The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

[Here bigynneth the bok of Ruth [From F. No initial rubric in ABCEH.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] IN the days of oon [a C.] iuge, whanne the iugis weren before in power, there is maad greet hungre in the erthe; and o [oon BFH. a CE.] man of Bethlem Juda wente for [Om. C.] to pil|grimage in the regioun of Moabitide, with his wijf and his two free children [childer C.] . [verse 2] And he was clepid Elemalech, and the wijf of hym Noemye, and the two sones, the toon Maalon, and the tother Chelion, Effratee of Bethlem Juda; and thei goon into the regioun of Moabitide, dwelliden there. [verse 3] And Elemalech [Lema|lech A.] , the housboond of Noemie, is deed, and she lafte with the [verse 4] sones; the whiche token Moabyte wyues, of whom oon was clepid Orpha, and the tother Ruth. And thei dwelliden ten ȝeer [verse 5] there, and both been deed, Maalon that is, and [Om. A.] Chelyon; and the womman laft priued two free children [childer C.] and housboond. [verse 6] And she roos for to goo into the cuntre with hir either douȝter in lawe fro Moabitis regioun; forsothe she hadde

herd, that the Lord hadde biholden hir puple, and hadde ȝouun hem [to hem E.] metis. [verse 7] And so she wente out fro the place of hir pyl|grimage with either douȝter in lawe; and nowe in the weie set of turnynge aȝen [verse 8] into the loond of Juda, she seide to hem, Goth in to the hows of ȝoure moder; the Lord do with ȝou mercy, as ȝe han do [verse 9] with the deed, and with me; ȝif he to ȝow to fynde rest in the howses of the men, `the whiche [that C.] ȝe ben to take. And she kisside hem. [verse 10] The whiche with arerid vois bigunne to wepe, and seyn, With thee we shulen goo to thi puple. [verse 11] To whom she answerde, Turneth aȝen, my douȝtren [doȝtris CFH.] , whi comen ȝe with me? Y haue no [na BFH.] mo sonys in my wombe, that [verse 12] men of me ȝe mowen hope; turneth aȝen, my Moabitis douȝtren [doȝtris C.] , and goth; forsothe nowe I am waastid bi eeld, ne able to the boond of matrymonye; also if Y myȝt this nyȝt conceyue, and bere [verse 13] sones, thouȝ ȝe wolden abide to the tyme that thei wexen, and fulfillen the ȝeeris of mannus age, before that ȝe wedden ȝe shulen be oold wymmen; wolith not, Y biseche, my douȝtren [doȝtris C.] , for ȝoure angwish greuith me more, and the hoond of the Lord is goon out aȝens [an B.] me. [verse 14] Thanne arerid [rerid C.] the voice, eft thei bigunne to wepe. Orpha kisside her moder in lawe, and turnede aȝen, Ruth cleuede to hir moder in lawe. [verse 15] To whom seide Noemye, Loo! thi cosyn is turned aȝen to hir pu|ple, and to hir goddis; go thou with hir. [verse 16] The which answerde, Ne contrarye thou me, that Y forsake thee, and goo a wey; whidir euere thou gost, I shal goo, and where thow abidist, and I togidre shal abyde; thi puple my puple, and thi God [verse 17] my God; what erthe the takith diynge,

in it I shal die, and there I shal take place of biriynge; thes thingis God do to me, and thes thingis adde, if not oonly deth me and thee seuere. [verse 18] Seynge thanne Noemye, that with stedfast inwit Ruth hadde demed to goo with hir, wold not contrarye, ne [na BFH.] more mouynge the turn|ynge aȝen to hyrs [hir A.] . [verse 19] And thei wenten forth to gidre, and thei camen into Bethlem; the whiche goon into the cytee, swift loos anentis alle men wex opyn, and the wym|men seiden, This is `the ilk [that C.] Noemy. [verse 20] To whom she seith, Ne clepe ȝe me Noemy, that is to seye, fayr, but clepith me Mara, that is, bittir; for with bitternes mych the Almyȝti hath fulfillid me. [verse 21] Ful I wente out, and voyd the Lord hath brouȝt me aȝen; whi thanne clepe ȝe me Noemy, whom the Lord hath mekyd, and the Almity hath tourmentid? [verse 22] Thanne cam Noemy with Ruth Moabite, hir douȝter in lawe, fro the loond of hir pilgrim|age, and is turned aȝen into Bethleem, whanne first men repiden [ropen C.] barly.