshingisa buloyi. 27 Musitongozwitesela mutendenyedza misholo, kene kuli kuthubula ndedu dzenyu midzibo. 28 Musitongotemwa nyola mu mibili yenyu ngekwe bafi kene kuli kunyemba mibili yenyu, ndimi Yahwe.

29 “ ‘Usitongotemapadza nkololokadzi uwo nge kunthama fukula, ngobe shango ingawila mu bufukula, ikazhala mbipo. 30 Mulondolodze mazhuba angu e kunyaluluka e Sabata, mutje bugalo gwangu gwakayengemala, ndimi Yahwe.

31 “ ‘Musitongopambukila kuna banolebeleka ne badzimu kene ku baloyi, musitongobashaka, ha mungabashaka banowomutemapadza, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

32 “ ‘Umilike uthigame mbeli kwe sholotjena, utete buso gwe nthu wakakwegula, ngono utje Ndzimu uwo, ndimi Yahwe.

33 “ ‘Usitongoti ntaya elubila mu shango yenyu, ukanthamila tjimwe tjakabipa. 34 Ntaya unolubila abhakhwe se ntebe upakati kwenyu, un'de sekwa unozwida, ngobe makabe bataya ku shango ye Egipiti, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu.

35 “ ‘Musitongo kombamisa kusumikilisa, kene nge tjilizanyo tje bulefu kene nge tjilizanyo tje bulemo, kene tjili tje bunji. 36 Mushingise tjiyelo tje lebeswa ne bulemo gwe lebeswa ne bulefu gwe lebeswa. Ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu wakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti. 37 Mulondolodze milayo yangu ne ndaulo dzangu, mudzithame, ndimi Yahwe.’ ”