This eBook was produced by David Widger
with the help of Derek Andrew's text from January 1992
and the work of Bryan Taylor in November 2002.




Book 08        Ruth

08:001:001 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
           Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and
           his wife, and his two sons.

08:001:002 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 Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country
           of Moab, and continued there.

08:001:003 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her
           two sons.

08:001:004 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.

08:001:005 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman
           was left of her two sons and her husband.

08:001:006 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.

08:001:007 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.

08:001:008 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.

08:001:009 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.

08:001:010 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto
           thy people.

08:001:011 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?

08:001:012 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;

08:001:013 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.

08:001:014 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah
           kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

08:001:015 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.

08:001:016 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:

08:001:017 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.

08:001:018 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her,
           then she left speaking unto her.

08:001:019 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to
           pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was
           moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

08:001:020 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for
           the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

08:001:021 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?

08:001:022 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 Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

08:002:001 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of
           wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

08:002:002 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.

08:002:003 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.

08:002:004 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the
           reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD
           bless thee.

08:002:005 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers,
           Whose damsel is this?

08:002:006 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:

08:002:007 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.

08:002:008 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:

08:002:009 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.

08:002:010 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?

08:002:011 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.

08:002:012 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.

08:002:013 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.

08:002:014 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.

08:002:015 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:

08:002:016 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and
           leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

08:002:017 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she
           had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

08:002:018 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.

08:002:019 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.

08:002:020 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.

08:002:021 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.

08:002:022 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.

08:002:023 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.

08:003:001 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall
           I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

08:003:002 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou
           wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the
           threshingfloor.

08:003:003 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment
           upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not
           thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating
           and drinking.

08:003:004 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the
           place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover
           his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou
           shalt do.

08:003:005 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

08:003:006 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all
           that her mother in law bade her.

08:003:007 And 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 her down.

08:003:008 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and
           turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

08:003:009 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine
           handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for
           thou art a near kinsman.

08:003:010 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for
           thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the
           beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether
           poor or rich.

08:003:011 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that
           thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that
           thou art a virtuous woman.

08:003:012 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there
           is a kinsman nearer than I.

08:003:013 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he
           will perform unto thee 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 thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee,
           as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

08:003:014 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up
           before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be
           known that a woman came into the floor.

08:003:015 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, 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.

08:003:016 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art
           thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done
           to her.

08:003:017 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he
           said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

08:003:018 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the
           matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he
           have finished the thing this day.

08:004:001 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and,
           behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he
           said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned
           aside, and sat down.

08:004:002 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit
           ye down here. And they sat down.

08:004:003 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of
           the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our
           brother Elimelech's:

08:004:004 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the
           inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt
           redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then
           tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it
           beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem
           it.

08:004:005 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of
           Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife
           of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his
           inheritance.

08:004:006 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I
           mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for
           I cannot redeem it.

08:004:007 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning
           redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things;
           a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and
           this was a testimony in Israel.

08:004:008 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he
           drew off his shoe.

08:004:009 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye 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.

08:004:010 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I
           purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon
           his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from
           among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are
           witnesses this day.

08:004:011 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders,
           said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come
           into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did
           build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah,
           and be famous in Bethlehem:

08:004:012 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare
           unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this
           young woman.

08:004:013 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in
           unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

08:004:014 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath
           not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be
           famous in Israel.

08:004:015 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a
           nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which
           loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath
           born him.

08:004:016 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became
           nurse unto it.

08:004:017 And the women her neighbours 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.

08:004:018 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

08:004:019 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

08:004:020 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

08:004:021 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

08:004:022 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.