THE BOOK OF
RUTH
Ruth 1 1 Now it came to pass in
the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine
in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went
to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and
his two sons.
2 And 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 Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the
country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech
Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And they took
them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was
Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled
there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and
Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of
her two sons and her husband.
6 ¶ Then she arose
with her daughters in law, 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 in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where
she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they
went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law,
Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you,
as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you
in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and
they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return
with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why
will ye go with me? are there yet any more
sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way;
for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I
have hope, if I should have an husband also to
night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown?
would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my
daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that
the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again:
and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto
her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone
back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou
after thy sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or
to return from following after thee: for whither thou
goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:
thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I
be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but
death part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to
go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19 ¶ So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem.
And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem,
that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is
this Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call
me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly
with me.
21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then
call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty
hath afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her
daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the
country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the
beginning of barley harvest.
Ruth 2 1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a
mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his
name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me
now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him
in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her,
Go, my daughter.
3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field
after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of
the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of
the kindred of Elimelech.
4 ¶ And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and
said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The
LORD bless
thee.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set
over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
6 And the servant that was set over the reapers
answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that
came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and
gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came,
and hath continued even from the morning until now, that
she tarried a little in the house.
8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my
daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go
from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
9 Let thine eyes be on the field
that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not
charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and
when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that
which the young men have drawn.
10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to
the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in
thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me,
seeing I am a stranger?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath
fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy
mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how
thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of
thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou
knewest not heretofore.
12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given
thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come
to trust.
13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight,
my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that
thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I
be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou
hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the
vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached
her parched corn, and she did eat, and was
sufficed, and left.
15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz
commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among
the sheaves, and reproach her not:
16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of
purpose for her, and leave them, that she may
glean them, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat
out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of
barley.
18 ¶ And she took it up, and went into the
city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and
she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved
after she was sufficed.
19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast
thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed
be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her
mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The
man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed
be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the
living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is
near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me
also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they
have ended all my harvest.
22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It
is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his
maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean
unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and
dwelt with her mother in law.
A Psalm
of David.
PSALM
144 1 Blessed be
the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my
fingers to fight:
2 My goodness,
and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my
shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my
people under me.
3 LORD, what is man,
that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of
man, that thou makest account of him!
4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth
away.
5 Bow thy heavens,
O LORD, and
come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning,
and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy
them.
7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of
great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a
right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God:
upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings
will I sing praises unto thee.
10 It is he that giveth
salvation unto kings: who delivereth
David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me, and deliver me from
the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh
vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of
falsehood:
12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that
our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of
a palace:
13 That our garners may
be full, affording all manner of store: that
our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in
our streets:
14 That our oxen may be
strong to labour; that there be no breaking in,
nor going out; that there be no complaining in our
streets.
15 Happy is that people, that is in such a
case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is
the LORD.
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