Ruth - Gen Z Bible

Ruth 1

Yo, way back when the judges were running the show, there was this huge famine in the land. So this dude from Bethlehem, let’s call him Elimelech, dipped with his wife and two sons to Moab to ride out the storm. Oh, and when it says ‘ruled,’ it really means ‘judged’ in Hebrew, just an FYI.
So, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion bounced from Bethlehem to Moab.
Elimelech, Naomi’s hubby, passed away, leaving her alone with their two sons.
They ended up tying the knot with some Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth, and chilled there for like a solid decade.
Mahlon and Chilion both bit the dust, leaving Naomi without her sons or her man.
Naomi and her daughters-in-law decided to head back to Bethlehem ’cause word on the street was the Lord had blessed his peeps with food and all.
So they left Moab and started their journey back to Judah.
Naomi was like, ‘Time to head back to your moms, girls. May the Lord bless you for being awesome to me and my late fam.’
May the Lord hook you up with some serious chill vibes and find you some new baes. With that, she hugged them tight, and they all got emotional.
And they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re rolling with you to your squad.’
Naomi was like, ‘Hold up, why you wanna roll with me? You think I got some sons hiding away to be your new baes?’
She was like, ‘Look, I’m too old for that game. Even if I wanted to, it’s not like I’m gonna find a man tonight and start a family, ya know?’
Waiting around for these dudes to grow up? Delaying your chances at finding new husbands? Nah, girls, I’m feeling pretty low because it seems like the Lord’s got it out for me.
They all started sobbing again, and Orpah gave Naomi a kiss, but Ruth stayed put.
Naomi was like, ‘Orpah’s heading back to her peeps and her gods. You should go after her.’
But Ruth was like, ‘Nah, don’t even think about it. Where you go, I go. Where you crash, I crash. Your squad is my squad, and your God is my God, no doubt. Don’t even try to stop me.’
‘I’m down to stick with you till the end, even if it means death. If anything but death tries to part us, may God lay down some serious punishment.’
When Naomi saw how determined Ruth was, she stopped trying to persuade her.
So, the two of them rolled all the way to Bethlehem. And when they got there, the whole city was shook. They were like, ‘Is that Naomi?’
And she was like, ‘Nah, don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara, ’cause God’s been tough on me.’ (Naomi means Pleasant, and Mara means Bitter, FYI)
‘I left with everything, and now I’m back with nothing. You still call me Naomi? Can’t you see the Lord’s got it out for me and I’m feeling the Almighty’s wrath?’
So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, who came from Moab, rolled back to Bethlehem just as the barley harvest was kicking off.

