RUTH.

The kindness of Boaz to Ruth. that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11 And Boaz answered and said unto

Naomi's instruction to her.
CHAP. III.

HEN Naomi her mother-in-law said

her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law thee?

since the death of thy husband: and how 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, thou hast left thy father and thy mother, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, and the land of thy nativity, and art come he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshunto a people which thou knewest not ing floor.

heretofore.

3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint

12 The LORD recompense thy work, thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and and a full reward be given thee of the get thee down to the floor: but make not LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thyself known unto the man, until he shall thou art come to trust. have done eating and drinking.

13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thy handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thy handmaidens.

14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy 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 that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

::

4 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 shalt do.

5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

6 T And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her motherin-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 a 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 art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

18 And she took it up, and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what 10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the she had gleaned and she brought forth, LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed and gave to her that she had reserved after more kindness in the latter end than at the she was sufficed. beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst

19 And her mother-in-law said unto her, not young men, whether poor or rich. Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and 11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that will do to thee all that thou requirest: for did take knowledge of thee. And she all the city of my people doth know that shewed her mother-in-law with whom she thou art a virtuous woman.

had wrought, and said, The man's name 12 And now it is true that I am thy near with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz. kinsman: how bei^ there is a kinsman near

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter-er than I. in-law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who 13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in hath not left off his kindness to the living the morning, that if he will perform unto and to the dead. And Naomi said unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him her, The man is near of kin unto us, one do the kinsman's part: but if he will not of our next kinsmen. do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my LORD liveth; lie down until the morning. young men, until they have ended all my 14 And she lay at his feet until the harvest. 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.

22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of she held it, he measured six measures of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley-har- barley, and laid it on her: and she went vest and of wheat-harvest; and dwelt with into the city. her mother-in-law.

16 And when she came to her mother

1

Boaz marries Ruth.

CHAP. IV.

Elkanah and his two wives. in-law, she said, Who art thou, my daugh- day, that I have bought all that was Eliter? And she told her all that the man had melech's, and all that was Chilion's and done to her.

17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.

18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day. CHAP. IV.

THE

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: ye are witnesses this day.

11 And all the people that were in the THEN went Boaz up to the gate, and gate, and the elders said, We are witnesses. sat him down there: and behold, the The LORD make the woman that is come kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn which two did build the house of Israel: aside, sit down here. And he turned and do thou worthily in Ephratah and be aside, and sat down. famous in Beth-lebem:

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

3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know : for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.

:

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.

14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter-in-law, which loveth 5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buy- thee, which is better to thee than seven est the field of the hand of Naomi, thou sons hath borne him.

must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the 16 And Naomi took the child, and laid wife of the dead, to raise up the name of it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. the dead upon his inheritance. 17 And the women her neighbours

6 ¶ And the kinsman said, I cannot re-gave it a name, saying, There is a son deem it for myself, lest I mar mine own born to Naomi; and they called his name inheritance: redeem thou my right to thy- Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father self; for I cannot redeem it. of David.

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 thee. So he drew off his shoe. 9¶ And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this

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.

¶ The First Book of SAMUEL, otherwise called, The First Book of the KINGS.

NOW

CHAP. 1.

children, but Hannah had no children [OW there was a certain man of Ra- 3 And this man went up out of his city mathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the and his name was Elkanah, the son of Je- LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons roham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite': the LORD, were there.

2 And he had two wives; the name of 4¶ And when the time was that Elkanah the one was Hannah, and the name of offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had to all her sons and her daughters, portions⚫

Hannah's prayer.

I. SAMUEL.

Hannah's song.

5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy house, went up to offer unto the LORD the portion; for he loved Hannah; but the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. LORD had shut up her womb. 22 But Hannah went not up; for she

6 And her adversary also provoked her said unto her husband, I will not go up unsore, for to make her fret, because the til the child be weaned, and then I will LORD had shut up her womb. bring him, that he may appear before the 7 And as he did so year by year, when LORD, and there abide for ever. she went up to the house of the LORD, So 23 And Elkanah her husband said unte she provoked her; therefore she wept, and her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry did not eat. until thou have weaned him; only the

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, LORD establish his word. So the woHannah, why weepest thou? and why eat- man abode, and gave her son suck until est thou not? and why is thy heart griev- she weaned him.

ed? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 24¶ And when she had weaned him, 9 So Hannah rose up after they had she took him up with her, with three buleaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk: locks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle (now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a of wine, and brought him unto the house post of the temple of the LORD:) of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to 12 And it came to pass, as she conti- the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be nued praying before the LORD, that Eli lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the marked her mouth.

LORD there.

CHAP. II.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been AND Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is 14 And Eli said unto her, How long enlarged over mine enemies; because I wilt thou be drunken ? put away thy wine from thee.

drunken.

