< Ruth 4 >

1 Then went Boaz vp to the gate, and sate there, and beholde, the kinsman, of whome Boaz had spoken, came by: and he sayd, Ho, snch one, come, sit downe here. And he turned, and sate downe.
Therfor Booz stiede to the yate, and sat there; and whanne he hadde seyn the kynesman passe forth, of whom the word was had, Booz seide to hym, Bowe thou a litil, and sitte here; and he clepide hym bi his name. And he turnede, and sat.
2 Then he tooke ten men of the Elders of the citie, and sayd, Sit ye downe here. And they sate downe.
Forsothe Booz took ten `men of the eldere men of the citee, and seide to hem, Sitte ye here.
3 And he said vnto ye kinsman, Naomi, that is come againe out of ye countrey of Moab, wil sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelechs.
And while thei saten, Booz spak to the kynesman, Noemy, that turnede ayen fro the cuntrey of Moab, seelde the part of the feeld of oure brother Elymelech,
4 And I thought to aduertise thee, saying, Buy it before the assistants, and before the Elders of my people. If thou wilt redeeme it, redeeme it: but if thou wilt not redeeme it, tel me: for I know that there is none besides thee to redeeme it, and I am after thee. Then he answered, I wil redeeme it.
which thing Y wolde that thou here; and Y wolde seie to thee bifor alle `men syttynge and grettere in birthe of my puple. If thou wolt haue in possessioun the feeld bi riyt of nyy kyn, bye thou, and `haue thou in possessioun; sotheli if it displesith thee, schewe thou this same thing to me, that Y wyte what Y `owe to do; for noon is niy in kyn, outakun thee which art the formere, and outakun me which am the secunde. And he answeride, Y schal bie the feeld.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou mnst also buy it of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the dead, to stirre vp the name of the dead, vpon his inheritance.
To whom Booz seide, Whanne thou hast bouyte the feeld of the `hond of the womman, thou owist `to take also Ruth of Moab, that was the wijf of the deed man, that thou reise the name of thi kynesman in his eritage.
6 And the kinsman answered, I can not redeeme it, lest I destroy mine owne inheritance: redeeme my right to thee, for I can not redeeme it.
Which answeride, Y forsake the ryyt of nyy kyn; for Y owe not to do awei the eritage of my meynee; vse thou my priuelegie, which priuelegie Y knowleche me to wante gladli.
7 Now this was the maner beforetime in Israel, concerning redeeming and changing, for to stablish all things: a man did plucke off his shooe, and gaue it his neighbour, and this was a sure witnes in Israel.
Forsothe this was the custom bi eld tyme in Israel among kynesmen, that if a man yaf his riyt to anothir man, that the grauntyng were stidefast, the man vnlaase his scho, and yaf to his kynesman; this was the witnessyng of the yift in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman sayd to Boas, Buy it for thee: and he drew off his shooe.
Therfor Booz seide to his kynesman, Take the scho fro thee; `which scho he vnlaside anoon fro his foot.
9 And Boaz sayd vnto the Elders and vnto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I haue bought all that was Elimelechs, and all that was Chilions and Mahlons, of the hand of Naomi.
And Booz seide to the grettere men in birthe and to al the puple, Ye ben witnessis to dai, that Y haue take in possessioun alle thingis that weren of Elymelech, and of Chelion, and of Maalon, bi the yifte of Noemy;
10 And moreouer, Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of Mahlon, haue I bought to be my wife, to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance, and that the name of the dead be not put out from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
and that Y haue take in to wedlok Ruth of Moab, the wijf of Maalon, that Y reise the name of the deed man in his erytage; lest his name be doon awey fro his meynee and britheren and puple. Ye, he seide, ben witnessis of this thing.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the Elders sayd, We are witnesses: the Lord make the wife that commeth into thine house, like Rahel and like Leah, which twaine did build the house of Israel: and that thou mayest doe worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem,
Al the puple, that was in the yate, answeride, and the grettere men in birthe answeriden, We ben witnessis; the Lord make this womman, that entrith in to thin hows, as Rachel and Lia, that bildiden the hows of Israel, that sche be ensaumple of vertu in Effrata, and haue a solempne name in Bethleem;
12 And that thine house be like the house of Pharez (whom Thamar bare vnto Iudah) of the seede which the Lord shall giue thee of this yong woman.
and thin hows be maad as the hows of Fares, whom Thamar childide to Judas, of the seed which the Lord schal yyue to thee of this damesel.
13 So Boaz tooke Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in vnto her, the Lord gaue that she conceiued, and bare a sonne.
Therfor Booz took Ruth, and took hir to wijf; and he entride to hir, and the Lord yaf to hir, that sche conseyuede, `and childide a sone.
14 And the women sayd vnto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and his name shalbe continued in Israel.
And wymmen seiden to Noemy, Blessid be the Lord, which `suffride not, that an eir failide to thi meynee, and his name were clepid in Israel;
15 And this shall bring thy life againe, and cherish thine olde age: for thy daughter in lawe which loueth thee, hath borne vnto him, and she is better to thee then seuen sonnes.
and that thou haue `a man, that schal coumforte thi soule, and nursche elde age. For a child is borun of thi douytir in lawe, `which child schal loue thee, and he is myche betere to thee, than if thou haddist seuene sones.
16 And Naomi tooke the childe, and layde it in her lap, and became nource vnto it.
And Noemy puttide the child resseyued in hir bosum; and sche dide the office of a nurische, and of a berere.
17 And the women her neighbours gaue it a name, saying, There is a childe borne to Naomi, and called the name thereof Obed: the same was the father of Ishai, the father of Dauid.
Forsothe wymmen neiyboris thankiden hir, and seiden, A sone is borun to Noemy, and clepide his name Obeth. This is the fadir of Ysay, fadir of Dauid.
18 These now are ye generations of Pharez: Pharez begate Hezron,
These ben the generaciouns of Fares; Fares gendride Esrom;
19 And Hezron begate Ram, and Ram begate Amminadab,
Esrom gendride Aram; Aram gendride Amynadab;
20 And Amminadab begate Nahshon, and Nahshon begate Salmah,
Amynadab gendride Naason; Naason gendride Salmon; Salmon gendride Booz;
21 And Salmon begate Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
Booz gendride Obeth;
22 And Obed begate Ishai, and Ishai begate Dauid.
Obeth gendride Isay; Isay gendride Dauid the kyng.

< Ruth 4 >