< Ruth 3 >

1 And her mother-in-law Naomi says to her, “My daughter, do I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
Forsothe aftir that Ruth turnede ayen to hir modir in lawe, Ruth herde of hir, My douytir, Y schal seke reste to thee, and Y schal purueye that it be wel to thee.
2 And now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women you have been? Behold, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley tonight,
This Booz, to whose damesels thou were ioyned in the feeld, is oure kynesman, and in this niyt he wyndewith the corn floor of barli.
3 and you have bathed, and anointed yourself, and put your garments on you, and gone down to the threshing-floor; do not let yourself be known to the man until he completes to eat and to drink;
Therfor be thou waischun, and anoyntid, and be thou clothid with onestere clothis, and go doun in to the corn floor; the man, `that is, Booz, se not thee, til he haue endid the mete and drynke.
4 and it comes to pass, when he lies down, that you have known the place where he lies down, and have gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down—and he declares to you that which you do.”
Forsothe whanne he goth to slepe, marke thou the place `in which he slepith; and thou schalt come and vnhile the cloth, `with which he is hilid, fro the part of the feet, and thou schalt caste thee doun, and thou schalt ly there. Forsothe he schal seie to thee, what thou `owist to do.
5 And she says to her, “All that you say—I do.”
Which answeride, What euer thing thou comaundist, Y schal do.
6 And she goes down [to] the threshing-floor, and does according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her
And sche yede doun in to the corn floor, and dide alle thingis whiche hir modir in lawe comaundide to hir.
7 And Boaz eats and drinks, and his heart is glad; and he goes in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she comes in gently, and uncovers his feet, and lies down.
And whanne Booz hadde ete and drunke, and was maad gladere, and hadde go to slepe bisidis the `heep of handfuls, sche cam, and hidde hir silf; and whanne the cloth was vnhilid fro `hise feet, sche castide doun hir silf.
8 And it comes to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembles, and turns himself, and behold, a woman is lying at his feet.
And lo! now at mydnyyt `the man dredde, and was troblid; and he siy a womman lyggynge at hise feet;
9 And he says, “Who [are] you?” And she says, “I [am] Ruth your handmaid, and you have spread your skirt over your handmaid, for you [are] a redeemer.”
and he seide to hir, Who art thou? Sche answeride, Y am Ruth, thin handmayde; stretche forth thi cloth on thi seruauntesse, for thou art nyy of kyn.
10 And he says, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, my daughter; you have dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning—not to go after the young men, either poor or rich.
And he seide, Douytir, thou art blessid of the Lord, and thou hast ouercome the formere mercy with the lattere; for thou `suedist not yonge men, pore ethir riche.
11 And now, my daughter, do not fear, all that you say I do to you, for all the gate of my people knows that you [are] a virtuous woman.
Therfor `nyle thou drede, but what euer thing thou schalt seie to me, Y schal do to thee; for al the puple that dwellith with ynne the yatis of my cytee woot, that thou art a womman of vertu.
12 And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.
And Y forsake not, that Y am of nyy kyn, but another man is neer than Y;
13 Lodge tonight, and it has been in the morning, if he redeems you, well: he redeems; and if he does not delight to redeem you, then I have redeemed you—I; YHWH lives! Lie down until the morning.”
reste thou in this nyyt, and whanne the morewtid is maad, if he wole holde thee bi riyt of nyy kyn, the thing is wel doon; forsothe if he nyle, Y schal take thee with outen ony doute, the Lord lyueth, `that is, bi the Lord lyuynge; slepe thou til the morewtid.
14 And she lies down at his feet until the morning, and rises before one discerns another; and he says, “Let it not be known that the woman has come into the floor.”
Therfore sche slepte at `hise feet til to the goyng awey of nyyt, and so sche roos bifor that men knewen `hem silf togidere. And Booz seide to hir, Be thou war lest ony man knowe, that thou camest hidir.
15 And he says, “Give the covering which [is] on you, and keep hold on it”; and she keeps hold on it, and he measures six [measures] of barley, and lays [it] on her; and he goes into the city.
And eft he seide, Stretche forth thi mentil `with which thou `art hilid, and holde thou with euer either hond. And while sche stretchide forth and helde, he mete sixe buyschels of barly, and `puttide on hir; and sche bar, and entride in to the citee,
16 And she comes to her mother-in-law, and she says, “Who [are] you, my daughter?” And she declares to her all that the man has done to her.
and cam to hir modir in lawe. Which seide to Ruth, What hast thou do, douyter? And Ruth telde to hir alle thingis, whyche `the man hadde do to hir.
17 And she says, “These six [measures] of barley he has given to me, for he said, You do not go in empty to your mother-in-law.”
And Ruth seide, Lo! he yaf to me sixe buyschels of barly; and he seide, Y nyle that thou turne ayen voide to thi modir in lawe.
18 And she says, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls, for the man does not rest except he has completed the matter today.”
And Noemy seide, Abide, douytir, til we sien what issu the thing schal haue; for the man schal not ceesse, no but he fille tho thingis whiche he spak.

< Ruth 3 >