And it came to pass, in the days when the Judges administered justice, that there was a famine in the land, - and so a certain man went his way, out of Bethlehem-judah 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 - Ephrathites out of Bethlehem-judah, - so they came into the country of Moab, and remained there.

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, they also, both, died, Mahlon and Chilion, - so the woman was bereft of her two sons, and of her husband.

Then she arose, she and her daughters-in-law, and returned out of the country of Moab, - for she had heard, in the country of Moab, how that Yahweh had visited his people, in giving unto them, bread.

So she went forth out of the dwelling-place where she had remained, and her two daughters-in-law with her, - and they went on the way, to return unto the land of Judah.

Then said Naomi to her two daughters-in- law: Go return, each one to the house of her mother, - Yahweh deal with you in lovingkindness, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

Yahweh grant you, that ye may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband, - And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

And they said to her, - With thee, will we return, unto thy people.

Then said Naomi - Go back, my daughters! wherefore should ye journey with me? Have I, yet, sons in my womb, that they should become your, husbands?

would ye, therefore, tarry until they were grown? would ye, therefore, shut yourselves up from having husbands? Nay! my daughters, for it is far more bitter for me than for you, that forth hath gone against me, the hand of Yahweh.

And they lifted up their voice and wept, yet more. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in- law, but, Ruth, clave unto her.

And she said - Lo! thy sister-in-law hath gone back, unto her people, and unto her gods, - go thou back, after thy sister-in-law.

And Ruth said - Do not urge me to leave thee, to go back from following 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, I will die, and, there, will I be buried: So, let Yahweh do to me, and, so, let him add, if, death itself, part me and thee.

So, they two, went their way, until they entered Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they entered Bethlehem, that all the city was moved concerning them, and the women said - Is this Naomi?

And she said unto them, Do not call me Naomi, - call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me:

I was full when I departed, but, empty, am I brought back of Yahweh, - wherefore should ye call me Naomi, when, Yahweh, hath given answer against me, and, the Almighty, hath crushed me?

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab, - and, they, entered Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Now, Naomi, had an acquaintance of her husband's, a man of great integrity, of the family of Elimelech, - whose name, was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi - Let me go, I pray thee, to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose eyes I may find favour. And she said to her - Go, my daughter.

So she went her way, and came, and gleaned in the field, after the reapers, - and it happened to her, to light upon the portion of field-land belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

And lo! Boaz coming from Bethlehem, and he said to the reapers, Yahweh, be with you! and they said to him, Yahweh bless thee!

Then said Boaz to his young man, that was set over the reapers, - Whose is this maiden?

And the young man that was set over the reapers answered and said, - The Moabitish maiden, is she who came back with Naomi, out of the country of Moab;

and she said - Let me glean, I pray thee, and gather among the sheaves, after the reapers; so she came in, and hath continued from that time, all the morning until just now, and hath not rested in the house, for a little.

And Boaz said unto Ruth - Hearest thou not, my daughter? Do not go to glean in any other field, neither indeed shalt thou pass on, from hence, - but, here, shalt thou keep fast by my maidens:

thine eyes, be on the field which they shall reap, and go thou after them, Have I not commanded the young men, that they touch thee not? And, when thou art athirst, then go unto the vessels, and drink of what the young men shall draw.

Then she fell upon her face, and bowed herself to the ground, - and said unto him - Wherefore have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take notice of me, seeing that, I, am, a stranger?

And Boaz answered, and said to her, It hath 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 come unto a people whom thou knewest not, aforetime.

Yahweh recompense thy deed, - and let thy reward be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, unto whom thou hast come to take refuge under his wings.

And she said - Let me find favour in thine eyes, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken unto the heart of thy handmaid, - though, I, be not as, one of thine own handmaidens.

And Boaz said to her at mealtime - Draw nigh hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. So she sat beside the reapers, and there was reached to her parched corn, and she did eat and was satisfied, and left thereof remaining.

And, when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying - Even between the sheaves, let her glean, and reproach her not;

yea moreover, draw out, for her, from the bundles, - and leave behind that she may glean it, and rebuke her not.

So she gleaned in the field, until the evening, - and beat out that which she had gleaned, and there was about an ephah of barley.

And she took it up, and came into the city, and, when her mother-in-law had seen what she had gleaned, she brought forth and gave her what had been left remaining, after that she was satisfied.

And her mother-in-law said to her - In what place hast thou gleaned, today? and where hast thou wrought? May he that took notice of thee, be blessed! So she told her mother-in-law, with whom she had wrought, and said - The name of the man with whom I wrought today, is Boaz.

