RUTH    𐤓𐤅𐤕

RUTH

CHAPTER 1

1 And it came to be in the days when the rulers ruled, that there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bayath Lakham, Yahudah, went to dwell in the country of Mu'ab (Moo’ab), he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2 And the name of the man was AL'ya'malak, and the name of his wife Nam’ya, and the name of his two sons Makha’lun (Makha’loon) and Kal'yun (Kal’yoon), Apar’tha’ym of Bayath Lakham, Yahudah. They came into the country of Mu'ab, and continued there.

3 And AL'ya'malak, Nam’ya's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4  And they took them wives of the women of Mu'ab; the name of the one was Arpah, and the name of the other Ruth (Rooth): and they sojourned there about ten years.

5 And Makhalun and Kal'yun both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Mu'ab: for she had heard in the country of Mu'ab how that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) had visited His people in giving them bread.

7 And 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 to the land of Yahudah.

8 And Nam’ya said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house: 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) 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 to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people."

11 But Nam’ya said, "Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, 'I have hope,' if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons;

13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) has gone out against me."

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Arpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.

15 And she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her idols. Follow your sister-in-law."

16 And Ruth said, "Don't entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, AND YOUR ALUAH MY ALUAH;

17 where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."

18 And when she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her.

19 So they two went until they came to Bayath Lakham. And it came to be, when they were come to Bayath Lakham, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, "Is this Nam’ya?"

20 And she said to them, "Don't call me Nam’ya. Call me Mara*; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

*Mara derives from the Yahud’yath verb mara, meaning to be bitter

21 I went out full, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) has brought me home again empty; why do you call me Nam’ya, since 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) has witnessed against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

22 So Nam’ya returned, and Ruth the Mu'ab’Yah (Moabitess), her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Mu'ab: and they came to Bayath Lakham in the beginning of barley harvest.

CHAPTER 2

1 And Nam’ya had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of AL'ya'malak, and his name was Ba'az.*

*Pronounced Buhz

2 And Ruth the Mu'ab'Yah said to Nam’ya, "Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter."

3 And she went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Ba'az, who was of the family of AL'ya'malak.

4 And behold, Ba'az came from Bayath Lakham, and said to the reapers, "𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) be with you." They answered him, "𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) Barak you."

5 Then Ba'az said to his servant who was placed over the reapers, "Whose young lady is this?"

6 So the servant who was placed over the reapers answered, "It is the Mu'ab’Yah lady who came back with Nam’ya out of the country of Mu'ab.

7 And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came, and has continued even from the rising until now, except that she stayed a little in the house."

8 Then Ba'az said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Don't go to glean in another field, and don't go from here, but stay here close to my maidens.

9 Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven't I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn."

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?"

11 And Ba'az answered her, "It has fully been shown me, all that you have done to 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 birth, and have come to a people that you didn't know before.

12 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) repay your work, and a full reward be given you from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH), the ALUAH of Yashar'AL, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

13 Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my sovereign, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your handmaid, though I am not as one of your handmaidens."

14 And at meal time Ba'az said to her, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar." She sat beside the reapers, and they reached her parched grain, and she ate, and was satisfied, and left some of it.

15 And when she had risen up to glean, Ba'az commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don't reproach her.

16 Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it, and let her glean, and don't rebuke her."

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about a measure 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 that which she had left after she was satisfied.

19 Then her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Baruk be he who noticed you." She showed her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Ba'az."

20 And Nam’ya said to her daughter-in-law, “Baruk be he of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH), who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." Nam’ya said to her, "The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen."

21 And Ruth the Mu'ab'Yah said, "Yes, he said to me, 'You shall stay close to my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.'"

22 And Nam’ya said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field."

23 So she stayed close to the maidens of Ba'az, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she dwelled with her mother-in-law.

CHAPTER 3

1 And Nam’ya her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

2 Now isn't Ba'az our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor.

3 Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but don't make yourself known to the man until he has finished 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 down; then he will tell you what you shall do."

5 And she said to her, "All that you say I will do."

6 And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law told her.

7 And when Ba'az had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

8 And it came to be at midnight, that the man was startled 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. Therefore spread your skirt over your handmaid; for you are a near kinsman."

10 And he said, “Barukah are you by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH), my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you didn't follow young men, whether poor or rich.

11 Now my daughter, don't be afraid; I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people does know that you are a worthy woman.

12 Now it is true that I am a near kinsman; however there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13 Stay this night, and it shall be in the rising, that if he will perform for 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 for you, then will I do the part of a kinsman for you, as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) Abides. Lie down until the rising."

14 And she lay at his feet until the rising. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."

15 And he said, "Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it." She held it; and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid it on her; and he went into the city.

16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" She told her all that the man had done to her.

17 And she said, "He gave me these six [measures] of barley; for he said, 'Don't go empty to your mother-in-law.'"

18 Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, until he has finished the thing this day."

CHAPTER 4

1 Now Ba'az went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Ba'az spoke came by; to whom he said, "Come over here, friend, and sit down!" He turned aside, and sat down.

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." They sat down.

3 He then said to the near kinsman, "Nam’ya, who has come back out of the country of Mu'ab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother AL'ya'malak's.

4 And I thought to disclose it to you saying, 'Buy it before those who sit here, 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 no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you." He said, "I will redeem it."

5 Then Ba'az said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Nam’ya, you must buy it also from Ruth the Mu'ab'Yah, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance."

6 And the near kinsman said, "I can't redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can't redeem it."

7 Now this was formerly done* in Yashar'AL concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the attestation in Yashar'AL. *See Deut. 25:5-10

8 So the near kinsman said to Ba'az, "Buy it for yourself." He took off his shoe.

9 And Ba'az said to the elders, and to all the people, "You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was AL'ya'malak's, and all that was Kal'yun's and Makha’lun's, from the hand of Nam’ya.

10 Moreover Ruth the Mu'ab'Yah, the wife of Makha’lun, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, 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. May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) make the woman who has come into your house like Rakhal and like La’ah, which two built the house of Yashar'AL; and treat you worthily in Apar’thah, and be famous in Bayath Lakham.

12 And let your house be like the house of Parats, whom Thamar bore to Yahudah, of the seed that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) shall give you of this young woman."

13 So Ba'az took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH) gave her conception, and she bore a son.

14 And the women said to Nam’ya, "Baruk be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (YAHUAH), who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let HIS NAME be famous in Yashar'AL!

15 And he shall be to you a restorer of being, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."

16 And Nam’ya took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.

17 And the women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Nam’ya;" and they named him A'ubad (A’oo’bad). He is the father of Yasha'ya, the father of Dau'yad.

18 Now this is the history of the generations of Parats: Parats became the father of Khatsar'un (Khatsar'oon),

19 and Khatsar'un became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Am'ya'nadab,

20 and Am'ya'nadab became the father of Nakh'shun (Nakh’shoon), and Nakh'shun became the father of Shalamah,

21 and Shalamah became the father of Ba'az, and Ba'az became the father of A'ubad,

22 and A'ubad became the father of Yasha'ya, and Yasha'ya became the father of Dau'yad.