Ruth · Chapter 4

[ edit] Booz þanne wente vp to þe ȝate, and ſat þere; and whanne he hadde ſeen þe nyȝ kyn paſſe biſide, of þe which before word is had, he ſeide to hym, Bowe aſide a litil, and ſit here, clepynge hym bi his name. Þe which turnede a ſide, and ſat. Forſoþe Booz takynge ten men of þe eldre of þe citee ſeide to hem, Sittiþ here. Þe which ſittynge, he ſpak to þe nyȝ kyn, Noemy ſoolde a parti of þe feeld of oure broþer Elymalech, þe which is turnyd aȝen fro Moabitis regyon, þe which þing Y wold þee to here, and to þee ſeyn before al men ſittynge and þe more men þurȝ birþ of my puple.

If þou wolt weeld þe feeld bi ryȝt of niȝ kynrede, bye and weeld; forſoþe if it to þee diſpleſe, þat ſame þing ſhewe to me, þat I wite what I owe to do; forſoþe no man is nyȝ kyn, out taak þee þat art formere, and me þat am ſecounde. And he anſwerde, I þe feelde ſhal bye. To whom ſeide Booz, Whanne þow bieſt þe feeld of þe hoond of þe womman, forſoþe Ruþ Moabite, þat was þe wijf of þe deed, þou owiſt to take, þat þow rere þe name of þi nyȝ kyn in his erytage. Þe which anſwerde, I leeue þe riȝt of my nyȝ kynrede; forſoþe ne Y owe to doon aweie þe after comynge of my meyne; þou my priuelege vſe, þe which Y knowleche me gladly to want.

Forſoþe þis was þe manere in oold tyme in Yrael bitwixe nyȝ kyn, þat if eny tyme oon to anoþere lafte his riȝt, þat þe grauntynge were ſtable, þe man looſide his ſho, and ȝaf to his nyȝ kyn; þat was witneſſynge of þe leuynge in Yrael. Þanne ſeide Booz to his nyȝ kyn, Tak þi ſho to me; þe which anoon he looſide fro his foot. And he to þe more þurȝ birþ and to al þe puple, Witneſſis ȝe ben, he ſeiþ, to day, þat Y owe to weelde alle þat weren of Elymalech, and Chelyon, and Maalon, ȝyuynge Noemy; and Y ſhulde take Ruþ Moabite, þe wijf of Maalon, into weddynge, þat I rere þe name of þe deed in his erytage; leſt þe name of hym fro his meynee and breþeren and puple be doon a wey.

Forſoþe ȝe of þis þing ben witneſſis. Al þe puple anſwerde, þat was in þe ȝate, and þe more þurȝ birþ, We ben witneſſis; þe Lord make þis womman, þat goþ into þin hows, as Rachel and Lya, þat edifiden þe hows of Yrael, þat ſhe be exſaumple of vertu in Effrata, and ſhe haue a ſolempne name in Beþlem; and þin hous be maad as þe hous of Phares, whom Thamar beere to Juda, of þe ſeed þat þe Lord ſhal ȝeue to þee of þis child womman. And ſo Booz took Ruþ, and took hir to wijf; and he wente yn to her, and þe Lord ȝaf to hir, and ſhe conſeyuede, and beer a child.

And wymmen ſeide to Noemy, Bliſſid þe Lord, which haþ not ſuffrid, þat þe ſucceſſour of þi meyne ſhulde fail, and his name ſhulde be clepid in Irael; and þou haue þat coumfort þi lijf, and noriſhe þin eeld. Forſoþe of þi douȝter in lawe is born, þat ſhal loue þee, and mych betere is to þee, þan þouȝ þou haddiſt ſeuen ſones. And Noemy putte þe takun child in hir boſum; and vſide þe office of norſhe, and of berer. Forſoþe þe wymmen neiȝbours to gidre þankynge to hir, and ſeiynge, Þe ſone of Noemy is born, clepeden his name Obeþ. Þis is þe fader of Yſay, fader of Dauyd.

Þes ben þe generaciouns of Phares; Phares gat Eſrom; Eſrom gat Aram; Aram gat Amynadab; Amynadab gat Naaſon; Naaſon gat Salmon; Salmon gat Booz; Booz gat Obeþ; Obeþ gat Yſay; Yſay gat Dauyd þe kyng. Here eendiþ Ruþ.