 Scene 1 - Naomi and Ruth’s home
(It is early evening at the end of the summer, after the wheat harvest. In the distance can be heard the sound of the harvest being celebrated. Ruth and Naomi home is looking brighter and cleaner - there are drapes on the walls and shelves have ornaments on them. It looks much more welcoming than before. There is a table with a bench beside it. Another bench lies against the wall.)  RUTH:
Naomi sent me a message that I should meet her here. What does it mean? The fields are finally clear of wheat and people are celebrating. I wish I could join them. (She sits down on the bench by the wall to wait for Naomi. After a time Naomi enters carrying a dress. She puts down the dress on the table and crosses over to where Ruth is sitting)
NAOMI:
Ruth, my daughter, you are here. RUTH:
I came, as you asked. (Naomi paces up and down in front of Ruth.) NAOMI:
I have something to say to you. RUTH:
What is it? NAOMI:
Ruth, you must find a husband. You should give me grandchildren. For ten years I waited but you and Mahlon could not provide me with any. RUTH:
I will not marry Perez. Who else will take a Moabite woman as a wife? When you planned this, did you think of a man? NAOMI:
It is Boaz. All through the summer I have seen the way he looks at you. He is attracted to you. Tonight is the harvest festival. You must bathe, dress and perfume yourself carefully. Then you must go to the threshing floor. But do not show yourself to Boaz. When he has finished eating and drinking watch where he goes to sleep. Then go and lie down at his feet. RUTH:
But I do not love him? NAOMI:
If he asks you if you love him, you must lie.
If he asks if you will marry
Don’t be hasty, lest you carry
An indication of the falsehood you’ve just made.
Don’t be afraid
To be coy or to be gentle, warm and sweet.
I must impress on you the need to appear
Completely yourself.
You must show him you are brave,
You must show you are worthy,
You must tell him he is all the man you want.
You must compliment and praise,
Say these words, ensure he stays.
Or use no words, just smile and sigh. I will come later to the threshing floor to see how things are. Remember what I have said. It is the only way we can be sure of our future. (Naomi looks meaningfully at Ruth and then exits. Ruth walks around the room. She glances at the dress that Naomi had laid on the table, then picks it up and holds it against her.) RUTH:
Naomi asks me to be deceitful. Is this what women must do, to live. (Ruth sits at the table, folds her arms and lays her head down. Her shoulders shake as she sobs. Perez enters.) PEREZ:
Ruth. RUTH:
Perez! What are you doing here? PEREZ:
I waited for you at the harvest celebration. I thought you would be there. When I couldn’t find you I questioned our workers. They said you had gone home. I can see you are in trouble. RUTH:
What must two poor women do - to survive? PEREZ:
You do not have to worry. Have I not told you that I love you? That I will marry you? We will share our life. We will share the struggle. RUTH:
No, no. I am grateful for your offer. I am so sorry it cannot be. (Ruth approaches Perez and takes his hand.) Please be my friend. PEREZ: (snatching his hand away)
A friend! A friend! My master says I am a friend. The woman I love says I am a friend. Am I only - a friend? Ruth, I love you. (Perez falls to his knees before Ruth.) Be my wife. RUTH:
No, no. I am grateful for your offer. I am sorry that it cannot be. Please be my friend. PEREZ: (rising)
You have added loneliness to my poverty. (Perez exits slowly. Ruth shakes her head with sadness and disappointment.) RUTH:
Now I must find my benefactor and play a trick on him. (She crosses to the table and fingers the dress. She holds it against her)
This dress I’ll wear tonight,
Won’t cover my dishonesty.
The perfume I’ll anoint,
Won’t wash away my shame.
The words I’ll have to say,
To weave a spell on Boaz,
Will fill my mouth with poison,
And I will be the blame.
This dressÉ
My dishonestyÉ
This perfumeÉ
My shame...
How can I bear it?
How can I bear it?
For you, Naomi, I will do this.
For you. Naomi, I’ll sacrifice my honesty.
Oh Mahlon, forgive me! Scene 2 - At the threshing floor (The curtain is down. It is night. Off stage, the harvest workers prepare for a dance. After the dance the curtain rises on the threshing floor. A bright moon creates heavy shadows amongst the piles of grain. Boaz sleeps restlessly.) BOAZ:
I cannot sleep. My mind is tortured with thoughts of Ruth. I thought I saw her at the harvest celebration. But I could not speak. I am too old for her. Yet I love her! I long for her!
Oh Lord, my God,
Such secrets do I hold within my heart,
Can I yield my secrets to you.
Disclose to me my future, tell me now
All that You have planned for this poor Jew.
