American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the {Hebrew: field.}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 {Hebrew: Noomi.}Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-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 dwelt there about ten years.
And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of 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 Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread.
And 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 of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
Jehovah 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, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons;
would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for {Or, it is far more bitter for me than for you}it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth 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 god: return thou after thy sister-in-law.
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and 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: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.
And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
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 the women said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not {That is, Pleasant.}Naomi, call me {That is, Butter.}Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab; and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of {Or, valor}wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. 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 the portion of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, Jehovah be with you. And they answered him, Jehovah 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 and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
and 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.
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 which she had left after she was sufficed.
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near 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.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
and I thought to {Hebrew: uncover thine ear.}disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if {So Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac. Hebrew: he will.}thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
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.
And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it.
Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.
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.
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.
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and {Or, get thee wealth (or, power)}do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman.
So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son.
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel.
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of {Hebrew: Ishai.}Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron,
and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat {Hebrew: Salmah.}Salmon,
and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the {Hebrew: field.}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 {Hebrew: Noomi.}Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-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 dwelt there about ten years.
And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.
He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth,A morning without clouds,When the tender grass springeth out of the earth,Through clear shining after rain.
I will {Or, surely}abundantly bless her provision:I will satisfy her poor with bread.
Her priests also will I clothe with salvation;And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
and the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens, so that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield its fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah giveth you.
Jehovah will open unto thee his good {Or, treasury}treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, {Or, because}when thou {Or, answerest}dost afflict them:
Search me, O God, and know my heart:Try me, and know my thoughts;
And see if there be any {Or, way of pain}wicked way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting.