Ruth · Chapter 2

[ edit] There was forſoþe a man, coſyn of Elymelech, a myȝti man and of greet rytches, Booz bi name. And Ruþ Moabite ſeide to hir moder in lawe, If þow comaunde, Y ſhal goo in to þe feeld and gedre eeris þat fleen þe hoondis of repers, where euere Y ſhal fynde grace of an houſholder mercyable in me. To whom ſhe anſwerde, Goo, my douȝter. And ſo ſhe ȝede, and gedride eeris after þe backis of reperis. It felle forſoþe, þat þilk feeld hadde a lord, Booz bi name, þat was of þe kynrede of Elymelech. And loo! he cam fro Beþlem. And he ſeide to his repers, Þe Lord wiþ ȝou. Þe whiche anſwerde to hym, Þe Lord bleſſe to þee.

And Booz ſeide to þe ȝong man þat was before in rewlynge to þe repers, Whos is þis child womman? Þe which anſwerde, Þis is a Moabite, þat cam wiþ Noemy fro Moabites regioun; and ſhe preyede, þat ſhe miȝte gedre eeris leeuynge, folwewynge þe ſteppis of þe repers; and fro eerly vnto nowe ſhe ſtondiþ in þe feeld, ne forſoþe at o moment ſhe turnede aȝen to þe hows.

And Booz ſeiþ to Ruþ, Here, douȝter; ne goo þou into annoþer feeld to gedre, ne goo a wey fro þis place, but be þou ioyned to my children wymmen, and where þei repen, folwe; forſoþe Y haue comaundid to my children, þat noon be heuy to þee; but if alſo þou þruſtiſt, go to þe litil coſtrils, and drynk watris, of þe whiche my children drenken. Þe which fallynge into hir face and lowtynge on erþe ſeide to hym, Whens to me þis, þat I fynde grace before þin eiȝen, þat þou deyn to knowe me a pilgryme womman?

To whom he anſwerde, Alle þingis ben toold to me, þat þou didiſt to þi moder in lawe after þe deþ of þi man, and þat þou forſokiſt þi fader and þi moder, and þe loond in þe which þou ert born, and cam to þe puple, whom before þou knewe not. Þe Lord ȝelde to þee for þi werk, and fulle mede reſſeyue þou of þe Lord God of Yrael, to whom þou art comen, and vndre whos weenges þou haſt flowen. Þe which ſeiþ, Y haue founde grace before þin eyen, my lord, þe which haſt coumfortid me, and ſpoken to þe herte of þin hoond womman, þe which am not lijk of oon of þi children wymmen. And Booz ſeide to hir, Whanne our of etynge ſhal be, com hidre, and eet breed, and weet þi morſel in eyſel.

And ſo ſhe ſat at þe ſide of þe repers, and made to hir potage, and ſhe eet, and is fild, and took þe relifes. And þens ſhe roos, and after þe maner ſhe gedride eeris. Forſoþe Booz comaundide to his children, ſeiynge, Alſo if wiþ ȝow ſhe wol repe, defende ȝe hir not, and of ȝoure forſoþe hoondfuls þrowiþ o purpoſe, and ſuffre ȝe to abide ſtil, þat wiþ out ſhame ſhe gedre; and gedrynge no man vndirnymme. Þan ſhe gedride in þe feeld vnto euen; and þat ſhe gedrede wiþ a ȝeerde betynge and ſhakynge out, ſhe foond of barli as þe meſure of ephi, þat is, þre buſſhels.

Þe whiche berynge ſhe turnede aȝen into þe citee, and ſhewide to hir moder in lawe; alſo ſhe brouȝte forþ, and ȝaf to hir þe relif of hir meet, wiþ þe which ſhe was fild. And þe moder in lawe ſeide to hir, Where to day haſt þou gadrid, and where haſt þou doo werk? Be he bleſſid, þat hadde mercy of þee. And ſhe ſhewide to hir, anentis whom ſhe wrouȝte; and þe name of þe man ſhe ſeide, þat Booz he was clepid. To whom anſwerde Noemy, Bleſſid be he of þe Lord, for þe ſame grace þat he haþ ȝeuen to men o lyue, he haþ kept and to þe deed. And eft ſhe ſeiþ, Oure nyȝ kyn is þe man.

And Ruþ, Forſoþe þis he ſeiþ and comaundide to me, þat ſo long I ſhulde be ioyned to þe repers of hym, to þe tyme þat alle þe cornys ben ropen. To whom ſeide þe moder in lawe, Betere it is, douȝter myn, þat wiþ þe childre wymmen of hym þou goo out to repe, leſt in anoþer feeld eny man wiþſtoonde to þee. And ſo ſhe is ioyned to þe childre wymmen of Booz; and as long wiþ hem ſhe repide, to þe tyme þat þe barli and þe whete weren leid in þe beerns.