had visited his people in giving them 1 bread. And 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 8 land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, 9 and with me. "The LORD grant you that 'yel may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they 'lifted' up their 10 voice, and wept. And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with (11 thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will yel go with me? have I' yet sons in my womb, that they may be your 12 husbands? 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 even have an' husband to-night, and should also 13 bear sons; would ye 'therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye 'thereforel stay from having husbands ? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of the LORD is gone 'forth' against 14 me. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave 15 unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god': return 16 thou after thy sister in law.

And

Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, and 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 17 people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death (18 part thee and me. And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left speaking unto 19 her. 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 the women said, Is this 20 Naomi? And she said unto them,

Call me not 2Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very (21 bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home

1 Or, it is far more bitter for me than for you!

that

again empty why call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted 22 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 barley harvest.

21

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his 2 name was Boaz. "And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she 3 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 the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 °And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, 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 6 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 7) out of the country of Moab:

and

she said, Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, 'save' that she tarried a little 8 in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide 9 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 men *10 have drawn. Then she fell on her

face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thy sight', that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I 11 am a stranger? 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

a..

21 (then).

thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which 12 thou knewest not heretofore.

The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD, 'the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refugel. 13 Then she said, Let me find 'grace!

in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly unto thine handmaid, though I be not as one of (14) thine handmaidens. And at meal

time Boaz said unto her, Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and they reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof!. 15 And when she was risen up to glean,

Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the (16) sheaves, and reproach her not. And

also pull out some for her 'from the bundles, and leave it, and let her! 17 glean, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even; and she 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 19 left after she was sufficed. ° 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 20 to-day is Boaz. 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 'nigh' of kin unto us, one of our 21 near kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, 'Yeal, he said unto me, 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, 'and' that they meet thee not in any 23 other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the

31

end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother in law.

And Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be 2 well with thee? And now is there' not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the thresh3 ing-floor. "Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 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 (5 do. And she said unto her, All that 6 thou sayest I will do. And she

went down unto the threshing -floor, and did according to all that her 7 mother in law bade her. 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 8 feet, and laid her down. °And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 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 (10 kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young *11 men, whether poor or rich. °And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou 'sayest': for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. 12 °And now it is true that I am la

near kinsman: howbeit there is a 13 kinsman nearer than I. 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

14 until the morning. And she lay at his feet until the morning and she rose up before one could 'discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to 15 the threshing -floor. And he said, Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it; and she held it: 'and' he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into 16 the city. 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. (17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. (18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter,

dis

until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not rest, until he have finished the thing this day. 41) Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near 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 2 down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. 3 And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth 'the' parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: and I thought to close it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, 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. 5 °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 6 his inheritance. And the 'near' kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it. 7 Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging!, for to confirm all things; a man 'drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour:

1 Or, according to some ancient authorities, she went

Or, How hast thou fared

Another reading is, said to me.

4 See ch. ii. 20.

and this was the manner of attesta8 tion in Israel. So the 'near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. 9 And he drew off his shoe. 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. 10 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 wit11 nesses this day. 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 Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth12 lehem: and let thy house be like the house of Perez', whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young 13 woman. So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman, and let his name be famous (15 in Israel. And he shall be unto thee

a restorer of life, and nourisher of thine old age for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath 16 borne him. And Naomi took the

child, and laid it in her bosom, and 17 became nurse unto it. 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.

18 Now these are the generations of 19 Perez: Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat 20 Amminadab; and Amminadab begat

Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Sal21 mon; and Salmon begat Boaz, and 22 Boaz begat Obed; and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

7 manner..

11

FIRST BOOK

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of 2 Zuph, an Ephraimite: and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests 4 unto the LORD, were there. ° And when the day camel that Elkanah Isacrificed', he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her 5 daughters, portions: but unto Hannah he gave la "double portion : for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had 6 shut up her womb. And her 'rival' provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up 7 her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not 8) eat. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not 9 I better to thee than ten sons? °So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon 'his' seat by the door' post of the temple of the 10 LORD. And she was in bitterness of

soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and 11 wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid 2a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his 12 head. And it came to pass, as she

1 The Sept. reads, a single portion, because she had no child; howbeit Elkanah loved &c.

OF SAMUEL.

continued praying before the LORD, 13 that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard therefore Eli thought she had 14 been drunken. "And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken ? 15 put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my 16 soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of

Belial for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation' (17 have I spoken hitherto. °Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thy petition 18 that thou hast asked of him. "And she said, Let thy servant find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her counte19 nance was no more sad. And they

rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered 20) her. And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, 'and' bare a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the 21 LORD. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his 22 vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there 23 abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman tarried' and gave her son suck, until she weaned 24 him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with "three

bullocks, and one ephah of 'meal', and a 1bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: 25 and the child was young. And they

slew the bullock, and brought the 26 child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, 27 praying unto the LORD. For this

child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked 28) of him: therefore I also have 2 granted him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he is granted to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

21

21

And Hannah prayed, and said:
My heart exulteth in the LORD,
Mine horn is exalted in the LORD:
My mouth is enlarged over mine
enemies;

Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the LORD;
For there is none beside thee:
Neither is there any rock like our
God.

3 °Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth :

4

For the LORD is a God of knowledge,

And by him actions are weighed. "The bows of the mighty men are broken,

And they that stumbled are 'girded! with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread;

And they that were hungry have ceased:

'Yeal, the barren hath 'borne' seven; And she that hath many children languisheth'.

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive : He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

"The LORD maketh poor, and maketh

But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;

For by strength shall no man prevail. 10) They that strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces;

11

12

'Against them shall he thunder lin1 heaven:

The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth;

And he shall give strength unto his king,

And exalt the horn of his anointed. And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his 14 hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that 15 came thither. Yea', before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but 16 raw. And if the man said unto him,

They will surely burn the fat 12presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then 18he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for 14men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a 19 linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer *20 the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The

Another reading

- II. 1 rejoiceth; 4 girt; 5 So that..

(to make them); 9 saints, And.