Ruth 2

Naomi had this dude who was fam with her late husband, and he was like, super stacked and influential. His crew was from the Elimelech fam, and his name was Boaz. (Boaz, also known as Booz in Greek lingo)
So Ruth, this rad chick from Moab, told Naomi, ‘Hey, I wanna hit the fields and snag some corn in front of someone who vibes with me.’ And Naomi was like, ‘For sure, my girl, go for it.’
So she went and started scavenging leftover crops in the field after the workers. Lucky for her, she ended up in Boaz’s turf, who was related to Elimelech.
Yo, peep this, Boaz just pulled up from Bethlehem and was like, ‘What’s up, my fellow reapers? May the LORD be with y’all.’ And the reapers were like, ‘Right back atcha, man! May the LORD bless you!’
Boaz asked his head honcho reaper, like yo, who’s that girl over yonder?
And the head reaper was like, ‘Oh, it’s that Moab chick who rolled back with Naomi from Moab, ya know?’
So she’s like, ‘Can I tag along and snag some leftover grain after the workers?’ And she’s been at it since morning, chilling with the crew, except for a quick break in the house.
Boaz was like, yo Ruth, you feel me? Don’t even think about hitting up some other field for grain – stick around here with my girls, no need to bounce:
Just peep the field where they’re harvesting and roll with them. Didn’t I tell the guys not to hassle you? And if you’re thirsty, go ahead and grab a drink from the jugs the guys filled up.
And she’s like, totally bowing down, and she’s like, ‘Why are you being so rad to me? I’m just some random stranger, like, why even bother noticing me?’
Boaz was like, ‘Yo, I heard about all the awesome stuff you did for your mother-in-law since your hubby passed. Leaving your folks and your hometown to come here with a bunch of strangers, respect!’
May the LORD bless and reward all your hustle, and may you score a major blessing from the LORD God of Israel, who you’ve found refuge in.
Then she’s like, ‘Can I get some love in your eyes, my dude? You’ve been there for me, and you’ve been real with your words to your girl, even though I ain’t like your other girls.
Boaz was like, ‘Come grab some grub during lunch. Dunk the bread in the vinegar if you want. Sit with the reapers.’ So she chilled with the crew, and Boaz hooked her up with some roasted corn. She ate her fill and still had leftovers.
So, when she got up to gather what was left behind, Boaz told his crew, like, ‘Let her snag the good stuff, even from the stacks, and don’t give her any grief or anything, ya know?’
And, like, sprinkle some good vibes for her, and let her scoop them up, without hating on her or anything.
So, like, she’s hustling in the field until it got dark, and she separated all the loot she gathered, and it was, like, a ton of barley.
Then she picked it up and bounced into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gathered. So she brought it out and gave her what she had saved after she had eaten enough.
So her mother-in-law asks her, ‘Where’d you score all that loot today? And where’d you work? Mad props to whoever noticed you.’ And she spills the tea to her mother-in-law, saying, ‘I was grinding with this guy named Boaz today.’
Naomi told her daughter-in-law, ‘Praise the Lord for the dude who’s been nothing but kind to the living and the dead!’ Naomi continued, ‘He’s actually one of our fam, a close relative. He’s got the hookup to look out for us and make things right.’
So Ruth, this cool chick from Moab, was like, ‘Yo, he straight up told me to stick with his crew until they wrap up all our harvest.’
And Naomi told Ruth, her daughter-in-law, ‘Hey, girl, it’s chill for you to hang with the other ladies who work for him. This way, you won’t accidentally run into them in some other field.’
So, she chilled with her squad of Boaz’s peeps and kept hustling until the barley and wheat harvest were over. She kicked it with her mother-in-law during that time.

Ruth 3

Yo, Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, was all like, “Hey girl, shouldn’t I try to find you some peace and happiness so that things work out for you?”
And by the way, isn’t Boaz, like, part of our crew? You know, the dude you used to kick it with? Well, guess what? He’s gonna be doing some serious barley separating tonight at the threshing floor.
So, like, freshen up and look fly, put on your best outfit, and head down to the party. Just, you know, keep your identity low-key until the dude is done vibing.
When he’s about to crash, you gotta remember where he’s gonna lie down. Then, you gotta slide in there, uncover his feet, and get comfy. Trust me, he’s gonna spill all the info you need.
And she was like, “Girl, I’m totally down! I’ll do everything you tell me to do.”
So she went to the floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
And after Boaz finished eating and drinking, feeling pretty good, he went to crash at the end of the pile of crops. Then she came over quietly, uncovered his feet, and laid down next to him.
So, like, in the middle of the night, this dude got super scared and turned around. And guess what? There was a woman lying right at his feet. Like, he grabbed hold of her or something, you know?
And he was like, “Yo, who are you?” And she was like, “Sup, I’m Ruth, your girl. Can you, like, cover me with your skirt, because you’re like fam and have the hookup to redeem me or something?”
And he was like, “Yo, you’re so blessed by the big man upstairs, my girl. Like, you’ve shown way more love and kindness recently than before. I mean, you didn’t go after all those young dudes, whether they were broke or loaded.”
“Hey girl, don’t worry! I’ve got your back and I’ll totally hook you up with whatever you need. ‘Cause everyone knows you’re a solid and righteous chick. The whole crew in our community knows it, you know?”
“So, like, it’s actually true that I’m, you know, your close relative and all. But, um, there’s actually someone who’s an even closer relative than me.”
“Stay here tonight and in the morning, if he’s down to be a bro and do what’s right, let him do his bro duties. But if he’s not gonna step up as a bro for you, then I’ll step up and be a bro for you, swear on everything, chill out until morning.”
And she stayed by his side till morning: and she got up before anyone could recognize each other. And he said, “Let’s keep it a secret that a girl came to the place.”
Then he was like, “yo, bring that thing you got on, and hold it.” So she held it, and he gave her, like, six measures of barley, and put it on her. And she went into the city with it.
And when she finally reached her mother-in-law, she was like, “Yo, who dis?”, and she spilled all the tea about what the dude did to her.
So, like, she told me, he gave me these six portions of barley, because he was like, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed, okay?”
She was like, “Chillax, my girl, don’t stress until you see how it all plays out. This dude won’t rest until he’s done with what he’s gotta do today.”

