Ruth 3
1 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.
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 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.
And now [is] not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
3 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.
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and go down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known to the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 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.
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 do.
5 Which answeride, What euer thing thou comaundist, Y schal do.
And she said to her, All that thou sayest to me I will do.
6 And sche yede doun in to the corn floor, and dide alle thingis whiche hir modir in lawe comaundide to hir.
And she went down to the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.
7 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.
And when Boaz had eaten and drank, 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 feet, and laid herself down.
8 And lo! now at mydnyyt `the man dredde, and was troblid; and he siy a womman lyggynge at hise feet;
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 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.
And he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou [art] a near kinsman.
10 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.
And he said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou didst not follow young men, whether poor or rich.
11 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.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou [art] a virtuous woman.
12 And Y forsake not, that Y am of nyy kyn, but another man is neer than Y;
And now it is true that I [am thy] near kinsman: yet there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 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.
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, [that] if he will perform to 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 until the morning.
14 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.
And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came to the floor.
15 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,
Also 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.
16 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.
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 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.
And she said, These six [measures] of barley he gave me; for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law.
18 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.
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou knowest how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he hath finished the thing this day.