15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

16 Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of 4 The bows of the mighty men are my complaint and grief have I spoken broken, and they that stumbled are girded hitherto. with strength.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in 5 They that were full have hired out peace and the God of Israel grant thee themselves for bread; and they that were thy petition that thou hast asked of him. hungry ceased: so that the barren hath 18 And she said, Let thy handmaid borne seven; and she that hath many chilAnd grace in thy sight. So the woman dren is waxed feeble.

tenance was no more sad.

went her way, and did eat, and her coun- 6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave, and bring 19 And they rose up in the morning eth up. early, and worshipped before the LORD, 7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh and returned, and came to their house to rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, wife; and the LORD remembered her. and lifteth up the beggar from the dung20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the hill, to set them among princes, and to time was come about after Hannah had make them inherit the throne of glory: for conceived, that she bare a son, and called the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, his name Samuel, saying, Because I have and he hath set the world upon them. asked him of the LORD. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints,

31 And the man Elkanah, and all his and the wicked shall be silent in darkness;

The sin of Eli's sons:

CHAP. III.

They are reproved. for by strength shall no man prevail. against the LORD, who shall entreat for 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall him? Notwithstanding,they hearkened not be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall unto the voice of their father, because the he thunder upon them: the LORD shall LORD would slay them.

judge the ends of the earth; and he shall 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and give strength unto his king, and exalt the was in favour both with the LORD, and also horn of his anointed. with men.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his 27 And there came a man of God unto house. And the child did minister unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the the LORD before Eli the priest. LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

13 And the priest's custom with the 28 And did I choose him out of all the people was, that, when any man offered tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook an ephod before me? and did I give unto of three teeth in his hand; the house of thy father all the offerings

14 And he struck it into the pan, or made by fire of the children of Israel? kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice flesh-hook brought up the priest took for and at mine offering, which I have comhimself. So they did in Shiloh unto all manded in my habitation; and honourest the Israelites that came thither. thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the with the chiefest of all the offerings of Ispriest's servant came, and said to the man rael my people? that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel priest; for he will not have sodden flesh saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the of thee, but raw. house of thy father, should walk before. 16 And if any man said unto him, Let me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be them not fail to burn the fat presently, and it far from me; for them that honour me then take as much as thy soul desireth; I will honour, and they that despise me then he would answer him, Nay; but shall be lightly esteemed. thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men man in thy house. abhorred the offering of the LORD.

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my 18 ¶ But Samuel ministered before the habitation, in all the wealth which God LORD, being a child, girded with a linen shall give Israel: and there shall not be ephod. an old man in thy house for ever. 19 Moreover his mother made him a 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall little coat, and brought it to him from year not cut off from mine altar, shall be to conto year, when she came up with her hus-sume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart: band, to offer the yearly sacrifice. and all the increase of thy house shall

20 ¶ And Eli blessed Elkanah and his die in the flower of their age. wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, of this woman for the loan which is lent that shall come upon thy two sons, on to the LORD. And they went unto their Hophni and l'hinehas: in one day they own home. shall die both of them.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 ¶ Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house, shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' such things? for I hear of your evil deal-offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. ings by all this people.

CHAP. III.

24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S AND the child Samuel ministered unto

people to transgress.

25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin

the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when

Samuel called.

see;

Eli was lain down in his place, and his hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the eyes began to wax dim, that he could not, LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. 19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the LORD 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in was with him, and did let none of his the temple of the LORD, where the ark of words fall to the ground. God was, and Samuel was lain down to sleep;

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. I called not; lie down again. And he CHAP. IV.

ND word

ent and lay down called yet again, Sa-Arather of Samuel, came to alt

muel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, the Philistines to battle, and pitched beand said, Here am I; for thou didst call side Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitchme. And he answered, I called not, my ed in Aphec.

son; lie down again.

2 And the Philistines put themselves

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the in array against Israel: and when they LORD, neither was the word of the LORD joined battle, Israel was smitten before yet revealed unto him. the Philistines: and they slew of the army

8 And the LORD called Samuel again in the field about four thousand men. the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place..

10 And the LORD came, and stood and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

3 ¶ And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Be- 5 And when the ark of the covenant of hold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which the LORD came into the camp, all Israel both the ears of every one that heareth it shouted with a great shout, so that the shall tingle. earth rang again.

12 In that day I will perform against 6 And when the Philistines heard the Eli all things which I have spoken con- noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth cerning his house: when I begin, I will the noise of this great shout in the camp of also make an end. the Hebrews? And they understood that

13 For I have told him, that I will judge the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. his house for ever, for the iniquity which 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for he knoweth: because his sons made them- they said, God is come into the camp. selves vile, and he restrained them not. And they said, Wo unto us! for there hath 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the not been such a thing heretofore. house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's 8 Wo unto us! Who shall deliver us house shall not be purged with sacrifice out of the hand of these mighty Gods? nor offering for ever.

15¶ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD; and Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, been to you: quit yourselves like men, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here and fight.

am I.

10 And the Philistines fought, and 17 And he said, What is the thing that Israel was smitten, and they fled every the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray man into his tent and there was a very thee hide it not from me: God do so to great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing thirty thousand footmen. from me, of all the things that he said unto thee.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.