⁴ So Moab said to ^(A)the elders of Midian, “Now this company will ^[a]lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

⁹ Then the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given ^(A)Ar to ^(B)the descendants of Lot as a possession.’ ”

²⁸ Then he said to them, “Follow me, for ^(A)the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the ^(B)fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

⁴ Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they ^[a]dwelt there about ten years.

²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem ^(A)at the beginning of barley harvest.

Saul’s Continuing Wars

⁴⁷ So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of ^(A)Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of ^(B)Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he ^[a]harassed them.

³ Then David went from there to Mizpah of ^(A)Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” ⁴ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

² Then ^(A)he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s ^(B)servants, and ^(C)brought tribute.