1   In the days of oon iuge, whanne the iugis weren before in power, there is maad greet hungre in the erthe; and o man of Bethlem Juda wente for to pilgrimage in the regioun of Moabitide, with his wijf and his two free children. 2   And he was clepid Elemalech, and the wijf of hym Noemye, and the two sones, the toon Maalon, and the tother Chelion, Effratee of Bethlem Juda; and thei goon into the regioun of Moabitide, dwelliden there. 3   And Elemalech, the housboond of Noemie, is deed, and she lafte with the sones; 4   the whiche token Moabyte wyues, of whom oon was clepid Orpha, and the tother Ruth. And thei dwelliden ten &yogh;eer there, 5   and both been deed, Maalon that is, and Chelyon; and the womman laft priued two free children and housboond. 6   And she roos for to goo into the cuntre with hir either dou&yogh;ter in lawe fro Moabitis regioun; forsothe she hadde

herd, that the Lord hadde biholden hir puple, and hadde &yogh;ouun hem metis. 7   And so she wente out fro the place of hir pylgrimage with either dou&yogh;ter in lawe; and nowe in the weie set of turnynge a&yogh;en into the loond of Juda, 8   she seide to hem, Goth in to the hows of &yogh;oure moder; the Lord do with &yogh;ou mercy, as &yogh;e han do with the deed, and with me; 9   &yogh;if he to &yogh;ow to fynde rest in the howses of the men, `the whiche &yogh;e ben to take. And she kisside hem. 10   The whiche with arerid vois bigunne to wepe, and seyn, With thee we shulen goo to thi puple. 11   To whom she answerde, Turneth a&yogh;en, my dou&yogh;tren, whi comen &yogh;e with me? Y haue no mo sonys in my wombe, that men of me &yogh;e mowen hope; 12   turneth a&yogh;en, my Moabitis dou&yogh;tren, and goth; forsothe nowe I am waastid bi eeld, ne able to the boond of matrymonye; also if Y my&yogh;t this ny&yogh;t conceyue, and bere sones, 13   thou&yogh; &yogh;e wolden abide to the tyme that thei wexen, and fulfillen the &yogh;eeris of mannus age, before that &yogh;e wedden &yogh;e shulen be oold wymmen; wolith not, Y biseche, my dou&yogh;tren, for &yogh;oure angwish greuith me more, and the hoond of the Lord is goon out a&yogh;ens me. 14   Thanne arerid the voice, eft thei bigunne to wepe. Orpha kisside her moder in lawe, and turnede a&yogh;en, Ruth cleuede to hir moder in lawe. 15   To whom seide Noemye, Loo! thi cosyn is turned a&yogh;en to hir puple, and to hir goddis; go thou with hir. 16   The which answerde, Ne contrarye thou me, that Y forsake thee, and goo a wey; whidir euere thou gost, I shal goo, and where thow abidist, and I togidre shal abyde; thi puple my puple, and thi God my God; 17   what erthe the takith diynge,

in it I shal die, and there I shal take place of biriynge; thes thingis God do to me, and thes thingis adde, if not oonly deth me and thee seuere. 18   Seynge thanne Noemye, that with stedfast inwit Ruth hadde demed to goo with hir, wold not contrarye, ne more mouynge the turnynge a&yogh;en to hyrs. 19   And thei wenten forth to gidre, and thei camen into Bethlem; the whiche goon into the cytee, swift loos anentis alle men wex opyn, and the wymmen seiden, This is `the ilk Noemy. 20   To whom she seith, Ne clepe &yogh;e me Noemy, that is to seye, fayr, but clepith me Mara, that is, bittir; for with bitternes mych the Almy&yogh;ti hath fulfillid me. 21   Ful I wente out, and voyd the Lord hath brou&yogh;t me a&yogh;en; whi thanne clepe &yogh;e me Noemy, whom the Lord hath mekyd, and the Almity hath tourmentid? 22   Thanne cam Noemy with Ruth Moabite, hir dou&yogh;ter in lawe, fro the loond of hir pilgrimage, and is turned a&yogh;en into Bethleem, whanne first men repiden barly. CAP. II.

