And the children of Dan said unto him, "Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of all thine household too."

The fourth day they arose early in the morning, and the man stood up to depart. But the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, "Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread and then go your way."

And they sat down and did eat and drink both of them together. Then said the damsel's father unto the man, "Go to, I pray thee, and tarry all night and let thine heart be merry."

And he rose up early the fifth day to depart. Then said the damsel's father, "Comfort thine heart": and so made him tarry until after midday. And they did eat both of them together.

And then the man arose to depart with his concubine and his lad. But his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, "Behold, the day goeth fast away and draweth toward even. Tarry all night: at the least way tarry this day here and let thine heart be merry. And tomorrow get you early upon your way and get thee to thy tent."

And when they were fast by Jebus, the day was sore spent and the young man said unto his master, "Come I pray thee and let us turn in, into this city of the Jebusites and lodge all night there."

But his master said unto him, "We will not turn in to a strange city that are not of the children of Israel: we will go forth to Gibeah."

And he said unto his lad, "Go forward, and we shall come to one place or other and shall lodge all night in Gibeah or in Ramah."

And when he had lifted up his eyes, and saw a wayfaring man in the streets of the city he said, "Whither goest thou? And whence comest thou?"

The old man said, "Peace be with thee, all that thou lackest shalt thou find with me: onely abide not in the streets all night."

But the man of the house went out to them and said unto them, "Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly seeing that this man is come into mine house: do not this folly.

And he said unto her, "Up, and let us be going." But she answered not. Then he took her up upon an ass and stood up and gat him unto his own home.

And all that saw it said, "There was no such deed done or seen since the children of Israel came out of Egypt unto this day. Consider the matter, give counsel and say your minds."

And the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizphah. Then said the children of Israel, "Tell us how this wickedness happened."

And the Levite, the woman's husband that was slain, answered and said, "I came into Gibeah that is in Benjamin with my concubine to lodge all night.

And the children of Israel arose and went up to Bethel, and asked of God, who should begin the battle against the children of Benjamin, and the LORD said, "Judah shall begin."

And the LORD said, "Go up unto them." And when the children of Israel were come to the children of Benjamin the second day,

and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron waiting upon it at that time - and they said, "Shall we go out any more to battle against the children of Benjamin our brethren, or shall we cease?" And the LORD said, "Go. For tomorrow I will deliver them into your hands."

For the children of Benjamin thought that the other had been beaten before them, as at the first time. But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee and pluck them away from the city, unto the highways."

and said, "O LORD God of Israel, why is this chanced in Israel, that there should be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?"

And the children of Israel had pity on Benjamin their brethren, and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day:

Then they said, "What are they of the tribes of Israel that came not up to Mizpeh to the LORD?" And behold there came none of the inhabiters of Jabeshgilead unto the congregation.

And then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do to the remnant of them, to get them wives; seeing all the wives of Benjamin are destroyed?"

And they said, "There must be an inheritance for them that be escaped of Benjamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel:

Then they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD yearly in Shiloh which is on the north side of Bethel, and on the east side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Shechem and south from Lebanon."

Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, "Go, and return each of you unto your mother's house. The LORD deal as kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me."

Then they cried and wept and said unto her, "We will go with thee unto thy folk."

But Naomi said, "Turn again my daughters: for what cause would you go with me? Think you that there be any more children in my bowels to be your husbands?

Turn again my daughters and go: for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, also if I took a man this night: yea, and though I had already borne sons?

Then she said, "See, thy sister-in-law is gone back again unto her people and unto her god: return thou after her."

But Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from after thee. For whither thou goest, I will go. And where thou dwellest, there I will dwell. Thy people are my people, and thy God is my God.

And so they went both together until they came to Bethlehem. And when they were come to Bethlehem, it was noised through all the city, and the women said, "Is not this Naomi?"

But she said unto them, "Call me not Naomi: call me Mara, for the Almighty hath made me very bitter.

And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, "Let me go to the field and lease and gather ears, after whomsoever I find grace in his sight." And she said unto her, "Go, my daughter."

And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the harvest men, "The LORD be with you." And they answered him, "The LORD bless thee."

Then said Boaz unto the young man that had the oversight of the harvest men, "Whose damsel is this?"

And the young man that was set to oversee the harvest men answered and said, "It is the Moabitish damsel that came with Naomi out of the country of Moab,

and she said, 'Let me, I pray thee, lease and gather after the harvest men, the ears that remain.' And so she came, and hath continued even from the morning unto now, and tarried not long in the house."

Then said Boaz unto Ruth, "Hearest thou my daughter: go to no other field to gather, neither go from hence; but abide by my maidens.

Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, "How is that I have found grace in thine eyes, to know me, seeing I am an alien?"

And Boaz answered and said unto her, "All is told me that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land where thou wast born, and art come unto a nation which thou knewest not in time past.

Then she said unto him, "Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord, for thou hast comforted me and hast spoken heartily unto thy maid, which yet cannot be like unto one of thy maids."

And Boaz, when the time of refection was come, said unto her, "Come hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy sop in the vinegar." And she sat down by the reapers, and he reached her parched corn. And so she did eat and was sufficed, and left part.

And when she was risen up to gather, Boaz said to the young men, saying, "Let her gather the ears that remain and do her no despite.

Then said her mother-in-law unto her, "Where gatheredst thou today? And where wroughtest thou? Blessed be he that knew thee." And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought and said, "The man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz."

Then said Naomi unto her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he, for he ceaseth not to do the same goodness to the dead that he did to the living." And Naomi said unto her, "The man is nigh unto us, even of our next kin."