Oh Lord
What pain must you inflict
To force this old man upon his knees.
I beg You, Lord,
Listen to my words and to my pleas.
I ache for love of Ruth.
This woman seems to me
To be perfection.
Such strength, such kindness, and such honesty,
I yearn for Ruth.
To lie beside her and let her spirit touch me,
And let her warmth invade my soul,
No future will there be for me without her
But with her, my life will be made whole.
God, grant my prayer and let her know my feeling,
Bring her to me, and let her lips reveal
That her heart too yearns for love of Boaz.
Lord, let her come.
Lord, let her come.
Lord let her come
Please let her come to me
Lord do not desert me
Lord do not desert me
Let her come
Let her come
Lord, show me this is your will. (Boaz slowly lies down beside the grain pile and goes to sleep. Ruth enters cautiously. She is dressed more elaborately than we have seen before. She looks around and then sees Boaz. She approaches him and lies down at his feet.) Scene 3 - At the threshing floor, an hour later (Boaz is asleep and Ruth lies at his feet. The stage is dark: the moonlight at the end of the previous scene is obscured by clouds. During this scene the moonlight gets increasingly bright until it fades into the dawn at the end of the scene. A beam of moonlight sweeps slowly over Boaz.) BOAZ: (whispering)
Something has woken me. (He looks around and sees Ruth.) There is someone lying there. (He looks closer.) It is Ruth!
Lord, you have answered my prayer.
How beautiful she is, (He stares at her, lost in wonder and excitement.)
She has come dressed in her finery,
To see me. Her skin so fine, her lips so soft
(He touches Ruth)
Her body warm to touch,
(Ruth opens her eyes.)
She sees me!
How bright her eyes,
Within the moonlight’s beam.
How my heart breaks
How my heart breaks RUTH:
Boaz, my lord. BOAZ:
You do me honour, to lie beside me. To seek not a young man, but your kinsman. (Boaz puts his arms on her shoulders and studies her.)
Old as I am, my heart speaks true.
Ruth, take me as your husband for I love you. RUTH:
Sir, I come to you as your handmaiden.
Spread your cloak over me, (she turns her face away momentarily and then turns back) for I will be your wife. BOAZ:
I love you, Ruth, yet words can’t start
To express the feelings in my heart.
I take your hand and hold it here,
(Boaz takes Ruth’s hand and presses it to his heart.)
Can you feel my passion?
And just how much I care? RUTH:
I will cook for you and mend your clothes
And clean your house and always do
Those things which you expect me to. BOAZ:
I’ll kiss you thus and every day,
I’ll say I love you in every way,
I’ll give you all, you’ll share my life. RUTH:
I’ll be a true, devoted wife.
I’ll do all things that you will need,
In all my work, in every deed. BOAZ:
I love you. RUTH:
I’ll care for you. BOAZ:
I love you. RUTH:
I’ll be a faithful wife. (Boaz stares at Ruth intently but Ruth cannot meet his gaze and turns away. Perez enters.) PEREZ:
I could not sleep, my thoughts were in such turmoil. I awoke beneath stars and thought I saw Ruth come this way. I hear voices are coming from nearby. (He approaches the couple, but they do not see him) Ruth and Boaz! BOAZ:
I’ll kiss you thus and every day,
I’ll say I love you in every way,
I’ll give you all, you’ll share my life. PEREZ: (to himself)
Surely they declare their love for each other! They will marry. I can’t bear it. RUTH:
I’ll be a true, devoted wife.
I’ll do all things that you will need,
In all my work, in every deed. (Ruth and Boaz do not see Perez) PEREZ: (to himself)
Ruth! Ruth!
It is Boaz’s money that you really love.
It is his home, his wealth, his money that really moves you.
Am I so disgusting, that you cannot love me?
No! It is my poverty you can’t accept..
And whose fault is it?
It is Boaz It is Boaz. It is Boaz. (Perez holds his head in his hands.) BOAZ:
I’ll kiss you thus Ruth and every day,
I’ll say I love you Ruth in every way,
I’ll give you all, you’ll share my life.
I love you RUTH:
I’ll be a true, devoted wife.
And do all that you will need,
In all my work, in every deed.
I’ll care for you PEREZ:
It is Boaz’s money that you really love.
It is his home, his wealth, his gold that really moves you.
Am I so disgusting?
And who is the man who has done this to me?
Who is the man who has kept me poor and lonely?
Who is the man? Who is the man?
The man with all the wealth, with all the power
Who has done this to me? Who has done this to me?
It is Boaz It is Boaz.
