Bible Verses

Ruth · Chapter 2 · Faith

Ruth 2:12 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

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Read in chapter context · Ruth 2

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”"

KJV · King James Version

"The LORD3068 recompense7999 thy work6467, and a full8003 reward4909 be given thee of the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478, under whose wings3671 thou art come935 to trust2620."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses lord, recompense, thy, thee, while the WEB renders these as may, yahweh, repay, your. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Ruth 2:12 in Ruth 2

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Ruth 2:12 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Ruth 2. Read the full chapter →

  1. v.10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”
  2. v.11 Boaz answered her, “I have been fully told about all that you have done to your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before.
  3. v.12 May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
  4. v.13 Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”
  5. v.14 At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left some of it.

Book background

About the Book of Ruth

Testament
Old Testament
Genre
Historical narrative
Author
Unknown (traditionally Samuel)
Date written
c. 1000 BC
Audience
Israel under the monarchy
Chapters
4

Ruth tells how a Moabite widow's loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi — "where you go, I will go" (1:16) — led to her redemption by Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer who prefigures Christ. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus, showing God's grace to outsiders in the unfolding plan of salvation.

Setting: Set during the time of the judges; Bethlehem and Moab.

Key themes: loyalty · kindness · redemption · providence · inclusion

Read Ruth from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Ruth 2:12

Ruth 2:12 contains 28 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

  1. 1

    May Yahweh repay your work

    MYRYW

  2. 2

    and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh

    AAFRBG

  3. 3

    the God of Israel

    TGOI

  4. 4

    under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

    UWWYHC

Frequently asked

FAQ about Ruth 2:12

What does Ruth 2:12 say?

Ruth 2:12 reads: "May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”" — from the Old Testament, Ruth (Historical narrative). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Ruth 2:12 in?

Ruth 2:12 is in the book of Ruth, traditionally attributed to Unknown (traditionally Samuel) and written around c. 1000 BC. Ruth is historical narrative in the Old Testament, originally addressed to Israel under the monarchy. Best known for "where you go, I will go" and the kinsman-redeemer.

What is Ruth 2:12 about?

Ruth 2:12 is primarily a Bible verse about Faith. Within Ruth, Ruth tells how a Moabite widow's loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi — "where you go, I will go" (1:16) — led to her redemption by Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer who prefigures Christ. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Ruth 2:12 in WEB and KJV?

Ruth 2:12 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "The LORD3068 recompense7999 thy work6467, and a full8003 reward4909 be given thee of the LORD3068 God430 of Israel3478, under whose wings3671 thou art come935 to trust2620.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Ruth 2:12?

Ruth 2:12 is 28 words in the WEB translation (142 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 8 seconds.

How can I memorise Ruth 2:12?

To memorise Ruth 2:12, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Ruth 2:12 matter in Ruth?

Ruth tells how a Moabite widow's loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi — "where you go, I will go" (1:16) — led to her redemption by Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer who prefigures Christ. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus, showing God's grace to outsiders in the unfolding plan of salvation. Ruth 2:12 sits within this larger story — Ruth as a whole emphasises loyalty, kindness, redemption.

How can I apply Ruth 2:12 today?

Many readers use Ruth 2:12 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Ruth 2:12 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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Ruth 1:16

“Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be…”

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