 The Book of Ruth from the Young's Literal Translation of the Bible. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Mark Penfold. The Book of Ruth from the Young's Literal Translation. Chapter 1 And it cometh to pass in the days of the judging of the judges, that there is a famine in the land, and there goeth a man from Bethlehem Judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. And the name of the man is Eli Melech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons, Malon and Chileon, Ephrathites from Bethlehem Judah, and they come into the fields of Moab and are there. And Eli Melech, husband of Naomi, dyeth, and she is left, she and her two sons. And they take to them wives, Moabiteces. The name of the one is Orpah, and the name of the second, Ruth. And they dwell there about ten years. And they die also, both of them, Malon and Chileon, and the woman is left of her two children and of her husband. And she riseth, she and her daughters-in-law, and turneth back from the fields of Moab, for she hath heard in the fields of Moab that God hath looked after his people to give to them bread. And she goeth out from the place where she hath been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they go in the way to turn back unto the land of Judah, and Naomi seeth to her two daughters-in-law. Go, turn back, each to the house of her mother, Jehovah doth with you kindness as ye have done with the dead, and with me, Jehovah doth grant to you, and find ye rest each in the house of her husband. And she kisseth them, and they lift up their voice and weep, and they say to her, Surely with thee we go back to thy people! And Naomi seeth. Turn back, my daughters, why do ye go with me? Are there yet to me sons in my bowels that they have been to you for husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go, for I am too aged to be to a husband, though I had said, There is for me hope also, I have been to night to a husband, and also I have borne sons. For them do ye wait till that they grow up? For them do ye shut yourselves up, not to be to a husband? Nay, my daughters, for more bitter to me than to you, for the hand of Jehovah hath gone out against me. And they lift up their voice and weep again, and Orba kisseth her mother-in-law, And Ruth hath cleaved to her. And she seeth. Lo, thy sister-in-law hath turned back unto her people, and unto her God turned thou back after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth seeth. Urge me not to leaf thee, to turn back from after thee, for whither thou goest, I go. And where thou lodgest, I lodge, thy people is my people, and thy God my God. Where thou dyest, I die, and there I am buried. Thus doth Jehovah to me, and thus doth he add, for death itself doth part between me and thee. And she seeth that she is strengthening herself to go with her, and she seeth to speak unto her. And they go both of them till they're coming into Bethlehem, and it cometh to pass that they're coming into Bethlehem, that all the city is moved at them, and they say, Is this Naomi? And she seeth unto them. Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly to me. I went out full, and empty hath Jehovah brought me back. Why do ye call me Naomi? And Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath done evil to me. And Naomi turneth back, and Ruth the Moabitis her daughter-in-law with her, who hath turned back from the fields of Moab, and they have come into Bethlehem at the commencement of Barley Harvest. CHAPTER II And Naomi hath an acquaintance of her husband's, a man mighty in wealth, of the family of Eliamelech, and his name is Boaz, and Ruth the Moabitis seeth unto Naomi. Let me go, I pray, thee into the field, and I gather among the ears of corn after him in whose eyes I find grace. And she seeth to her. Go, my daughter. And she goeth and cometh, and gathereth in a field after the reapers. And her chance happeneth. The portion of the field is Boaz's, who is of the family of Eliamelech. And lo, Boaz hath come from Bethlehem, and seeth to the reapers, Jehovah is with you! And they say to him, Jehovah doth bless thee! And Boaz seeth to his young man who hath set over the reapers. Who is this young person, and the young man who hath set over the reapers answereth and seeth? A young woman, Moabitis she is, who came back with Naomi from the fields of Moab. And she seeth, let me glean, I pray thee, and I have gathered among the sheeds after the reapers. And she cometh and remaineth since the morning, and till now she sat in the house a little. And Boaz seeth unto Ruth. Hast thou not heard, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, and also pass not over from this. And thus thou dost cleave to my young women, thine eyes are on the field which they reap, and thou hast gone after them. Have not I charged the young men not to touch thee? When thou art a thirst, then thou hast gone unto the vessels, and hast drunk from that which the young men draw. And she falleth on her face, and boweth herself to the earth, and seeth unto him. Wherefore have I found grace in thine eyes to discern me, and I a stranger? And Boaz answereth and seeth to her. It hath thoroughly been declared to me all that thou hast done with thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband. And thou dost leave thy father and thy mother and the land of thy birth, and dost come in unto a people which thou hast not known heretofore. Jehovah doth recompense thy work, and thy reward is complete from Jehovah, God of Israel, under whose wings thou hast come to take refuge. And she sayeth, Let me find grace in thine eyes, my Lord, because thou hast comforted me, and because thou hast spoken unto the heart of thy maid-servant, and I am not as one of thy maid-servants. And Boaz sayeth to her, At mealtime come nigh hither, and thou hast eaten of the bread, and dipped thy morsel in the vinegar. And she siteth at the side of the reapers, and she reacheth to her roasted corn, and she eateth, and is satisfied, and leaveeth. And she riseth to glean, and Boaz chargeeth his young men, saying, Even between the sheaves she doth glean, and ye do not cause her to blush, and also ye do surely cast to her of the handfuls, and have left, and she have gleaned, and ye do not push against her. And she gleaneth in the field till the evening, and beateth out that which she hath gleaned, and it is about an ifa of barley. And she taketh it up, and goeth into the city, and her mother-in-law seeeth that which she hath gleaned, and she bringeth out, and giveth to her that which she left from her satiety. And her mother-in-law sayeth to her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day, and where hast thou wrought? May he who is discerning thee be blessed. And she declareeth to her mother-in-law with whom