Then said Naomi, to her daughter-in-law - Blessed, be he of Yahweh, who hath not left off his lovingkindness to the living, and to the dead. And Naomi said to her - Near to us, is the man, of our own kinsmen, is he!

And Ruth the Moabitess said, - Yea for he said unto me - By my young men, shalt thou keep fast, until they have ended all my harvest.

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, - Good, is it, my daughter, that thou go forth with his maidens, and that they meet thee not, in any other field.

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean, until the end of the barley harvest, and the wheat harvest, - and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, - My daughter! shall I not seek for thee a place of rest, in which it may be well with thee?

Now, therefore, is not, Boaz, of our kindred, with whose maidens thou hast been? Lo! he is winnowing the barley threshing-floor, to-night!

Thou wilt, therefore, bathe thee, and anoint thee, and put thine apparel upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor, - do not make thyself known to the man, until he have done eating and drinking.

And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he doth lie, and shalt go in and turn aside the covering of his feet, and lay thee down, - and, he, will tell thee what thou shalt do.

And she said unto her, - All that thou sayest, will I do.

So she went down to the threshing-floor, - and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

And, when Boaz had eaten, and drunk, and his heart was glad, he went in to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. Then came she in softly, and turned aside the covering of his feet, and laid her down.

And it came to pass, in the middle of the night, that the man started up, and turned, - and lo! a woman, lying at his feet.

And he said, Who art, thou? And she said, I, am Ruth, thy handmaid, spread, therefore, thy wing over thy handmaid, for, a kinsman, thou art.

And he said - Blessed, be thou of Yahweh, my daughter, for thou hast made thy last lovingkindness better than the first, - in not following after young men, whether poor, or rich.

Now, therefore, my daughter, do not fear, whatsoever thou shalt say, I will do for thee, - for all the gate of my people doth know, that, a virtuous woman, thou art.

Tarry the night, and it shall be, in the morning, if he will act as kinsman to thee, well, let him so act, but, if he inclineth not to act as kinsman to thee, then will, I, so act to thee - by the life of Yahweh, - Lie still, until the morning.

So she lay at his feet, until the morning, and rose up before one could know his neighbour. And he said - Do not let it be known that a woman came into the threshing-floor.

And he said - Bring the cloak that is upon thee, and hold it. So she held it, - and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it upon her, and he went into the city.

And, when she came unto her mother-in- law, she said - Who art, thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done for her.

And she said - Abide, my daughter, until that thou get to know, how the matter will fall out, - for the man will not rest, except he have finished the thing to-day.

Now, Boaz, went up to the gate, and sat him down there, and lo! the kinsman, passing by, of whom Boaz had spoken, so he said - Turn aside! and sit down here, such a one! And he turned aside, and sat down.

Then fetched he ten men of the elders of the city, and said - Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

Then said he to the kinsman, The parcel of land that was our brother Elimelech's, is to be disposed of by Naomi, who hath returned out of the country of Moab;

and, I, thought, I would unveil thine ear, saying - Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but, if thou wilt not so act, only tell me - that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but, I, am after thee. And he said, I, will act as kinsman.

Then said Boaz, What day thou takest over the land from the hand of Naomi, also, of Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, dost thou take it , to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

Then said the kinsman - I cannot act as kinsman for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance, - do, thou, for thyself act as kinsman in my right, for I cannot so redeem.

Now, this aforetime, was the way in Israel, at a redeeming, and at an exchanging, to confirm every word: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, - yea, this, was the way of taking to witness, in Israel.

So the kinsman said unto Boaz, Take it over for thyself, - and he drew off his shoe.

Then said Boaz to the elders, and all the people - Witnesses, are ye to-day, that I have taken over all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's, and Mahlon's, - from the hand of Naomi:

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over, 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 dwelling- place, - Witnesses, are ye to-day!

Then said all the people who were in the gate, and the elders - Witnesses!, - Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into thy house, to be as Rachel, and as Leah, which two of them did build the house of Israel. Do thou bravely, then, in Ephrathah, and proclaim thou a name in Bethlehem,

And let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare to Judah, - of the seed which - may Yahweh give thee, of this young woman.

Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed, be Yahweh! who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day, - and may his name, be proclaimed, in Israel;

So shall he become a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, - for, thy daughter-in-law who loveth thee, hath borne him, even, she, who is better to thee than seven sons.

So Naomi took the boy, and laid him in her bosom, and she became his nurse.

And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi, - So they called his name Obed, he, was, the father of Jesse, the father of David.

These, then, are the generations of Perez: Perez, begat, Hezron;