The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Ruth gathereth corne in the ••eldes of Booz.

CAPI. II.

ANd Naomis husbande had a kynsman of strength, and myght, (whiche was of [unspec A] the kynred of Elimelec) named Booz. And Ruth the Moabitesse sayde vnto Nao∣mi: let me go to the felde, and gather eares of corne ❀ (suche as the reapers leaue) after any man in whose syght, I synde grace. And she sayde vnto her: go my doughter. And she went, and came to the felde, and gathered af∣ter the reapers, and her chaūce was, that the same felde perteyned vnto Booz, which was of the kynred of Elimelec. And behold, Booz came from Bethleem, and sayd vnto the rea∣pers: the lorde be with you. And they answe∣red hym: the Lorde blesse the.

Then sayd Booz vnto his yong man that stode by the reapers. Whose damsell is this? [unspec B]

And the yonge man that stode by the rea∣pers, answered and sayde: It is the Moabi∣ty she damsell, that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab, and she sayde vnto vs. Oh let me lease and gather after the rea∣pers, the eares that remayne: and so she came

and hath continued euen from the mornyng vnto nowe, saue that she taryed a lytell in the house. Then sayde Booz vnto Ruth: hearest thou my doughter: go to none other felde to gather, neyther go frō hence: but abyde here by my maydens. Let thine eyes be on the feld that they reape, and go thou after the may∣dens. Haue I not charged the yonge men, that they shall do the no hurte? Moreouer when thou arte a thyrst, go vnto the vessels, and drynke of that whiche the laddes haue drawen. Then she fell on her face & * 1.1 bowed her selfe to the grounde, and sayd vnto hym: howe is it that I haue founde grace in thyne eyes: and that thou shuldest know me, seyng I am an alyaunt?

And Booz answered and sayde vnto her•• [unspec C] all is tolde & shewed me, that thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe, synee the death of thyne husbande, howe thou hast lefte thy fa∣ther and thy mother: & the lande where thou wast borne, & arte come vnto a nacyon which thou knewest not in tyme passed. The Lorde quyte thy worke, and a full rewarde be gyuē the of the Lorde god of Israell, vnder whose wynges thou arte come to abyde. Then she sayde: let me fynde fauoure in thy syght my Lorde, thou that hast conforted me, and spo∣ken hertely vnto thy mayde, whiche yet am not lyke vnto one of thy maydes. Booz sayde vnto her agayne: in tyme of refe••••yon come thou hyther, and eate of the breade, and dyp¦thy sop in the vyneygre. And she sat downe by the reapers, and he reached her * 1.2 parched corne: of the whiche she dyd eate, & was suffy∣sed, and lefte parte. And when she was rysen vp to gather, Booz cōmaūded his yong men saynge, let her gather euen amonge the hea∣pes, and forbyd her not. And leaue her some of the sheues for the nonce, & let it lye, that she may gather it vp ❀ (vvithout shame) and re∣buke her not. And se she gathered in the felde vntyl euen, & thresshed that she had gathered and it was in measure vpon an Epha ❀ (that is thre busshels) of barley.

And she toke it vp, and went in to the citie: [unspec D] and when her mother in lawe had sene what she had gathered, she plucked out also, and gaue to her that she had reserued, when she had eaten ynough. And her mother in lawe sayde vnto her: where hast thou gathered to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that knew the. And she shewed her mother in lawe how she had wrought with hym, and sayd: the mannes name w^t whom I wrought to daye is Booz. And Naomi sayde vnto her doughter in lawe: blessed be he of the Lorde, for he ceaseth not to do * 1.3 good to the lyuyng and to the deade. And Naomi sayde agayne vnto her: the man is nygh vnto vs, & of oure nexte kynne. And Ruth the Moabite sayde: he sayd vnto me also. Thou shalt be with my yonge men, vntyll they haue ended all my haruest. And Noami answered vnto Ruth her doughter in law: It is best my doughter that thou go out w^t his maydens, that they fall not vpon the in any other felde. And so she kepte her by the maydens of Booz, to ga∣ther, vnto the ende of Barley haruest, and of wheate haruest also: and dwelte with her mo∣ther in lawe.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 33. a.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. v. b.
• * 1.3

  Tobi. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••