ruth, in an old format

Copyrights © 1998, revised 1999, me

this came about in the days when the judges governed. 
there was a famine in the Land.
a certain male of bethlehem in Judah went out.
sojourned in the land of moab with his wife and his 2 sons.

the name of the male was Elimelech. 
the name of his wife Naomi.
the names of his 2 sons were Mahlon and Chilion. 
ephrathites of bethlehem in Judah.

now they entered the land of moab.
to remained there.
then Elimelech Naomi's husband died.
she was left with her 2 sons.

they took for themselves moabite women as wives.
the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.
they lived there about 10 years.
then both Mahlon and Chilion also died.

the woman was bereft of her 2 children and her husband.
then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of moab.
for she had heard in the land of moab YHVH had visited His People by Giving them food.
she departed from the place where she was.

her 2 daughters-in-law with her went on the way.
returning to the Land of Judah.
Naomi said to her 2 daughters-in-law. 
go return each of you to your mother's house.

may YHVH deal kindly with you. 
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
may YHVH grant you to find rest. 
each in the house of her husband.

she kissed them and they lifted up their voices and wept. 
they said to her no we will surely return with you to your people.
Naomi said return my daughters why should you go with me?
have i yet sons in my womb that they may be your husbands.

return my daughters.
go for i am too old to have a husband.
if i said i have hope.
if i should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons.

would you therefore wait until they were grown?
would you therefore refrain from marrying?
no my daughters for this is harder for me than for you. 
for the Hand of YHVH has gone forth against me.

they lifted up their voices and wept again. 
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth clung to her.
she said behold your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her creator.
return after your sister-in-law.

Ruth said do not urge me to leave you.
or turn back from following you. 
for where you go i will go.
where you lodge i will lodge.

your people shall be my people.
your CREATOR my CREATOR. 
where you die I will die and there i will be buried.
thus may YHVH do to me and worse if anything but death parts us.

when she saw she was determined to go with her. 
she said no more to her so they both went until they came to bethlehem.
came when they had come to bethlehem. 
all the city was stirred because they said is this Naomi?

she said do not call me Naomi call me Mara. 
for the ALMIGHTY has dealt very bitterly with me.
i went out full but YHVH has brought me back empty. 
why do you call me Naomi since YHVH has witnessed against me?

the ALMIGHTY afflicted her.
Naomi returned with Ruth the moabitess her daughter-in-law.
returning from the land of moab. 
they came to bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband. 
a male of great wealth.
of the family of elimelech.
whose name was Boaz.

Ruth the moabitess said to Naomi.
please let me go to the field.
glean among the ears of grain.
after one in whose sight i may find favor.

she said go my daughter.
she departed going to glean in the field after the reapers.
she happened to come to the portion in the field belonging to Boaz. 
who was of the family of Elimelech.

behold Boaz came from bethlehem. 
he said to the reapers.
may YHVH be with you.
they said may YHVH bless you.

Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers?
whose young woman is this?
the servant in charge of the reapers answered. 
said she is the young moabite the woman who returned with Naomi from the land of moab.

she said please let me glean. 
gather after the reapers among the sheaves. 
thus she came and has remained from morning until now. 
she has been sitting in the house for a little while.

Boaz said Ruth listen carefully my daughter. 
do not go to glean in another field.
furthermore do not go on from this one. 
stay here with my maids.

let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them. 
indeed i have commanded the servants not to touch you.
when you are thirsty go to the water jars. 
drink from what the servants draw.

then she fell on her face. 
bowing to the ground.
she said why have i found favor in your sight. 
that you should take notice of me since i am a foreigner?

Boaz answered saying for all you have done for your mother-in-law. 
after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me.
how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth.
came to a people you did not previously know.

may YHVH reward your work and your wages be full by YHVH the CREATOR of Israel.
under Whose Wings you have come to seek refuge.
she said i have found favor in your sight my lord for you have comforted me. 
indeed you have spoken kindly to your maidservant as though i am one of your maidservants.

at mealtime Boaz said to her come here.
you may eat bread and dip your piece of bread in vinegar.
so she sat beside the reapers and he served her roasted grain. 
she ate and was satisfied having some left.

when she rose to glean Boaz commanded his servants.
saying let her glean even among the sheaves and do not insult her.
also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles. 
leaving that she may glean and do not rebuke her.

she gleaned in the field until evening. 
she beat out what she had gleaned for this was about an ephah of barley.
she took this up going to the city. 
her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. 

she also took some out to gave to Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied.
her mother-in-law then said where did you glean today? 
where did you work?
for he who took notice is blessed.

she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. 
said the name of the male with whom i worked today is Boaz.
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law he is blessed by YHVH. 
who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.

again Naomi said the male is our relative. 
he is one of our closest relatives.
Ruth the moabitess said furthermore he said to me i should stay close to his servants.
until they have finished all his harvest.

