HOW RUTH COURTED BOAZ

It came to pass during a famine that a certain man went to sojourn in the country of Moab with his wife, whose name was Naomi, and two sons.  The husband died there and the two sons also, having married, died after ten years, leaving Naomi a widow with two widowed daughters-in-law, whose names were Orpah and Ruth.  She decided to return to the country whence she had come, but advised the younger widows to remain and go back to the families of their mothers.  I am too old, she said, to bear again husbands for you, and even if I could do so, would you therefore tarry till they were grown?  Orpah thereupon kissed her mother-in-law and went back to her people; but Ruth clave unto her and said “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge....  Where thou diest, will I die.”  So the two went until they came to Bethlehem, in which place Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man of wealth, whose name was Boaz.  They arrived in the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ruth went and gleaned in the field after the reapers.  Her hap was to light on the portion of the field belonging to Boaz.  When he saw her he asked the reapers “Whose damsel is this?” And they told him.  Then Boaz spoke to Ruth and told her to glean in his field and abide with his maidens, and when athirst drink of that which the young men had drawn; and he told the young men not to touch her.  At meal-time he gave her bread to eat and vinegar to dip it in, and he told his young men to let her glean even among the sheaves and also to pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean and rebuke her not.  And he did all this because, as he said to her,

“It hath been shewed me, all that them hast done to thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband:  and how thou hast left thy father and mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.”

So Ruth gleaned in the field until even; then she beat out what she had gleaned and took it to Naomi and told her all that had happened.  And Naomi said unto her,

“My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?  And now is there not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast?  Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.  Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor; but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.  And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou wilt do.”

And Ruth did as her mother-in-law bade her.  And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn; and she came softly and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.  And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid [startled], and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.  And he said, “who art thou?” And she answered, “I am Ruth thine handmaid; spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.”  And he said,