And Ruth the Moabite said, "He bade me also that I should continue with his young men until they had ended all that harvest he hath."

Then said Naomi unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is best my daughter that thou go out with his maidens, and that no man meet thee in any other field."

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, "My daughter, I will seek rest for thee, that thou mayest be in better case.

Then he said, "What art thou?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread thy mantle over thine handmaid, for thou art the next of the kin."

And then he said, "Blessed be thou in the LORD my daughter, for thou hast showed more goodness in the latter end, than at the beginning; inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether they were poor or rich.

And so she lay at his feet until the morning. And she arose up before one could know another. And he said, "Let no man be aware, that there came any woman unto the threshing floor."

And he said, "Bring thy mantle that thou hadst upon thee and hold it up." And she held it up. And he mette in six measures of barley and laid it on her. And she gat her into the city,

and she came in to her mother-in-law, which said, "What tidings my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done to her.

And said thereto, "These six measures of barley gave he me and said, 'Thou shalt not go empty unto thy mother-in-law.'"

Then said she, "My daughter sit still, until thou know how the matter will chance. For the man will not be in rest until he have finished the matter this same day."

Then went Boaz unto the gate and sat him down there. And behold, the kinsman of which Boaz spake came by. Unto whom he said, "Come and sit down here, and called him by his name." And he turned in and sat down.

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

Then he said unto the kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's.

Then said Boaz, "What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must take also Ruth the Moabite the wife of the dead, to stir up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."

Then said the kinsman, "I cannot purchase it for marrying of mine own inheritance: take thou my right to thee, for I cannot purchase it."

And the kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it thou": and so drew off his shoe.

Then said Boaz 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.

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said "We are witnesses: the LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and Lea, which twain did build the house of Israel: that she may do virtuously in Ephrata, and be famous in Bethlehem,

And the women said unto Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, the which hath not left thee without a heir this day that shall have a name in Israel,

And the said man went out of his city every feastful day, to pray and to offer unto the LORD of Hosts: where the two sons of Eli - Hophni and Phinehas - were the LORD's priests.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, "Hannah why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thine heart so troubled? Am not I better to thee, than ten sons?"

and vowed a vow and said, "LORD of Hosts, if thou wilt look on the wretchedness of thine handmaid and shalt remember me and not forget thine handmaid, and shalt give unto thine handmaid a man child I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life and there shall neither razor or shears come upon his head."

and said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away from thee the wine that thou hast."

Hannah answered, and said, "Not so, my lord. I am a woman sorrowful in mine heart, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Eli answered, and said, "Go in peace, the God of Israel shall grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him."

Then she said, "Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight." And so the woman went her way, and did eat and looked no more so sad.

But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, "I will tarry until the lad be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and there abide forever."

And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him, only the LORD make good his saying." And so the woman abode and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

and then she said, "Oh my lord, as truly as thy soul liveth my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

And Hannah prayed and said, "Mine heart rejoiceth in the LORD. Mine horn is high in the LORD and my mouth is wide open over mine enemies, for I rejoice in thy salvation.

Yea, and thereto before they had offered the fat, the priest's lad came and said to the man that offered, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw."

And if any man said unto him, "Let the fat be offered according to the day, and then take as much as thine heart desireth." The lad would answer him, "Thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it with violence."

Moreover, his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from feast to feast when she came up with her husband to offer the offering of the said feast.

And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The LORD give thee seed of this woman, for that she hath lent the LORD." And they went unto their own home.

and said unto them, "Why do ye such things? For I hear your wicked deeds of all these people.

And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, "Thus sayeth the LORD, 'I appeared unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house.

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel sayeth, 'I said that thine house and the house of thy father should have walked before me forever. But now the LORD sayeth that be far from me: for them that honoureth me I will honour, and they that despise me, shall not be regarded.

And the LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here am I."

And he ran unto Eli and said, "Here am I for thou calledest me." And he said, "I called thee not: go again and sleep." And he went and laid him down to sleep.

And the LORD called once again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "I am here, thou didst call me." And he answered, "I called thee not my son. Go again and take thy rest."

And the LORD went and called Samuel the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "I am here, for thou hast called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the lad.

And said unto him, "Go and lie down: and if he call thee again then say, 'Speak on LORD, for thy servant heareth.'" And Samuel went and laid him down in his place.

And the LORD came and stood and called as before, "Samuel, Samuel." And Samuel said, "Speak on, for thy servant heareth thee."

And the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, that the ears of as many as heareth it, shall tingle.

Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here I am."

And he said, "What is that he said unto thee? See ye hide it not from me. The LORD do so and so to thee, if thou hide anything from me, of all that he said unto thee."

And when the people were come into their tents, the elders of Israel said, "Wherefore hath the LORD beaten us this day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD, out of Shiloh unto us, and let it come among us and save us out of the hands of our enemies."

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout they said, "What meaneth the sound of this mighty shout in the host of the Hebrews?" And they understood how that the ark of the LORD was come into the host.

And the Philistines were afraid, when it was told how that God was come into the host and said, "Woe unto us, for it was never so before this.

And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the array and fled out of the host this day." And he said, "How is it fortuned, my son?"

And the messenger answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there is a great slaughter chanced among the people, and thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and thereto the ark of God is taken."

And about the time of her death, the women that stood about her, said unto her, "Fear not for thou hast borne a son." But she answered not, nor regarded it.

And therefore she said, "Honour is gone from Israel," because the ark of God was taken.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide here with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god."