< Ruth 2 >

1 Now her husband Elimelech had a kinsman, a powerful man, and very rich, whose name was Booz.
Then Naomis husband had a kinsman, one of great power of the familie of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to her mother in law: If thou wilt, I will go into the field, and glean the ears of corn that escape the hands of the reapers, wheresoever I shall find grace with a householder that will be favourable to me. And she answered her: Go, my daughter.
And Ruth ye Moabitesse said vnto Naomi, I pray thee, Let mee goe to the fielde, and gather eares of corne after him, in whose sight I finde fauour. And she said vnto her, Goe my daughter.
3 She went therefore and gleaned the ears of corn after the reapers. And it happened that the owner of that field was Booz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
And she went, and came and gleaned in the fielde after the reapers, and it came to passe, that she met with the portion of the fielde of Boaz, who was of the familie of Elimelech.
4 And behold, he came out of Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The Lord be with you. And they answered him: The Lord bless thee.
And behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and saide vnto the reapers, The Lord be with you: and they answered him, The Lord blesse thee.
5 And Booz said to the young man that was set over the reapers: Whose maid is this?
Then saide Boaz vnto his seruant that was appointed ouer the reapers, Whose maide is this?
6 And he answered him: This is the Moabitess who came with Noemi, from the land of Moab,
And the seruant that was appointed ouer the reapers, answered, and said, It is the Moabitish maide, that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab:
7 And she desired leave to glean the ears of corn that remain, following the steps of the reapers: and she hath been in the field from morning till now, and hath not gone home for one moment.
And shee saide vnto vs, I pray you, let mee gleane and gather after the reapers among the sheaues: so shee came, and hath continued from that time in the morning vnto now, saue that she taried a litle in the house.
8 And Booz said to Ruth: Hear me, daughter, do not go to glean in any other field, and do not depart from this place: but keep with my maids,
Then said Boaz vnto Ruth, Hearest thou, my daughter? goe to none other fielde to gather, neither goe from hence: but abide here by my maydens.
9 And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of the waters whereof the servants drink.
Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reape, and goe thou after the maidens. Haue I not charged the seruants, that they touche thee not? Moreouer whe thou art a thirst, go vnto ye vessels, and drinke of that which ye seruants haue drawen.
10 She fell on her face and worshipping upon the ground, said to him: Whence cometh this to me, that I should find grace before thy eyes, and that thou shouldst vouchsafe to take notice of me a woman of another country?
Then shee fell on her face, and bowed her selfe to the ground, and said vnto him, How haue I found fauour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest know me, seeing I am a stranger?
11 And he answered her: All hath been told me, that thou hast done to thy mother in law after the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left thy parents, and the land wherein thou wast born, and art come to a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
And Boaz answered, and said vnto her, All is told and shewed me that thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe, since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and ye land where thou wast borne, and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in time past.
12 The Lord render unto thee for thy work, and mayest thou receive a full reward of the Lord the God of Israel, to whom thou art come, and under whose wings thou art fled.
The Lord recompense thy worke, and a ful reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel, vnder whose wings thou art come to trust.
13 And she said: I have found grace in thy eyes, my lord, who hast comforted me and hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, who am not like to one of thy maids.
Then she saide, Let me finde fauour in thy sight, my lord: for thou hast comforted mee, and spoken comfortably vnto thy mayde, though I be not like to one of thy maydes.
14 And Booz said to her: At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. So she sat at the side of the reapers, and she heaped to herself frumenty, and ate and was filled, and took the leavings.
And Boaz said vnto her, At the meale time come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dippe thy morsell in the vineger. And she sate beside the reapers, and hee reached her parched corne: and shee did eate, and was sufficed, and left thereof.
15 And she arose from thence, to glean the ears of corn as before. And Booz commanded his servants, saying: If she would even reap with you, hinder her not:
And when she arose to gleane, Boaz commanded his seruants, saying, Let her gather among the sheaues, and doe not rebuke her.
16 And let fall some of your handfuls of purpose, and leave them, that she may gather them without shame, and let no man rebuke her when she gathereth them.
Also let fall some of the sheaues for her, and let it lie, that she may gather it vp, and rebuke her not.
17 She gleaned therefore in the field till evening: and beating out with a rod and threshing what she had gleaned, she found about the measure of an ephi of barley, that is, three bushels:
So she gleaned in the fielde vntill euening, and she thresshed that shee had gathered, and it was about an Ephah of barly.
18 Which she took up and returned into the city, and shewed it to her mother in law: moreover she brought out, and gave her of the remains of her meat, wherewith she had been filled.
And she tooke it vp, and went into the citie, and her mother in law saw what she had gathered: Also she tooke foorth, and gaue to her that which she had reserued, when she was sufficed.
19 And her mother in law said to her: Where hast thou gleaned today, and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that hath had pity on thee. And she told her with whom she had wrought: and she told the man’s name, that he was called Booz.
Then her mother in lawe saide vnto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he, that knewe thee. And she shewed her mother in lawe, with whome she had wrought, and saide, The mans name, with whom I wrought to day, is Boaz.
20 And Noemi answered her: Blessed be he of the Lord: because the same kindness which he shewed to the living, he hath kept also to the dead. And again she said: The man is our kinsman.
And Naomi said vnto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord: for he ceaseth not to doe good to the liuing and to the dead. Againe Naomi saide vnto her, The man is neere vnto vs, and of our affinitie.
21 And Ruth said, He also charged me, that I should keep close to his reapers, till all the corn should be reaped.
And Ruth the Moabitesse said, He said also certainely vnto mee, Thou shalt be with my seruants, vntill they haue ended all mine haruest.
22 And her mother in law said to her: It is better for thee, my daughter, to go out to reap with his maids, lest in another man’s field some one may resist thee.
And Naomi answered vnto Ruth her daughter in lawe, It is best, my daughter, that thou goe out with his maides, that they meete thee not in an other fielde.
23 So she kept close to the maids of Booz: and continued to glean with them, till all the barley and the wheat were laid up in the barns.
Then she kept her by the maides of Boaz, to gather vnto the end of barly haruest, and of wheate haruest, and dwelt with her mother in lawe.

< Ruth 2 >