,this e,book was produced by ,david     
,widger  from etext #aeha prepared by   
,dennis ,mc,carthy1 ,atlanta1 ,georgia  
and ,tad ,book1 student1 ,pontifical    
,north ,american ,college1 ,rome4       
,,the ,,holy ,,bible                    
,translated from the ,latin ,vulgate    
,diligently ,compared with the ,hebrew1 
,greek1  and ,other ,editions in ,divers
 ,languages      ,,the ,,old ,,testament
  ,first ,published by the ,english     
,college at ,douay  ,a4,d4 #afji  #afaj 
and    ,,the ,,new ,,testament  ,first  
,published by the ,english ,college at  
,rheims  ,a4,d4 #aehb      ,with        
,annotations      ,the ,whole ,revised  
and ,diligently ,compared with  the     
,latin ,vulgate by ,bishop ,richard     
,challoner  ,a4,d4 #agdi-ageb           
,,the ,,book ,,of ,,ruth    ,this ,book 
is called ,,ruth1 from the name of the  
person whose history is  here recorded3 
who1 being a ,gentile1 became a convert 
to the true faith1  and marrying ,booz1 
the great-grandfather of ,david1 was one

 of those from  whom ,christ sprung     
according to the flesh1 and an          
illustrious figure of  the ,gentile     
church4 ,it is thought this book was    
written by the prophet  ,samuel4        
,ruth ,chapter #a    ,elimelech of      
,bethlehem going with his wife ,noemi1  
and two sons1 into the  land of ,moab1  
dieth there4 ,his sons marry wives of   
that country and die  without issue4    
,noemi returneth home with her daughter 
in law ,ruth1 who  refuseth to part with
 her4    #a3a4 ,in the days of the      
judges1 when the judges ruled1 there    
came a  famine in the land4  ,and a     
certain man of ,bethlehem ,juda1 went to
  sojourn in the land of ,moab with his 
wife and his two sons4    #a3b4 ,he was 
named ,elimelech1 and his wife ,noemi3  
and his two sons1 the  one ,mahalon1 and
 the other ,chelion1 ,ephrathites of    
,bethlehem ,juda4 ,and  entering into   
the country of ,moab1 they abode there4 
#a3c4 ,and ,elimelech the husband of    
,noemi died3 and she remained with her  

sons4    #a3d4 ,and they took wives of  
the women of ,moab1 of which one was    
called  ,orpha1 and the other ,ruth4    
,and they dwelt their ten years1        
#a3e4 ,and they both died1 to wit1      
,mahalon and ,chelion3 and the woman was
  left alone1 having lost both her sons 
and her husband4    #a3f4 ,and she arose
 to go from the land of ,moab to her own
 country1 with  both her daughters in   
law3 for she had heard that the ,lord   
had looked  upon his people1 and had    
given them food4    #a3g4 ,wherefore she
 went forth out of the place of her     
sojournment1 with  both her daughters in
 law3 and being now in the way to return
 into the  land of ,juda1    #a3h4 ,she 
said to them3 ,go ye home to your       
mothers1 the ,lord deal  mercifully with
 you1 as you have dealt with the dead   
and with me4    #a3i4 ,may he grant you 
to find rest in the houses of the       
husbands whom  you shall take4 ,and she 
kissed them4 ,and they lifted up their  
voice1 and  began to weep1    #a3aj4    

,and to say3 ,we will go on with thee to
 thy people4    #a3aa4 ,but she answered
 them3 ,return1 my daughters3 why come  
ye with me8  have ,i any more sons in my
 womb1 that you may hope for husbands of
 me8    #a3ab4 ,return again1 my        
daughters1 and go your ways3 for ,i am  
now spent  with age1 and not fit for    
wedlock4 ,although ,i might conceive    
this night1  and bear children1         
#a3ac4 ,if you would wait till they were
 grown up1 and come to man's  estate1   
you would be old women before you marry4
 ,do not so1 my  daughters1 ,i beseech  
you3 for ,i am grieved the more for your
 distress1  and the hand of the ,lord is
 gone out against me4    #a3ad4 ,and    
they lifted up their voice1 and began to
 weep again3 ,orpha  kissed her mother  
in law1 and returned3 ,ruth stuck close 
to her mother  in law4    #a3ae4 ,and   
,noemi said to her3 ,behold thy         
kinswoman is returned to her  people1   
and to her gods1 go thou with her4      
,to her gods1 etc444 ,noemi did not mean