1   There was forsothe a man, cosyn of Elymelech, a my&yogh;ti man and of greet rytches, Booz bi name. 2   And Ruth Moabite seide to hir moder in lawe, If thow comaunde, Y shal goo in to the feeld and gedre eeris that fleen the hoondis of repers, where euere Y shal fynde grace of an housholder mercyable in me. To whom she answerde, Goo, my dou&yogh;ter. 3   And so she &yogh;ede, and gedride eeris after the backis of reperis. It felle forsothe, that thilk feeld hadde a lord, Booz bi name, that was of the kynrede

of Elymelech. 4   And loo! he cam fro Bethlem. And he seide to his repers, The Lord with &yogh;ou. The whiche answerde to hym, The Lord blesse to thee. 5   And Booz seide to the &yogh;ong man that was before in rewlynge to the repers, Whos is this child womman? 6   The which answerde, This is a Moabite, that cam with Noemy fro Moabites regioun; 7   and she preyede, that she mi&yogh;te gedre eeris leeuynge, folwewynge the steppis of the repers; and fro eerly vnto nowe she stondith in the feeld, ne forsothe at o moment she turnede a&yogh;en to the hows. 8   And Booz seith to Ruth, Here, dou&yogh;ter; ne goo thou into annother feeld to gedre, ne goo a wey fro this place, but be thou ioyned to my children wymmen, 9   and where thei repen, folwe; forsothe Y haue comaundid to my children, that noon be heuy to thee; but if also thou thrustist, go to the litil costrils, and drynk watris, of the whiche my children drenken. 10   The which fallynge into hir face and lowtynge on erthe seide to hym, Whens to me this, that I fynde grace before thin ei&yogh;en, that thou deyn to knowe me a pilgryme womman? 11   To whom he answerde, Alle thingis ben toold to me, that thou didist to thi moder in lawe after the deth of thi man, and that thou forsokist thi fader and thi moder, and the loond in the which thou ert born, and cam to the puple, whom before thou knewe not. 12   The Lord &yogh;elde to thee for thi werk, and fulle mede resseyue thou of the Lord God of Yrael, to whom thou art comen, and vndre whos weenges thou hast flowen. 13   The which seith, Y haue founde grace before thin eyen, my lord, `the which hast coumfortid me, and spoken to the herte of

thin hoond womman, `the which am not lijk of oon of thi children wymmen. 14   And Booz seide to hir, Whanne our of etynge shal be, com hidre, and eet breed, and weet thi morsel in eysel. And so she sat at the side of the repers, and made to hir potage, and she eet, and is fild, and took the relifes. 15   And thens she roos, and after the maner she gedride eeris. Forsothe Booz comaundide to his children, seiynge, Also if with &yogh;ow she wol repe, 16   defende &yogh;e hir not, and of &yogh;oure forsothe hoondfuls throwith o purpose, and suffre &yogh;e to abide stil, that with out shame she gedre; and gedrynge no man vndirnymme. 17   Than she gedride in the feeld vnto euen; and that she gedrede with a &yogh;eerde betynge and shakynge out, she foond of barli as the mesure of ephi, that is, thre busshels. 18   The whiche berynge she turnede a&yogh;en into the citee, and shewide to hir moder in lawe; also she brou&yogh;te forth, and &yogh;af to hir the relif of hir meet, with the which she was fild. 19   And the moder in lawe seide to hir, Where to day hast thou gadrid, and where hast thou doo werk? Be he blessid, that hadde mercy of thee. And she shewide to hir, anentis whom she wrou&yogh;te; and the name of the man she seide, that Booz he was clepid. 20   To whom answerde Noemy, Blessid be he of the Lord, for the same grace that he hath &yogh;euen to men o lyue, he hath kept and to the deed. And eft she seith, Oure ny&yogh; kyn is the man. 21   And Ruth, Forsothe this he seith and comaundide to me, that so long I shulde be ioyned to the repers of hym, to the tyme that alle the cornys ben ropen. 22   To whom seide the moder in lawe, Betere it is, dou&yogh;ter

myn, that with the childre wymmen of hym thou goo out to repe, lest in another feeld eny man withstoonde to thee. 23   And so she is ioyned to the childre wymmen of Booz; and as long with hem she repide, to the tyme that the barli and the whete weren leid in the beerns. CAP. III.

