DP Tool Club 15/CD_ASCQ_15_070894.iso/vrac/olbible.zip/RUTH

Text File | 1994-04-25 | 14KB | 245 lines

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                                    RUTH



Chapter 1

1   Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was
    a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to
    sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2   And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi,
    and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of
    Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued
    there.
3   And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two
    sons.
4   And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was
    Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten
    years.
5   And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left
    of her two sons and her husband.
6   Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from
    the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that
    the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
7   Wherefore 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
    land of Judah.
8   And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her
    mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the
    dead, and with me.
9   The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of
    her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and
    wept.
10  And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy
    people.
11  And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are
    there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12  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 have an husband also
    tonight, and should also bear sons;
13  Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them
    from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for
    your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her
    mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15  And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people,
    and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16  And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or 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 people, and thy God my
    God:
17  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 part thee and me.
18  When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she
    left speaking unto her.
19  So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass,
    when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about
    them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20  And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara:  for the
    Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21  I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why
    then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and
    the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22  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
    Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Chapter 2

1   And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of
    the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
2   And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field,
    and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And
    she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3   And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers:
    and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who
    was of the kindred 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
    damsel is this?
6   And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is
    the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of
    Moab:
7   And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers
    among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning
    until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8   Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to
    glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my
    maidens:
9   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 have drawn.
10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said
    unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take
    knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11  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 thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land
    of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not
    heretofore.
12  The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the
    Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
13  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that
    thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto
    thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14  And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the
    bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the
    reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was
    sufficed, and left.
15  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men,
    saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
16  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave
    them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17  So she gleaned in the field until even, and 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 reserved after she was sufficed.
19  And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned today?
    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 today is Boaz.
20  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 near of kin unto us, one of our next
    kinsmen.
21  And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, 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, that they meet thee not in
    any other field.
23  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of
    barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Chapter 3

1   Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not
    seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2   And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?
    Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshingfloor.
3   Wash thy self therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon
    thee, and get thee down to the 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 do.
5   And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6   And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her
    mother in law bade her.
7   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 feet, and laid her down.
8   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
    kinsman.
10  And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast
    shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch
    as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
11  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 now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a
    kinsman nearer than I.
13  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 until the
    morning.
14  And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one
    could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came
    into the floor.
15  Also he said, Bring the veil 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 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 to
    me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
18  Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter
    will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the
    thing this day.

Chapter 4

1   Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold,
    the 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 down.
2   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 kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the
    country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother
    Elimelech's:
4   And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the
    inhabitants, 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 his inheritance.
6   And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine
    own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem
    it.
7   Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming
    and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off
    his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in
    Israel.
8   Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off
    his shoe.
9   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 witnesses this day.
11  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 Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto
    Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto
    her, 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 kinsman, that his name may be famous in
    Israel.
15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of
    thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is
    better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.
16  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse
    unto it.
17  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 Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19  And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20  And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22  And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.