 to persuade ,ruth to return to the     
false gods she had formerly worshipped3 
but by this manner of speech1           
insinuated to her1 that if she would go 
with her1 she must renounce her  false  
gods and return to the ,lord the ,god of
 ,israel4    #a3af4 ,she answered3 ,be  
not against me1 to desire that ,i should
 leave  thee and depart3 for            
whithersoever thou shalt go1 ,i will go3
 and where  thou shalt dwell1 ,i also   
will dwell4 ,thy people shall be my     
people1 and  thy ,god my ,god4    #a3ag4
 ,the land that shall receive thee      
dying1 in the same will ,i die3  and    
there will ,i be buried4 ,the ,lord do  
so and so to me1 and add more  also1 if 
aught but death part me and thee4       
,the ,lord do so and so1 etc444 ,a form 
of swearing usual in the history of  the
 ,old ,testament1 by which the person   
wished such and such evils to  fall upon
 them1 if they did not do what they     
said4    #a3ah4 ,then ,noemi seeing that
 ,ruth was steadfastly determined to go 

with  her1 would not be against it1 nor 
persuade her any more to return to her  
friends3    #a3l#i4 ,so they went       
together1 and came to ,bethlehem4  ,and 
when they were  come into the city1 the 
report was quickly spread among all3 and
 the  women said3 ,this is that ,noemi4 
#a3bj4 ,but she said to them3 ,call me  
not ,noemi 7that is1 beautiful17 but    
call me ,mara 7that is1 bitter71 for the
 ,almighty hath quite filled me  with   
bitterness4    #a3ba4 ,i went out full  
and the ,lord hath brought me back      
empty4 ,why then  do you call me ,noemi1
 whom the ,lord hath humbled1 and the   
,almighty hath  afflicted8    #a3bb4 ,so
 ,noemi came with ,ruth1 the ,moabitess1
 her daughter in law1 from  the land of 
her sojournment3 and returned into      
,bethlehem1 in the  beginning of the    
barley harvest4    ,ruth ,chapter #b    
,ruth gleaneth in the field of ,booz1   
who sheweth her favour4    #b3a4 ,now   
her husband ,elimelech had a kinsman1 a 
powerful man1 and very  rich1 whose name

 was ,booz4    #b3c4 ,and ,ruth1 the    
,moabitess1 said to her mother in law3  
,if thou wilt1 ,i  will go into the     
field1 and glean the ears of corn that  
escape the hands  of the reapers1       
wheresoever ,i shall find grace with a  
householder1 that  will be favourable to
 me4 ,and she answered her3 ,go1 my     
daughter4    #b3c4 ,she went1 therefore1
 and gleaned the ears of corn after the 
reapers4 ,and it happened that the owner
 of that field was ,booz1 who was  of   
the kindred of ,elimelech4    #b3d4 ,and
 behold1 he came out of ,bethlehem1 and 
said to the reapers3 ,the  ,lord be with
 you4 ,and they answered him3 ,the ,lord
 bless thee4    #b3e4 ,and ,booz said to
 the young man that was set over the    
reapers3 ,whose  maid is this8    #b3f4 
,and he answered him3 ,this is the      
,moabitess1 who came with ,noemi1  from 
the land of ,moab1    #b3g4 ,and she    
desired leave to glean the ears of corn 
that remain1  following the steps of the
 reapers3 and she hath been in the field

