And I took my concubine and cut her in pieces and sent her throughout all the lands of the inheritance of Israel. For they have committed abomination and folly in Israel.

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she remained with her two sons

Mahlon and Chilion died also; even both two of them, so that the wife was left desolate of her two sons and of her husband thereto.

Then she stood up with her daughters-in-law and returned from the country of Moab: for she had heard say, being in the country of Moab, how that the LORD hath visited his people and given them food.

Wherefore she departed out of the place where she was, and her two daughters with her. And as they went by the way returning unto the land of Judah,

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."

And the LORD grant you that you may find rest, either of you in the house of her husband." And so she kissed them.

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

Therewith they cried and wept again. Howbeit, Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth abode still by her.

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

When she saw that she would needs go with her, she left speaking unto her.

And the time when Naomi with Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned out of the country of Moab and came to Bethlehem was in the beginning of barley harvest.

And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a man of might of the kindred of Elimelech, named Boaz.

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 she went and came and gathered after the harvest men, and her chance was that part of the field pertained unto Boaz which was of the kindred of Elimelech.

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.

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.

And thereto pull out of the sheaves for her and let it lie, that she may gather it up, and rebuke her not."

And she took it up and went to the city, and showed her mother-in-law what she had gathered. And thereto she plucked out and gave to her that she had reserved when she had eaten enough.

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."

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."

And so she kept her by the maidens of Boaz, to gather unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest also: and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

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

And she answered her, "All that thou biddest me I will do."

And so she went unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunken and made him merry, he went and lay down by the side of the heap. And she came softly, and lift up the clothes of his feet, and laid her down.

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.

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.

And so Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And he went in unto her, and the LORD gave that she conceived and bare a son.

And Naomi took the child and laid it in her lap, and became nurse unto it.

And her neighbours gave it a name saying, "There is a child borne to Naomi, and called it Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

And it fell on a day, as Elkanah had offered, that he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions.

But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren.

And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren.

And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not.

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 she was troubled in her spirits, and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore,

And as she continued praying before the LORD, Eli marked her mouth -

For Hannah, she spake in her heart; and her lips did but move only, but her voice was not heard. And therefore Eli took her for drunken,

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

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.

And they rose up early and bowed themselves before the LORD, and then returned and went to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah lay by his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

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 took him with her, when she had weaned him, with three bullocks and an ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him into the house of the LORD in Shiloh, how be it the child was yet young.

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.

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 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.

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

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child and nigh the birth. And when she heard the tidings of the taking of the ark of God, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her.

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 she named the child Ichabod saying, "Honour is departed from Israel" - Because the ark of God was taken, and her father-in-law and her husband were dead.

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."

And as they were going up into the city, they met with damsels that came out to draw water, and said unto them, "Is there here a Seer?"

Behold, here I am. Answer me before the LORD and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I done wrong to? Or whom have I oppressed? And of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it you again."

and go abroad among the people and bid them bring every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood." And the people brought every man his ox in his hand by night and slew them there.

Then said Samuel to Jesse, "Are here all thy children?" And he said, "The youngest is yet behind. Behold, he keepeth the sheep." Then Samuel said unto Jesse, "Send and fetch him for we will not sit down, till he be come hither."

Then said Saul to David, "Behold, my eldest daughter Merab: her I will give thee to wife; only play the man and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines."

And he said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, to bring the hand of the Philistines upon him." And Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law again."

And David said unto Ahimelech, "Is not here under thine hand other spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor mine harness with me, because the king's business required haste."

Then the priest answered, "The sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom thou slewest in Oakdale; that is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none to that, give it me."

And Saul said, "Hear, thou son of Ahitub." And he said, "Here I am, my lord."

Then said David's men unto him, "See, we be afraid here in Judah. What shall we then be, when we come to Keilah, to the host of the Philistines?"

and said unto her young men, "Go before me, and see I come after you," and told her husband Nabal nothing thereof.

And as she rode on her ass and was coming down in a slade of the hill, David and his men came down against her, and she met them.

When Abigail saw David, she hasted and lighted off her ass and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

And so David received of her hand that she brought him, and said to her, "Go in peace to thine house. And see, I have obeyed thy voice and have received thee to grace."

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD that hath judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and hath turned the wickedness of Nabal again upon his own head." And David sent to commune with Abigail, to the intent to take her to his wife.

And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her saying, "David sent us unto thee, to take thee to his wife."

And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold thy handmaid, to be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

And Abigail hasted and arose and gat her up upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went at her feet, and went after the messengers of David and was his wife.

Then said Saul unto his servants, "Seek me a woman that is mistress of a spirit of prophecy; that I may go to her and ask of her." And his servants said to him, "See, there is a woman that hath a spirit of Prophecy in her possession at Endor."

And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, "As surely as the LORD liveth, there shall no harm chance thee for this thing."

And the king said unto her, "Be not afraid. But what seest thou?" And the woman said unto Saul, "I see a god ascending up out of the earth."

And Saul looked back and called me. And I answered, 'Here am I.'

And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.

And her husband went with her, and came weeping behind her, till they came to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, "Go and return." And he returned.

And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window and saw King David spring and dance before the LORD, and therefore despised him in her heart.

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

And David sent messengers and fetched her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her. And she was straightway purified of her uncleanness, and returned unto her house.

Then said David unto Uriah, "Tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." And so Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and on the morrow.

And when the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. And as soon as the mourning was ended, David sent and fetched her to his house,

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her, and she bare a son whose name was called Solomon, and the LORD loved him.

And this Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for the love of his sister Tamar: for he thought it hard to come by his purpose of her, seeing she was yet a virgin.

Then said Jonadab unto him, "Lie on thy bed and feign thyself sick. And when thy father is come to see thee, say unto him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me meat and dress it in my sight, that I may see it and eat it of her hand."

And Amnon lay down and made himself sick. And when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto him, "Let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of fritters in my sight, that I may eat of her hand."

When Tamar came to her brother Amnon's house, he lay. And she took flour and made paste and made fritters in his sight and did bake them,

Then said Amnon unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber that I may eat it of thine hand." And Tamar took the fritters which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother,

and set them before him to eat. And he took her and said unto her, "Come, lie with me my sister."

Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice but was too strong for her and forced her and lay with her.

And then Amnon hated her exceedingly: so that the hate wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he before loved her. And he said unto her, "Up, and away."

Then she said unto him, "This great cruelness, that thou puttest me away, passeth the other that thou didst unto me." Nevertheless he would not hear her,