Ruth 4

So Boaz posted up at the gate and was just chilling. And guess what? The dude he talked about rolled through, so Boaz was like, “Hey, bro! Slide over here, take a seat.” And sure enough, the guy came over and kicked it with him.
Then he grabbed ten of the homies from the town and was like, “Yo, pull up a seat, fam.” And they were like, “For sure,” and hung out.
So basically, this dude approaches Naomi, who just got back from Moab, and tells her that she’s selling a piece of land that belonged to our bro, Elimelech.
So I had this idea to put it out there, like, you should totally buy it in front of everyone and the VIPs from my crew. If you’re down to cop it, go ahead. But if not, just let me know, you feel? ‘Cause only you can buy it, and I’m next in line. And then he was like, “Yeah, I’ll take it.”
Yo, Boaz was like, “Listen up! When you’re scooping up that land from Naomi, you gotta take Ruth the Moabite too. She’s the widow, and you gotta make sure her man’s name lives on through his property.”
The relative was like, nah, I can’t cop it ’cause it’ll mess up my own stash. So, you go ahead and grab it, ’cause I can’t swing it.
So back in the day in Israel, when someone wanted to seal the deal, they had this rad tradition. They’d kick off their shoe and pass it to their bud as a way of saying, “Yo, this deal is legit!” It was like a special symbol of trust and agreement among the Israel crew.
So the relative told Boaz, “Go ahead and take it.” And Boaz was like, “Cool, man!” And then he kicked off his shoe.
So Boaz was like, yo elders and everyone, listen up! I just wanna make it crystal today that I’ve totally copped all of Elimelech’s stuff, and also Chilion and Mahlon’s stuff, straight from Naomi herself.
So like, I totally copped Ruth, the Moabite babe and Mahlon’s wifey. My goal is to keep the memory of the deceased alive on his property, so his name won’t fade among his crew or the community. Y’all are witnesses to this, you dig?
And everyone at the gate, including the OGs, said, “We’re with you!” May the Lord bless this woman who came into your life, like Rachel and Leah, who built up Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your rep spread far and wide.
May your crib be as lit as Pharez’s, whom Tamar birthed for Judah, representing the dope offspring that the Lord will bless you with from this queen.
So Boaz and Ruth tied the knot, and they got hitched. When they did the deed, the Lord blessed them with a baby boy.
And the ladies were like, OMG Naomi, you’re blessed! The Lord has totally come through for you today with a kinsman, like, seriously awesome. He’s gonna be a big deal in Israel, no doubt. Yay! 🙌
He’s gonna be your rock, the one who looks after you in your golden years. Your daughter-in-law, who’s more devoted than seven sons, has given birth to him. He’s gonna be the one who takes care of you when you’re old and gray.
So Naomi took the baby and held them close, caring for them like a loving aunt.
So, like, all the ladies in the neighborhood were like, “OMG, Naomi had a baby boy!” and they named him Obed. He’s, like, the OG ancestor of Jesse, who’s, like, the OG ancestor of David.
So like, here’s the rundown: Pharez had a son named Hezron,
And Hezron had a son named Ram, who later had a son named Amminadab,
And Amminadab had a son named Nahshon, and Nahshon had a son named Salmon,
And Salmon had a kid named Boaz, and Boaz had a son named Obed,
And Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named David.