Ruth 2

¹ that sche schulde gedere eeris of corn leeuynge bihynde, and sue the steppis of reperis; and fro the morewtid til now sche stondith in the feeld, and sotheli nethir at a moment sche turnede ayen hoom. 2 And Booz seide to Ruth, Douytir, here thou; go thou not in to anothir feelde to gadere, nether go awei fro this place, but be thou ioyned to my dameselis, 3 and sue thou where thei repen; for Y comaundide to my children, that no man be diseseful to thee; but also if thou thirstist, go to the fardels, and drynke watris, of whiche my children drynken. 4 And sche felde on hir face, and worschipide on the erthe; and seide to hym, Wherof is this to me, that Y schulde fynde grace bifor thin iyen, that thou woldist knowe me a straunge womman? 5 To whom he answeride, Alle thingis ben teld to me, whiche thou didist to thi modir in lawe after the deeth of thin hosebonde, and that thou hast forsake thi fadir and modir, and the lond in which thou were borun, and hast come to a puple, whom thou knowist not bifore. 6 The Lord yelde to thee for thi werk, and resseyue thou ful mede of the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou camest, and vndir whose wengis thou fleddist. 7 And sche seide, My lord, Y haue founde grace bifor thin iyen, which hast coumfortid me, and hast spoke to the herte of thin handmaide, which am not lijk oon of thi damesels. 8 And Booz seide to hir, Whanne the our of etyng is, come thou hidur, and ete breed, and wete thi mussel in vynegre. Therfor sche sat at the side of reperis; and he dresside to hir potage, and sche eet, and was fillid; and sche took the relifs. ⁹ And sche roos fro thennus to gadere eeris of corn bi custom. Forsothe Booz comaundide to hise children, and seide, Also if sche wole repe with you, ¹⁰ forbede ye not hir, and also of youre handfuls caste ye forth of purpos, and suffre ye to abide, that sche gadere with out schame; and no man repreue hir gaderynge. 11 Therfor sche gaderide in the feeld til to euentid; and sche beet with a yerde, and schook out tho thingis that sche hadde gaderid; and sche foond of barly as the mesure of ephi, that is, thre buschels. ¹² Which sche bar, and turnede ayen in to the citee, and schewide to hir modir in lawe; ferthermore sche brouyte forth, and yaf to hir the relifs of hir mete, with which mete sche was fillid. 13 And the modir in lawe seide to hir, Where gaderidist thou to dai, and where didist thou werk? Blessid be he, that hadde mercy on thee. And sche telde to hir, at whom sche wrouyte; and sche seide the name of the man, that he was clepid Booz. ¹⁴ To whom Noemy answeride, Blessid be he of the Lord, for he kepte also to deed men the same grace, which he yaf to the quike. And eft sche seide, He is oure kynysman. ¹⁵ And Ruth seide, Also he comaundide this to me, that so longe Y schulde be ioyned to hise reperis, til alle the cornes weren repid. ¹⁶ To whom hir modir in lawe seide, My douyter, it is betere that thou go out to repe with hise damysels, lest in another feeld ony man ayenstonde thee. 17 Therfor sche was ioyned to the damesels of Booz; and so longe sche rap with hem, til bothe barli and wheete weren closid in the bernys. ¹⁹ Forsothe aftir that Ruth turnede ayen to hir modir in lawe, Ruth herde of hir, My douytir, Y schal seke reste to thee, and Y schal purueye that it be wel to thee. ²⁰ This Booz, to whose damesels thou were ioyned in the feeld, is oure kynesman, and in this niyt he wyndewith the corn floor of barli. ²¹ Therfor be thou waischun, and anoyntid, and be thou clothid with onestere clothis, and go doun in to the corn floor; the man, that is, Booz, se not thee, til he haue endid the mete and drynke. 22 Forsothe whanne he goth to slepe, marke thou the place in which he slepith; and thou schalt come and vnhile the cloth, with which he is hilid, fro the part of the feet, and thou schalt caste thee doun, and thou schalt ly there. Forsothe he schal seie to thee, what thou owist to do. ²³ Which answeride, What euer thing thou comaundist, Y schal do.