Restored King James Version Book of Ruth
Based on the Authorised Version (King James) with the words "God" and "LORD"
restored to their original words, and various words
(thee, thine, shouldest, crieth, didst, etc) and
constructions (them that, etc) modernized.
1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there
was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn
in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And the name
of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his
two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into
the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband
died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And they took them wives of the
women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth:
and they dwelled there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also
both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6 Then
she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of
Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how the Lord had visited
his people in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place
where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way
to return unto the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in
law, Go, return each to her mother's house: YHWH deal kindly with you, as
you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 YHWH grant you that you may
find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and
they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we
will return with you unto your people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my
daughters: why will you go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb,
that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way;
for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should
have a husband also tonight, and should also bear sons;
13 Would you tarry
for them till they were grown? would you stay for them from having husbands?
nay, my daughters; for it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of YHWH is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept
again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth chopped unto her.
15 And
she said, Behold, your sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her
elohim (``elohim''): return you after your sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not
to leave you, or to return from following after you: for where you go,
I will go; and where you lodgest, I will lodge: your people shall be my
people, and your Elohim my Elohim:
17 Where you diest, will I die, and there will
I be buried: YHWH do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part you
and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then
she left speaking unto her.
19 So they two went until they came to
Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the
city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 And she said
unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty has dealt very
bitterly with me.
21 I went out full, and YHWH has brought me home
again empty: why then call you me Naomi, seeing YHWH has testified against
me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the
Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, who returned out of the country of
Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
1 And
Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of
Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,
Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I
shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3 And she went,
and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light
on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of
Elimelech.
4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the
reapers, YHWH be with you. And they answered him, YHWH bless you.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant who was set over the reapers, Whose
damsel is this?
6 And the servant who was set over the reapers answered and
said, It is the Moabitish damsel who came back with Naomi out of the country
of Moab:
7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the
reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and has continued even from the
morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8 Then said Boaz
unto Ruth, Hear you not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
9 Let your eyes
be on the field that they do reap, and go you after them: have I not charged
the young men that they shall not touch you? and when you are athirst, go
unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
10 Then
she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why
have I found grace in your eyes, that you should take knowledge of me,
seeing I am a stranger?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It has
fully been showed me, all that you have done unto your mother in law since the
death of your husband: and how you have left your father and your mother, and
the land of your nativity, and are come unto a people which you knew not
heretofore.
12 YHWH recompense your work, and a full reward be given you
of YHWH Elohim of Israel, under whose wings you are come to trust.
13 Then
she said, Let me find favour in your sight, my lord; for you have
comforted me, and you have spoken friendly unto your handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of your handmaidens.
14 And Boaz said unto
her, At mealtime come you hither, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in
the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn,
and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
15 And when she was risen up to
glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the
sheaves, and reproach her not:
16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of
purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out what she had
gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 And she took it up, and
went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she
brought forth, and gave to her what she had reserved after she was sufficed.
19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where have you gleaned today? and
where wrought you? blessed be he who did take knowledge of you. 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.
20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in
law, Blessed be he of YHWH, who has not left off his kindness to the
living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto
us, one of our next kinsmen.
21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me
also, You shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my
harvest.
22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my
daughter, that you go out with his maidens, that they meet you not in any
other field.
23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the
end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not
seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
2 And now is not Boaz of
our kindred, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley to
night in the threshingfloor.
3 Wash your self therefore, and anoint you, and
put your raiment upon you, and get you down to the floor: but make not
yourself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 And it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where
he shall lie, and you shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lay you down;
and he will tell you what you shall do.
5 And she said unto her, All that
you say unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did
according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7 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.
8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned
himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 And he said, Who are you?
And she answered, I am Ruth your handmaid: spread therefore your skirt over
your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman.
10 And he said, Blessed be you
of YHWH, my daughter: for you have showed more kindness in the latter end
than at the beginning, inasmuch as you followed not young men, whether poor
or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to you all that you
requirest: for all the city of my people does know that you are a virtuous
woman.
12 And now it is true that I am your near kinsman: howbeit there is a
kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning,
that if he will perform unto you the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the
kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, then will
I do the part of a kinsman to you, as YHWH lives: lie down until the
morning.
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up
before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman
came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the veil that you have upon
you, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley,
and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her
mother in law, she said, Who are you, my daughter? And she told her all that
the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave
he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto your mother in law.
18 Then said
she, Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall: for the
man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
1 Then
went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of
whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit
down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the
elders of the city, and said, Sit you down here. And they sat down.
3 And he
said unto the kinsman, Naomi, who is come again out of the country of Moab,
sells a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
4 And I thought
to advertise you, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the
elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will not
redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it
beside you; and I am after you. And he said, I will redeem it.
5 Then said
Boaz, What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy it
also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the
dead upon his inheritance.
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem you my right to yourself; for
I cannot redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel
concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man
plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony
in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for you. So he
drew off his shoe.
9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people,
You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and
all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover Ruth
the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up
the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not
cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: you are
witnesses this day.
11 And all the people who were in the gate, and the
elders, said, We are witnesses. YHWH make the woman who is come into
your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of
Israel: and do you worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12 And
let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the
seed which YHWH shall give you of this young woman.
13 So Boaz took
Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, YHWH gave her
conception, and she bare a son.
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be
YHWH, who has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name
may be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be unto you a restorer of your
life, and a nourisher of your old age: for your daughter in law, who loves
you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.
16 And Naomi
took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And
the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi;
and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19 And
Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon,
and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Where this translation came from
Latest update: August 2008
(C) Selwyn Russell 2008
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