1   Aftyr forsothe that she was turned a&yogh;en to hir moder in lawe, she herde of hir, Dow&yogh;ter myn, Y shal seche to thee rest, and Y shal puruey that it wel be to thee. 2   This Booz, to whos wymmen children thou art ioyned in the feeld, is oure ny&yogh; kyn, and in this ny&yogh;t he wynnewith the flore of his barli. 3   Be wasshen thanne, and anoynt, and clothid with the more worshipful clothis, and go doun into the flore; se thee no man, to the tyme that etynge and drynkynge he haue eendid. 4   Forsothe whanne he goth to sleepe, mark the place in the which he sleepith; and thou shalt com and discouere the mantil, with whych he is couerd, fro the parti of the feet, and thou shalt throwe thee doun, and there ligge. Forsothe he shal seye to thee, what thou owist to doo. 5   The which answerde, What euere thing thou shalt comaunde, I shal doo. 6   And she wente doun into the floor, and dide alle thingis that the moder in lawe comaundide to hir. 7   And whanne Booz hadde eten and dronken, and was maad gladder cheryd, and was goon to sleepe biside the heep of handfullis, she cam, and hidde hir; and discouerd the mantil fro his feet, she threwe hir self doun. 8   And loo! nowe at mydny&yogh;t dradde the man, and is disturblid; and he saw&yogh; a womman liggynge at his feet, and seith to hir, What art thou? 9   

She answerde, I am Ruth, thin hoond womman; spreed thi mantil vpon thi seruaunt, for thou art ny&yogh;. 10   And he, Blessid, he seith, thou art of the Lord, dou&yogh;tre, and the rather mercy bi the aftirmore thou hast ouerpassid; for thou hast not folwid &yogh;onge pore men other riche. 11   Wol thou not thanne drede, but what euere thing thou seist to me, I shal doo to thee; forsothe al the puple woot, that dwellith with ynne the &yogh;atis of my cytee, thee to be a womman of vertue. 12   Ne I denye me to be ny&yogh;, but there is another nerre than Y; 13   rest this ny&yogh;t, and morwetide doon, if he wole take thee bi ri&yogh;t of affynyte, the thing is wel doo; forsothe if he wol not, I with out eny dowt shal take thee, the Lord lyueth; sleep vnto the morwetide. 14   And so she slept at his feet vnto the goynge a wey of the ni&yogh;t, and so she roos before that men knewen hem self to gidre. And Booz seide, Bewar, lest eny man knowe, that hidir thou art comen. 15   And eft, Spreed, he seith, thi mantil, with which thou art couerd, and hold with ethir hoond. The which spredynge and holdynge he mesuride sixe bushels of barli, and put vpon hir; the which berynge wente into the cyte, 16   and cam to hir moder in lawe. The which seide to hir, What hast thow doon, dou&yogh;ter? And she toolde to hyr alle thingis, that the man dide to hir; and seith, Loo! 17   sexe bushels of barly he hath &yogh;euen to me; and seith, Y wol not thee to turne a&yogh;en void to thi moder in lawe. 18   And Noemy seide, Abide, dou&yogh;ter, to the tyme that we seen what yssu the thing wol han; forsothe ne the man shal ceese, but he fulfille that he hath spoken.

CAP. IV.

