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RUTH

went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was astir concerning them, and the women said: 'Is this Naomi?' 20And she said unto them: 'Call me not [1]Naomi, call me [2]Marah; for 'the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me back home empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?' 22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the field of Moab and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

2And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of valour, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. 2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi: 'Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find favour.' And she said unto her: 'Go, my daughter.' 3And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to lighten the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers: 'The Lord be with you.' And they answered him: 'The Lord bless thee.' 5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers: 'Whose damsel is this?' 6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said: 'It is a Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the field of Moab; 7and she said: Let me glean, I pray you, and gather after the reapers among the sheaves; so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, save that she tarried a little in the house.' 8Then said Boaz unto Ruth: 'Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither pass from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. 9Let 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.' 10Then she fell on her face, and bowed down to the ground, and said unto him: 'Why have I found favour in thy sight, that thou shouldest take cognizance of me, seeing I am a foreigner?' 11And Boaz answered and said unto her: 'It hath fully been told me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people that thou knewest not heretofore. 12The Lord recompense thy work, and be thy reward complete from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge.' 13Then she said: 'Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, though I be not as one of thy handmaidens.' 14And Boaz said unto her at meal-time: 'Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.' And she sat beside the reapers; and they reached her parched corn, and she did eat and was satisfied, and left thereof. 15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying: 'Let her glean even among the sheaves,

  1. That is, Pleasant.
  2. That is, Bitter.

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