testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?"

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 5 barley harvest.

II

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

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, "Let me now 10 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."

And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on a part of the 15 field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

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."

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, "Whose damsel is this?”

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:

"And she said, 'I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came, and

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hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house."

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, "Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go 5 from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens :

"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 10 men have drawn.”

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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 shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?"

And Boaz answered and said unto her, "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy motherin-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 here20 tofore. 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."

Then she said, "Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast 25 spoken friendly unto thy handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens."

And Boaz said unto her, "At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel into the vinegar." And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached

her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

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 :

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

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

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 received after she was sufficed.

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And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where hast thou 15 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 she said, "The man's name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz."

And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be 20 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."

And Ruth the Moabitess said, "He said unto me also, thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have 25 ended all my harvest."

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."

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.

III

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, "My 5 daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

"And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing floor.

10 "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.

"And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt 15 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."

And she said unto her, "All that thou sayest unto me I will do."

20 And she went down unto the floor, and c'i according to all that her mother-in-law had bade her.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, 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.

25 And it came to pass that at midnight that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

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

And he said, “My daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know 5 that thou art a virtuous woman.

"And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: how be it there is a kinsman nearer than I.

"Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning but if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; 10 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.” And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another.

And 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.

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And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Who 20 art thou, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done.

And she said, "These six measures of barley gave he to me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-inlaw."

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."

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