1   Booz thanne wente vp to the &yogh;ate, and sat there; and whanne he hadde seen the ny&yogh; kyn passe biside, of the which before word is had, he seide to hym, Bowe aside a litil, and sit here, clepynge hym bi his name. The which turnede a side, and sat. 2   Forsothe Booz takynge ten men of the eldre of the citee seide to hem, Sittith here. 3   The which sittynge, he spak to the ny&yogh; kyn, Noemy soolde a parti of the feeld of oure brother Elymalech, the which is turnyd a&yogh;en fro Moabitis regyon, 4   the which thing Y wold thee to here, and to thee seyn before al men sittynge and the more men thur&yogh; birth of my puple. If thou wolt weeld the feeld bi ry&yogh;t of ni&yogh; kynrede, bye and weeld; forsothe if it to thee displese, that same thing shewe to me, that I wite what I owe to do; forsothe no man is ny&yogh; kyn, out taak thee that art formere, and me that am secounde. And he answerde, I the feelde shal bye. 5   To whom seide Booz, Whanne thow biest the feeld of the hoond of the womman, forsothe Ruth Moabite, that was the wijf of the deed, thou owist to take, that thow rere the name of thi ny&yogh; kyn in his erytage. 6   The which answerde, I leeue the ri&yogh;t of my ny&yogh; kynrede; forsothe ne Y owe to doon aweie the after comynge of my meyne; thou my priuelege vse, `the which Y knowleche me gladly to want. 7   Forsothe this was the manere in oold tyme in Yrael bitwixe ny&yogh; kyn, that if eny tyme oon to anothere lafte his ri&yogh;t, that the grauntynge were stable, the man looside his sho, and &yogh;af to his ny&yogh; kyn; that was witnessynge of the leuynge in

Yrael. 8   Thanne seide Booz to his ny&yogh; kyn, Tak thi sho to me; the which anoon he looside fro his foot. 9   And he to the more thur&yogh; birth and to al the puple, Witnessis &yogh;e ben, he seith, to day, that Y owe to weelde alle that weren of Elymalech, and Chelyon, and Maalon, &yogh;yuynge Noemy; 10   and Y shulde take Ruth Moabite, the wijf of Maalon, into weddynge, that I rere the name of the deed in his erytage; lest the name of hym fro his meynee and bretheren and puple be doon a wey. Forsothe &yogh;e of this thing ben witnessis. 11   Al the puple answerde, that was in the &yogh;ate, and the more thur&yogh; birth, We ben witnessis; the Lord make this womman, that goth into thin hows, as Rachel and Lya, that edifiden the hows of Yrael, that she be exsaumple of vertu in Effrata, and she haue a solempne name in Bethlem; 12   and thin hous be maad as the hous of Phares, whom Thamar beere to Juda, of the seed that the Lord shal &yogh;eue to thee of this child womman. 13   And so Booz took Ruth, and took hir to wijf; and he wente yn to her, and the Lord &yogh;af to hir, and she conseyuede, and beer a child. 14   And wymmen seide to Noemy, Blissid the Lord, which hath not suffrid, that the successour of thi meyne shulde fail, and his name shulde be clepid in Irael; 15   and thou haue that coumfort thi lijf, and norishe thin eeld. Forsothe of thi dou&yogh;ter in lawe is born, that shal loue thee, and mych betere is to thee, than thou&yogh; thou haddist seuen sones. 16   And Noemy putte the takun child in hir bosum; and vside the office of norshe, and of berer. 17   Forsothe the wymmen nei&yogh;bours togidre thankynge to hir, and seiynge, The sone of Noemy is born, clepeden his name Obeth. This is the fader of Ysay, fader

of Dauyd. 18   Thes ben the generaciouns of Phares; 19   Phares gat Esrom; Esrom gat Aram; 20   Aram gat Amynadab; Amynadab gat Naason; Naason gat Salmon; Salmon gat Booz; 21   Booz gat Obeth; Obeth gat Ysay; 22   Ysay gat Dauyd the kyng. Here eendith Ruth.

THE HOLY BIBLE,
CONTAINING
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS,
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KEEPER OF THE MSS. IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM. VOLUME II. OXFORD,
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