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law this is good my daughter. 
for you to go out with his maids lest others fall upon you in another field.
so she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean. 
until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest as she lived with her mother-in-law.

Naomi her mother-in-law said to her.
my daughter shall i not seek security for you that this may be well with you?
now is not Boaz our kinsman with whose maids you are?
behold he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.

wash yourself and therefore anoint yourself. 
put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor.
do not make yourself known to the male. 
until he has finished eating and drinking.

this shall be when he lies down you shall notice the place where he lies. 
you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down.
then he will tell you what you shall do. 
she said to her all you say i will do.

she went down to the threshing floor. 
so doing according to all her mother-in-law commanded her.
when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry.
he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain.

she came secretly.
uncovered his feet and lay down.
this happened in the middle of the night.
the male was startled and bent forward.

behold a woman was lying at his feet.
he said who are you?
she answered i am Ruth your maid. 
spread your covering over your maid for you are a close relative.

he said you are blessed by YHVH my daughter. 
you have shown your last kindness to be better than the 1st.
by not going after young men whether poor or rich. 
now my daughter do not fear. 

i will do as of all which was asked of you. 
for all my people in the city know you are a woman of excellence.
now this is true i am a close relative. 
however there is a relative closer than i.

remain this night.
when morning comes if he will Redeem you  good let him Redeem you. 
if he does not wish to Redeem you then i will Redeem you as YHVH Lives.
lie down until morning.

she lay at his feet until morning.
they arose before one could recognize another.
he said let this not be known. 
that a woman came to the threshing floor.

again he said give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.
she held as he measured 6 measures of barley.
placing it on her she went to the city. 
going to her mother-in-law.

she said how did it go my daughter?
she told her all the male had done for her.
she said these 6 measures of barley he gave to me. 
he said do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.

she said wait my daughter until you know how the matter turns out. 
for the male will not rest until he has settled this today.
now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. 
behold the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by.

so he said turn aside friend and sit down here. 
he turned aside and sat down.
he took 10 men from the elders of the city. 
saying sit down here  so they sat down.

he said to the closest relative. 
Naomi who has come back from the land of moab has to sell the piece of Land.
which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
i thought to inform you saying buy this.

before those who are sitting here.
before the elders of my people. 
if you will Redeem Redeem if not tell me that i may know.
for there is no one but you to Redeem and i am after you saying i will Redeem.

Boaz said on the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi.
you must also acquire Ruth the moabitess.
the widow of the deceased. 
in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his Inheritance.

the closest relative said i cannot Redeem for myself. 
lest i jeopardize my own Inheritance.
Redeem for yourself for you may have my rights. 
as for Redemption i cannot Redeem.

this was in former times in Israel. 
concerning Redemption was an exchange to confirm any matter.
a male removed his sandal and gave it to another. 
this was for a testimony in Israel.

so the closest relative said Boaz buy it for yourself.
and he removed his sandal.
Boaz said to the elders and all the people. 
you are witnesses today i have bought from the hand of Naomi.

all that belonged to Elimelech. 
all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
moreover i have acquired Ruth the moabitess. 
the widow of Mahlon to be my wife.

in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his Inheritance. 
so the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers.
or from the court of his birth place.
you are witnesses today.

all the people who were in the court. 
the elders said we are witnesses. 
may YHVH make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah.
both of whom built the house of Israel.

may you achieve wealth in ephrathah.
and become famous in bethlehem.
moreover may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah.
through the offspring which YHVH shall Give you by this young woman.

so Boaz took Ruth.
she became his wife.
he went to her and YHVH enabled her to conceive.
she gave birth to a son.

the women said.
Naomi is blessed by YHVH.
Who has not left you without a Redeemer today.
may his name become famous in Israel.

may he also be to you a restorer of life.
a sustainer of your old age.
for your daughter-in-law who loves you. 
is better to you than 7 sons has given birth.

Naomi took the child. 
laid him in her lap and became his nurse.
the neighbor women gave him a name. 
saying a son has been born to Naomi.

so they named him Obed. 
he is the father of Jesse the father of David.
these are the generations of Perez. 
to Perez was born Hezron.

to Hezron was born Ram. 
to Ram  Amminadab.
to Amminadab was born Nahshon. 
to Nahshon  Salmon.

to Salmon was born Boaz. 
to Boaz  Obed.
to Obed was born Jesse.
to Jesse  David.