she hath wrought, and sayeth, The name of the man with whom I have wrought to-day is Boaz. And Naomi sayeth to her daughter-in-law, Blessed is he of Jehovah who hath not forsaken his kindness with the living and with the dead. And Naomi sayeth to her, The man is a relation of ours, he is of our redeemers. And Ruth the Moabite sayeth, Also he surely said unto me, Near the young people whom I have, Thou dost cleave till they have completed the whole of the harvest which I have. And Naomi sayeth unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, Good my daughter, that thou goest out with his young women, and they come not against thee in another field. And she cleaveth to the young women of Boaz to clean till the completion of the barley harvest and of the wheat harvest, and she dwelleth with her mother-in-law. CHAPTER III And Naomi her mother-in-law sayeth to her, My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest that it may be well with thee? And now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance with whose young women thou hast been? Lo, he is winnowing the threshing floor of barley to-night, and thou hast bathed and anointed thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and gone down to the threshing floor. Let not thyself be known to the man till he complete to eat and to drink. And it cometh to pass when he lyeth down that thou hast known the place where he lyeth down, and hast gone in, and uncovered his feet and lain down, and he doth declare to thee that which thou dost do. And she sayeth unto her, All that thou sayest, I do! And she goeth down to the threshing floor, and doth according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her. And Boaz eateth and drinketh, and his heart is glad, and he goeth in to lie down at the end of the heap, and she cometh in gently and uncovered his feet and lieth down. And it cometh to pass at the middle of the night that the man trembleth and turneth himself, and lo, a woman is lying at his feet, and he sayeth, Who art thou? And she sayeth, I am Ruth thy handmaid, and thou hast spread thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou art a redeemer. And he sayeth, Blessed art thou of Jehovah, my daughter, thou hast dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning, not to go after the young men, either poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not, all that thou sayest, I do to thee, for all the gate of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman, and now surely true that I am a redeemer. But also there is a redeemer nearer than I, lodged to night, and it hath been in the morning if he doth redeem thee, well, he redeemeth, and if he delight not to redeem thee, then I have redeemed thee, I, Jehovah liveth, lie down till the morning. And she lieth down at his feet till the morning, and riseth before one doth discern another. And he sayeth, Let it not be known that the woman hath come into the floor. And he sayeth, Give the covering which is on thee, and keep hold on it. And she keepeth hold on it, and he measureeth six measures of barley, and layeth it on her, and he goeth into the city. And she cometh in unto her mother-in-law, and she sayeth, Where art thou, my daughter? And she declareeth to her all that the man hath done to her. And she sayeth, These six measures of barley he hath given to me, for he said, Thou dost not go in empty unto thy mother-in-law. And she sayeth, Sit still, my daughter, till thou dost know how the matter falleth. For the man doth not rest except he hath completed the matter to-day. CHAPTER IV And Boaz hath gone up to the gate, and Sitteth there, and lo, the Redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken. And he sayeth, Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one! And he turneth aside, and Sitteth down. And he takeeth ten men of the elders of the city, and sayeth, Sit down here! And they sit down. And he sayeth to the Redeemer, A portion of the field which is to our brother, to Elimelech, hath Naomi sold, who hath come back from the fields of Moab. And I said, I uncover thine ear, saying, Buy before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people, if thou dost redeem, redeem, And if none doth redeem, declare to me, that I know, for there is none save thee to redeem, and I after thee. And he sayeth, I redeem it. And Boaz sayeth, In the day of thy buying the field from the hand of Naomi, then from Ruth the Moabiteus, wife of the dead, Thou hast bought it, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance. And the Redeemer sayeth, I am not able to redeem it for myself, lest I destroy mine inheritance. Redeem for thyself, thou, my right of redemption, for I am not able to redeem. And this is formerly in Israel for redemption and for changing, to establish anything. A man hath drawn off his sandal, and given it to his neighbor, and this is the testimony in Israel. And the Redeemer sayeth to Boaz, Buy it for thyself, and draweth off his sandal. And Boaz sayeth to the elders and to the people, Witnesses are ye today that I have bought all that is to Elimelech, and all that is to Chilean and Malon from the hand of Naomi. And also, Ruth the Moabiteus, wife of Malon, I have bought to myself for a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance. And the name of the dead is not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place, Witnesses ye are today. And all the people who are in the gates say, also the elders, Witnesses, Jehovah make the woman who is coming in unto thy house as Rachel and as Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel, and do thou virtuously in Ephrotha, and proclaim the name in Bethlehem, and let thy house be as the house of Pharez, whom Thamar bear to Judah, of the seed which Jehovah doth give to thee of this young woman. And Boaz takeeth Ruth, and she becomeeth his wife, and he goeth in unto her, and Jehovah giveth to her conception, and she beareth a son. And the women say unto Naomi, blessed is Jehovah who hath not let a redeemer cease to thee today, and his name is proclaimed in Israel, and he hath been to thee for a restorer of life, and for a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law who hath loved thee, who is better to thee than seven sons hath borne him. And Naomi takeeth the lad, and layeth him in her bosom, and is to him for a nurse, and the neighboring women give to him a name saying, there hath been a son born to Naomi, and they call his name Obed. She is father of Jesse, father of David. And these are genealogies of Pharez. Pharez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Nashun, and Nashun begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. The End of the Book of Ruth from the Young's Literal Translation of the Bible, Recording by Mark Penfold.