 from  morning till now1 and hath not   
gone home for one moment4    #b3h4 ,and 
,booz said to ,ruth3 ,hear me1 daughter1
 do not go to glean in any  other field1
 and do not depart from this place3 but 
keep with my maids1    #b3i4 ,and follow
 where they reap4 ,for ,i have charged  
my young men1 not to  molest thee3 and  
if thou art thirsty1 go to the vessels1 
and drink of  the waters whereof the    
servants drink4    #b3l#j4 ,she fell on 
her face1 and worshipping upon the      
ground1 said to  him3 ,whence cometh    
this to me1 that ,i should find grace   
before thy eyes1  and that thou shouldst
 vouchsafe to take notice of me1 a woman
 of  another country8    #b3aa4 ,and he 
answered her3 ,all hath been told me1   
that thou hast done to  thy mother in   
law after the death of thy husband3 and 
how thou hast left  thy parents1 and the
 land wherein thou wast born1 and art   
come to a  people which thou knewest not
 heretofore4    #b3ab4 ,the ,lord render
 unto thee for thy work1 and mayst thou 

receive a  full reward of the ,lord the 
,god of ,israel1 to whom thou art come1 
and  under whose wings thou art fled4   
#b3ac4 ,and she said3 ,i have found     
grace in thy eyes1 my lord1 who hast    
comforted me1 and hast spoken to the    
heart of thy handmaid1 who am not  like 
to one of thy maids4    #b3ad4 ,and     
,booz said to her3 ,at mealtime come    
thou hither1 and eat of the  bread1 and 
dip thy morsel in the vinegar4 ,so she  
sat at the side of the  reapers1 and she
 heaped to herself frumenty1 and ate and
 was filled1 and  took the leavings4    
#b3ae4 ,and she arose from thence1 to   
glean the ears of corn as before4  ,and 
,booz commanded his servants1 saying3   
,if she would even reap with  you1      
hinder her not3    #b3af4 ,and let fall 
some of your handfuls of purpose1 and   
leave them1  that she may gather them   
without shame1 and let no man rebuke her
 when  she gathereth them4    #b3ag4    
,she gleaned therefore in the field till
 evening3 and beating out  with a rod1  

and threshing what she had gleaned1 she 
found about the  measure of an ephi of  
barley1 that is1 three bushels3         
#b3ah4 ,which she took up1 and returned 
into the city1 and shewed it to  her    
mother in law3 moreover1 she brought    
out1 and gave her of the  remains of her
 meat1 wherewith she had been filled4   
#b3ai4 ,and her mother in law said to   
her3 ,where hast thou gleaned today1    
and where hast thou wrought8  blessed be
 he that hath had pity on thee4  ,and   
she told her with whom she had wrought3 
and she told the man's name1  that he   
was called ,booz4    #b3bj4 ,and ,noemi 
answered her3 ,blessed be he of the     
,lord3 because the  same kindness which 
he shewed to the living1 he hath kept   
also to the  dead4 ,and again she said3 
,the man is our kinsman4    #b3ba4 ,and 
,ruth said3 ,he also charged me1 that ,i
 should keep close to his  reapers1 till
 all the corn should be reaped4         
#b3bb4 ,and her mother in law said to   
her3 ,it is better for thee1 my         

daughter1 to go out to reap with his    
maids1 lest in another man's field  some
 one may resist thee4    #b3bc4 ,so she 
kept close to the maids of ,booz3 and   
continued to glean  with them1 till all 
the barley and the wheat were laid up in
 the barns4    ,ruth ,chapter #c        
,ruth instructed by her mother in law   
lieth at ,booz's feet1 claiming him  for
 her husband by the law of affinity3 she
 receiveth a good answer1 and  six      
measures of barley4    #c3a4 ,after she 
was returned to her mother in law1      
,noemi said to her3 ,my  daughter1 ,i   
will seek rest for thee1 and will       
provide that it may be  well with thee4 
#c3b4 ,this ,booz1 with whose maids thou
 wast joined in the field1 is our  near 
kinsman1 and behold this night he       
winnoweth barley in the  threshingfloor4
    #c3c4 ,wash thyself therefore and   
anoint thee1 and put on thy best        
garments1 and go down to the barnfloor3 
but let not the man see thee1  till he  
shall have done eating and drinking4    