I can stand this no more! (Suddenly Ruth and Boaz become aware of Perez. Perez pulls out a knife and strides towards Boaz. Ruth automatically pulls away from Boaz. Boaz, shocked, stares at Perez. Ruth stares at the scene, aghast and frightened.) BOAZ:
Perez, what is wrong? PEREZ:
You have betrayed me for long enough. BOAZ:
What do you mean? Have I not treated you like my own son? PEREZ:
You have kept me in poverty. You have kept all power for yourself. And now you have taken Ruth! RUTH:
Perez. You do not understand! PEREZ:
I understand enough. I understand what I must do to stop my misery. (Perez lunges towards Boaz, who steps backwards before him, both quickly moving offstage.) RUTH:
No! No! I cannot bear it. One of them will die. (Naomi enters). It will be the same as the night Mahlon died. NAOMI:
Ruth, what is the matter? RUTH:
Yes! This is all my fault. NAOMI:
What do you mean? RUTH:
Death will come and condemn me. NAOMI:
Ruth! RUTH:
It is my punishment for my lies. NAOMI:
Do not say this. RUTH:
Death will come and complete my despair. NAOMI:
It is not your fault. RUTH:
I have betrayed Boaz, I can no longer live in this land.
(She starts to weep.) NAOMI:
Ruth, do not abandon me.
Remember your promise when we arrived.
Ruth, do not abandon me.
Remember your words.
Remember your words.
Have I survived for this! RUTH:
I cannot bear it.
I must leave this place.
I cannot bear it.
I must hide my face
From everyone. NAOMI:
My plans lie in ruins now,
Ruth, do not desert me. RUTH:
I cannot bear it. NAOMI:
Do not desert me. RUTH:
I cannot bear it. NAOMI:
Do not desert me. (Boaz staggers on. He holds Perez’s knife covered in blood. Ruth screams.) RUTH:
Ah! It is done! It is done! Perez is dead! BOAZ:
Ruth, listen to me! RUTH:
Murderer! NAOMI:
What has happened? (Naomi exits.) RUTH:
You have killed Perez!
You are the same as all other men.
You kill, you do not care about another’s life.
You are the same as all other men.
How can I love you?
How can I love you?
When I see what you have done
When I see that you have killed. BOAZ:
Ruth. Listen to me! RUTH:
But it is my fault
I cannot bear it
I cannot stay in this land. (Naomi enters supporting Perez. He has been injured, there is blood on his face. Ruth stands, transfixed by the fact that he is alive.) RUTH:
Perez. Perez. You are alive. BOAZ:
Ruth, hear my words. Listen to me.
Perez and I fought hard. I cut Perez when I disarmed him. RUTH:
Yet Perez lives. When you disarmed him why did you not kill him? He was at your mercy. BOAZ:
Ruth, in our religion we must show kindness.
For the Lord teaches mercy and compassion, for He is a just and righteous and merciful God. He commands us to follow Him in all our deeds. So I forgave Perez. PEREZ:
Only a compassionate God would have spared my life. Only a kind God would have led Boaz to act in the way he did. Only a merciful God would have opened my eyes and shown me my jealousy and hatred. NAOMI:
The Lord God is a gracious God. Praise to the God of mercy. (Ruth turns to Naomi.) May He forgive my doubt, forgive my deceit. I was wrong to ask you to betray yourself. RUTH: (turning to Boaz)
I see you now for the man you are,
Just and merciful and kind.
I deceived the man I thought you were,
I deceived myself, I was blind.
But your kindness has cleansed my aching
Your mercy has cauterised my fear,
Your bravery has shattered the shield to my heart,
I am yours forever, if you will forgive me. BOAZ:
I understand now that this is the Lord’s will.
This is the Lord’s will. (Ruth and Boaz embrace and remain together until the curtain.) Many months ago, in a dream,
God revealed to me,
That the son of my grandson
Will be king of Israel.
David will be his name,
Yet I could not see how this could come to pass,
I should have trusted the Lord,
His prophecy will be fulfilled, at last. RUTH:
You had a dream, a dream like mine.
Boaz, I understand now that you are God’s servant.
I am the Lord’s servant too.
I am arrayed in your love,
I am arrayed in God’s truth
I understand that my destiny lies with you, Boaz.
I understand that the Lord has decreed this.
So where you go, I shall go. RUTH, BOAZ:
Your people shall be my people RUTH, BOAZ, NAOMI, PEREZ:
And your God shall be my God
The Lord will guard us from all harm,
He will guard our life.
The Lord will guard us from all harm,
He will guard our life.
The Lord will guard our going and our coming,
All our life,
Now, now and forever.
Now and forever.
Now and forever.
Now and forever. (Curtain.) | 
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