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Ruth 1
1Now it was in the days when the judges judged, that
there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Judah went
to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
2And the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife
Naomi and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem
Judah. And they came into the country of Moab and continued there.
3And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she and her
two sons were left. 4And they took wives of the women of Moab; the name
of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there
about ten years. 5And Mahlon and Chilion also died, both of them;
and the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters in law, so that she might return
from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that
the LORD had visited his people by giving them bread.
7Therefore she went from the place where she was and her two
daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land
of Judah. 8And Naomi said to her two daughters in law, Go, return
each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you,
as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9The
LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the
house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voices
and wept. 10And they said to her, Surely we will return with you
to your people. 11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why
will you go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may
be your husbands? 12Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for
I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should
have a husband also tonight and should also bear sons; 13Would
you wait for them till they were grown? would you wait for them from having
husbands? no, my daughters; for it grieves me much for your sakes that the
hand of the LORD has gone out against me. 14And
they lifted up their voices and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother
in law; but Ruth clung to her. 15And she said, Behold, your sister
in law is gone back to her people and to her gods: return after your sister
in law. 16And Ruth said, Do not entreat me to leave you, or to
return from following after you: for where you go, I will go; and where you
lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people and your God my God:
17Where you die, I will die and there will I be buried: the
LORD do so to me and more also, if ought but death parts
you and me. 18When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to
go with her, then she ceased speaking to her.
19So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it was, when
they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about
them and they said, Is this Naomi? 20And she said to them, Do
not call me Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly
with me. 21I went out full and the LORD has brought
me home again empty: why then do you call me Naomi, seeing the
LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted
me? 22So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter
in law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came
to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
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Ruth 2
1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth,
of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 2And Ruth the
Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me go now to the field and glean ears of grain
after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said to her, Go, my
daughter. 3And she went and came and gleaned in the field after
the reapers: and her chance was to light on a part of the field belonging
to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers,
The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The
LORD bless you. 5Then Boaz said to his servant
who was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 6And the servant
who was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel
who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7And she
said, I beseech you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the
sheaves: so she came and has continued even from the morning until now,
except that she rested a little in the house. 8Then Boaz said
to Ruth, Do you not hear, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field,
nor go from here, but abide here close by my maidens: 9Let your
eyes be on the field that they reap and go after them: have I not charged
the young men that they shall not touch you? and when you are thirsty, go
to the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
10Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground,
and said to him, Why have I found grace in your eyes, that you should take
knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11And Boaz answered and
said to her, It has fully been shown me, 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 nativity and have come to a people
whom you did not know before. 12The LORD recompense
your work and a full reward be given you of the LORD God
of Israel, under whose wings you have come to trust.13Then she
said, Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted
me and that you have spoken friendly to your handmaid, though I am not like
one of your handmaidens. 14And Boaz said to her, At mealtime come
here and eat of the bread and dip your morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
beside the reapers: and he reached her parched grain and she ate and was
sufficed and left.15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz
commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves and
do not reproach her: 16And also let fall some of the handfuls
on purpose for her and leave them, that she may glean them and do not rebuke
her.
17So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out that
which she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18And
she took it up and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she
had gleaned: and she brought forth what she had reserved after she was sufficed,
and gave to her. 19And her mother in law said to her, Where have
you gleaned today? and where did you work? blessed is he that took knowledge
of you. And she showed her mother in law with whom she had worked and said,
The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz. 20And Naomi said
to her daughter in law, Blessed is he of the LORD, who has
not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to
her, The man is near of kin to us, one of our next kinsmen. 21And
Ruth the Moabitess said, He also said to me, You shall keep close by my young
men, until they have finished all my harvest. 22And Naomi said
to Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with
his maidens, that they do not meet you in any other field. 23So
she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean to the end of barley harvest
and of wheat harvest; and dwelled with her mother in law.
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Ruth 3
1Then Naomi her mother in law said to her, My daughter, shall
I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2And now
is not Boaz of our family, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows
barley tonight in the threshingfloor. 3Wash yourself therefore,
and anoint yourself and put your raiment on and go down to the floor:
but do not make yourself known to the man, until he has finished eating and
drinking. 4And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall
mark the place where he shall lie and you shall go in and uncover his feet,
and lie down; and he will tell you what you shall do. 5And she
said to her, All that you say to me I will do.
6And she went down to the floor and did according to all that
her mother in law bade her. 7And when Boaz had eaten and drunk,
and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn:
and she came softly and uncovered his feet and laid down. 8And
it was at midnight, that the man was afraid and turned himself:
and behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9And he said, Who are you?
And she answered, I am Ruth your handmaid: spread therefore your skirt over
your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman. 10And he said, Blessed
are you of the LORD, my daughter: for you have shown more
kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you did not
follow young men, whether poor or rich. 11And now, my daughter,
do not fear; I will do to you all that you require: for all the city of my
people knows that you are a virtuous woman. 12And now it is true
that I am your near kinsman: but there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13Wait this night and it shall be in the morning, that if he
will perform to you the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's
part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, then I will do
the part of a kinsman to you, as the LORD lives: lie down
until the morning.
14And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before
one could know another. And he said, Do not let it be known that a woman
came into the floor.15Also he said, Bring the veil that you have
on and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley,
and laid it on her: and she went into the city. 16And when she
came to her mother in law, she said, Who are you, my daughter? And she told
her all that the man had done to her. 17And she said, These six
measures of barley he gave me; for he said to me, Do not go empty to your
mother in law. 18Then she said, Sit still, my daughter, until
you know how the matter will fall: for the man will not rest until he has
finished the thing this day.
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Ruth 4
1Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there: and behold,
the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, Ho, such a one!
turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down. 2And
he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, You sit down here. And
they sat down. 3And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has come
again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land, which was our brother
Elimelech's: 4And I thought to advertise you, saying, Buy it before
the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it,
redeem it: but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, so that I may know:
for there is no one to redeem it beside you; and I am after you. And he said,
I will redeem it. 5Then Boaz said, In the day that you buy the
field at the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the
wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar
my own inheritance: you redeem my right for yourself; for I cannot redeem
it. 7Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
redeeming and concerning changing, to confirm all things; a man plucked off
his shoe and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. So he
drew off his shoe.
9And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, you are witnesses
this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's
and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. 10Also Ruth the Moabitess,
the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name
of the dead upon his inheritance, so that the name of the dead is not cut
off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place: you are witnesses
this day. 11And all the people who were in the gate and the elders,
said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come
into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel:
and you do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem: 12And
let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of
the seed which the LORD shall give you of this young woman.
13So Boaz took Ruth and she was his wife: and when he went in
to her, the LORD gave her conception and she bore a son.
14And the women said to Naomi, Blessed is the LORD,
who has not left you this day without a redeemer, that his name may be proclaimed
in Israel. 15And he shall be a restorer of your life to you and
a nourisher of your old age: for your daughter in law, who loves you, who
is better to you than seven sons, has born him. 16And Naomi took
the child and laid it in her bosom and became nurse to it. 17And
the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi;
and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez was the father
of Hezron, 19And Hezron was the father of Ram and Ram was the
father of Amminadab, 20And Amminadab was the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon was the father of Salmon, 21And Salmon was the father
of Boaz and Boaz was the father of Obed, 22And Obed was the father
of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David.
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