#c3d4 ,and when he shall go to sleep1   
mark the place wherein he sleepeth3  and
 thou shalt go in1 and lift up the      
clothes wherewith he is covered  towards
 his feet1 and shalt lay thyself down   
there3 and he will tell  thee what thou 
must do4    #c3e4 ,she answered3        
,whatsoever thou shalt command1 ,i will 
do4    #c3f4 ,and she went down to the  
barnfloor1 and did all that her mother  
in  law had bid her4    #c3g4 ,and when 
,booz had eaten1 and drunk1 and was     
merry1 he went to sleep  by the heap of 
sheaves1 and she came softly1 and       
uncovering his feet1  laid herself down4
    #c3h4 ,and behold1 when it was now  
midnight the man was afraid1 and        
troubled3 and he saw a woman lying at   
his feet1    #c3i4 ,and he said to her3 
,who art thou8 ,and she answered3 ,i am 
,ruth1 thy  handmaid3 spread thy        
coverlet over thy servant1 for thou art 
a near  kinsman4    #c3aj4 ,and he said3
 ,blessed art thou of the ,lord1 my     
daughter1 and thy  latter kindness has  

surpassed the former3 because thou hast 
not followed  young men either poor or  
rich4    ,thy latter kindness1 viz444 to
 thy husband deceased in seeking to keep
  up his name and family by marrying his
 relation according to the law1  and not
 following after young men4 ,for ,booz1 
it seems1 was then in  years4    #c3aa4 
,fear not therefore1 but whatsoever thou
 shalt say to me ,i will do  to thee4   
,for all the people that dwell within   
the gates of my city1 know  that thou   
art a virtuous woman4    #c3ab4 ,neither
 do ,i deny myself to be near of kin1   
but there is another  nearer than ,i4   
#c3ac4 ,rest thou this night3 and when  
morning is come1 if he will take  thee  
by the right of kindred1 all is well3   
but if he will not1 ,i will  undoubtedly
 take thee1 so the ,lord liveth3 sleep  
till the morning4    #c3ad4 ,so she     
slept at his feet till the night was    
going off4 ,and she  arose before men   
could know one another1 and ,booz said3 
,beware lest any  man know that thou    

camest hither4    #c3ae4 ,and again he  
said3 ,spread thy mantle1 wherewith thou
 art covered1  and hold it with both    
hands4  ,and when she spread it and held
 it1 he  measured six measures of       
barley1 and laid it upon her4 ,and she  
carried  it1 and went into the city1    
#c3af4 ,and came to her mother in law2  
who said to her3 ,what hast thou  done1 
daughter8 ,and she told her all that the
 man had done to her4    #c3ag4 ,and she
 said3 ,behold he hath given me six     
measures of barley3 for  he said3 ,i    
will not have thee return empty to thy  
mother in law4    #c3ah4 ,and ,noemi    
said3 ,wait1 my daughter1 till we see   
what end the thing  will have4 ,for the 
man will not rest until he have         
accomplished what he  hath said4        
,ruth ,chapter #d    ,upon the refusal  
of the nearer kinsman1 ,booz marrieth   
,ruth1 who bringeth  forth ,obed1 the   
grandfather of ,david4    #d3a ,then    
,booz went up to the gate1 and sat      
there4  ,and when he had seen  the      

