Book of Ruth - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 870

IO II I2

THE BOOK OF RUTH.

Qlaumi gnu in Muah. T was in the time when the judges Ruled, that there came a. famine

in the land, and a. man of Beth-1ehem· judah went to stay in the plains of Moab, with his wife and two sons. The man's name was Elimelekh, and his wife’s name Naomi, andthe names of his twcz sons were Mahlou and Khilion, Ephrathites ot Beth·1ehem· judah. These went to the plain of Moab and remained there. Elimelekh, the husband of Naomi

died, however, and left her with her two sons, who took Moabitesses as wives for themselves; the name of one was Orpah, and of the other Ruth, and they resided there ten years. Both of them then died,~—Mahlon and Khi- 11on,—·~so the woman was deprived of her two sons and her husband. She consequently arose with her daugh- ters—in—1aw, and left the plain of Moab, for she had heard, in the plain of Moab, that the Even-1,1vmG had visited His people, and given them bread. So she went out of the village where she had stayed, and her two daughters—in·law with her, and pro· ceeded on her journey to return to the land of judah. Naomi, however, said to her two daughters-in-law, Go! return each of you to her

mother’s home. May the EVER- Lxvmc. show you the kindness that you showed to the dead, and to me I May the EvER·L1v1NG grant you to find happiness, each in the home of her Husband? Then she kissed them, and lifted up her voice and wept. Why

should we not go back with yourto your own people? ’ Turn

back, my girls !···—Why should you go with me? Are there any sons in my breast, who could become husbands to you ? Go back, my girls, therefore, for I am too old to have a husband! Even if I should say I hope for one,———if I should have a husband to·night, and sons should be born to me, would you separate yourselves until they were grown up ? Would you remain without having a man ?·———No! my ’ girls. Althoit is more bitter for me than for you ;·—~—for the hand of the LORD has come upon me I ' Then they lifted up their voices and

wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother·in-law,·-—but Ruth clung to Look ! return with your sister—in-law to her people, sister-in-law. Do not

entreat me to leave you, or to turn back from you. For wherever you go, Iwill go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your GOD my GOD! Wherever you die I will die; and there I will be buried !——The Evn1z—1.1v1No do this to me, and more than this,——if anything but death shall part between me and When she saw that she was decided

to go with her, she ceased to persuade her, and both of them went to travel to Beth-lehem; and when they arrived at Beth—1ehem, the village was excited Is not this Naomi? Call me not

Naomi (Pleasantn ess) ,for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me! I went away full, and the EvER—L1v1NG has returned me empty !—-Why should you call me Pleasantness when the LORD has spoken against me, and the So Naomi returned and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabitess with her, when she came back from the plain of Moab, and came to Beth—1ehem, at the begin- ning of the barley harvest. Quiz; meets hull; ®12ani¤g. But Naomi had a relative of her

husband, a very rich man, of the family of Elimelekh, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth, the Moabitess, once I willgo out into the held, and glean amongst the 870 16

18 20 21 22

‘~~ M