The Book of Ruth (From the Old Testament)
Into the extremely complicated questions of authorship, origin and development of the Old Testament it is not necessary to enter. Ruth is one of the most beautifully conceived and finely written narratives of all Biblical literature. Although it has its place in the ethical scheme of the Old Testament, it seems to have been written with an artistic zest and freedom from constraint that are rare in the religious literature of any race.
The text used here is that printed in Volume IV of Ancient Hebrew Literature, in Everyman`s Library, published in 1907 by J. M. Dent and Sons, by whose permission it is here included. (The last sentence has been omitted, as it has nothing to do with the story.)
The Book of Ruth
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 Beth-lehem- judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 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, Ephra- thites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
And Elimelech Naomi`s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 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. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
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. 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. 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. 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. And they said unto her:—“Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.”
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? 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 to-night, and should also bear sons; would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having hus-bands? nay, my daughters; for it grieved me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.”
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. 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.” And Ruth said:—“Intreat 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: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”
Beth-lehem
When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said:—“Is this Naomi?” And she said unto them:—“Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 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?”
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 Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest. And Naomi had a kins-man of her husband`s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Eli- melech; and his name was Boaz. 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.” 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.
And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers: —“The Lord be with you.” And they answered him’:—“The Lord bless thee.” Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers: —“Whose damsel is this?” And the servant that was set over the reapers answered add said:—“It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 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.” 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: 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.” Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said u ti to him: —“Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” 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. 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.”
Handmaidens
Then she said:—“Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou has spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.” 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. 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: and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.”
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 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. And her mother-in-law said unto her:—“Where hast thou gleaned to-day? 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 to-day is Boaz.” 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.” And Ruth the Moabitess said:
“He said unto me also, Thou shah keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.” 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.” 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.
The above text has been copied from www.doholidays.com; For the rest of the story you can visit link The Book of Ruth.
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