kinsman going by1 of whom he had spoken 
before1 he said to him1  calling him by 
his name3 ,turn aside for a little      
while1 and sit down  here4 ,he turned   
aside1 and sat down4    #d3b4 ,and      
,booz1 taking ten men of the ancients of
 the city1 said to them3  ,sit ye down  
here4    #d3c4 ,they sat down1 and he   
spoke to the kinsman3 ,noemi1 who is    
returned  from the country of ,moab will
 sell a parcel of land that belonged to 
our  brother ,elimelech4    #d3d4 ,i    
would have thee to understand this1 and 
would tell thee before  all that sit    
here1 and before the ancients of my     
people4 ,if thou wilt  take possession  
of it by the right of kindred3 buy it1  
and possess it3  but if it please thee  
not1 tell me so1 that ,i may know what  
,i have to  do4 ,for there is no near   
kinsman besides thee1 who art first1 and
 me1  who am second4 ,but he answered3  
,i will buy the field4    #d3e4 ,and    
,booz said to him3 ,when thou shalt buy 
the field at the woman's  hand1 thou    

must take also ,ruth1 the ,moabitess1   
who was the wife of the  deceased3 to   
raise up the name of thy kinsman in his 
inheritance4    #d3f4 ,he answered3 ,i  
yield up my right of next akin3 for ,i  
must not cut  off the posterity of my   
own family4 ,do thou make use of my     
privilege1  which ,i profess ,i do      
willingly forego4    #d3g4 ,now this in 
former times was the manner in ,israel  
between kinsmen1  that if at any time   
one yielded his right to another3 that  
the grant  might be sure1 the man put   
off his shoe and gave it to his         
neighbour2  this was a testimony of     
cession of right in ,israel4    #d3h4   
,so ,booz said to his kinsman3 ,put off 
thy shoe4 ,and immediately he  took it  
off from his foot4    #d3i4 ,and he said
 to the ancients1 and to all the people3
 ,you are  witnesses this day1 that ,i  
have bought all that was ,elimelech's1  
and  ,chelion's1 and ,mahalon's1 of the 
hand of ,noemi3    #d3aj4 ,and have     
taken to wife ,ruth1 the ,moabitess1 the

 wife of ,mahalon1  to raise up the name
 of the deceased in his inheritance lest
 his name be  cut off1 from among his   
family and his brethren and his people4 
,you1 ,i  say1 are witnesses of this    
thing4    #d3aa4 ,then all the people   
that were in the gate1 and the ancients1
  answered3 ,we are witnesses3 ,the     
,lord make this woman who cometh into   
thy  house1 like ,rachel1 and ,lia1 who 
built up the house of ,israel3 that she 
may be an example of virtue in ,ephrata1
 and may have a famous name in          
,bethlehem3    ,ephrata444 ,another name
 of ,bethlehem4    #d3ab4 ,and that the 
house may be1 as the house of ,phares1  
whom ,thamar  bore unto ,juda1 of the   
seed which the ,lord shall give thee of 
this young  woman4    #d3ac4 ,booz      
therefore took ,ruth1 and married her3  
and went in unto her1  and the ,lord    
gave her to conceive1 and to bear a son4
    #d3ad4 ,and the women said to       
,noemi3 ,blessed be the ,lord1 who hath 
not  suffered thy family to want a      

successor3 that his name should be      
preserved in ,israel4    #d3ae4 ,and    
thou shouldst have one to comfort thy   
soul1 and cherish thy  old age4 ,for he 
is born of thy daughter in law3 who     
loveth thee3 and is  much better to     
thee1 than if thou hadst seven sons4    
#d3af4 ,and ,noemi taking the child1    
laid it in her bosom1 and she carried   
it1 and was a nurse unto it4    #d3ag4  
,and the women1 her neighbours1         
congratulating with her1 and  saying1   
,there is a son born to ,noemi1 called  
his name ,obed3 he is the  father of    
,isai1 the father of ,david4    #d3ah4  
,these are the generations of ,phares3  
,phares begot ,esron1    #d3ai4 ,esron  
begot ,aram1 ,aram begot ,aminadab1     
#d3bj4 ,aminadab begot ,nahasson1       
,nahasson begot ,salmon1    #d3ba4      
,salmon begot ,booz1 ,booz begot ,obed1 
#d3bb4 ,obed begot ,isai1 ,isai begot   
,david4