The Daily Audio Bible

2 Forsooth (there was) a mighty man and a man of great riches, Boaz by name, (who) was (a) kinsman of Elimelech.

² And Ruth of Moab said to her mother-in-law, If thou commandest, I shall go into the field, and I shall gather ears of corn that flee the hands of (the) reapers, wherever I shall find grace of an husbandman merciful in me (wherever I shall find favour from a farmer, who is merciful to me). To whom she answered, Go, my daughter.

³ Therefore she went, and gathered ears of corn after the backs of (some) reapers. And it befelled, that Boaz was (the) lord of that field, (he) that was of the kindred of Elimelech.

⁴ And lo! (one day) Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to his reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered to him, The Lord bless thee.

⁵ And Boaz said to the young man that was chief over the reapers, Who is this damsel?

⁶ And he answered, This is the woman of Moab, that came with Naomi from the country of Moab;

⁷ and she prayed, that she should gather ears of corn leaving behind, and follow the steps of [the] reapers; and from the morrowtide till now she standeth in the field, and soothly neither at a moment she turned again home. (and she prayed us, that she could gather some ears of corn that were left behind, and follow the steps of the reapers; and so from the morning until now she standeth in the field, and not for a moment hath she purposed to return home.)

⁸ And Boaz said to Ruth, Daughter, hear thou; go thou not into another field to gather, neither go (thou) away from this place, but be thou joined to my damsels,

⁹ and follow thou where they reap; for I [have] commanded to my young men, that no man be dis-easeful to thee; but also if thou thirstest, go to the fardels, and drink waters, of which my young men drink (and if thou thirstest, go and drink from the water jars, which my young men have filled).

¹⁰ And she felled on her face, and worshipped on the earth; and she said to him, Whereof is this to me, that I should find grace before thine eyes, that thou wouldest know me, a strange woman? (And she fell on her face, and honoured him on the ground; and she said to him, Whereof is this to me, that I should find favour in thine eyes, and that thou wouldest acknowledge me, who is but a stranger?)

¹¹ To whom Boaz answered, All things be told to me, that thou hast done to thy mother-in-law after the death of thine husband (All things have been told to me, what thou hast done for thy mother-in-law after the death of thy husband), and that thou hast forsaken thy father and thy mother, and the land that thou were born in, and thou art come to a people, that thou hast not known before.

¹² The Lord yield to thee for thy work, and receive thou full meed of the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou camest, and under whose wings thou fleddest. (May the Lord reward thee for thy good deeds, yea, may thou receive thy full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou hast come, and under whose wings thou hast fled.)

¹³ And she said, My lord, I have found grace before thine eyes, and thou hast comforted me, and thou hast spoken to the heart of thine handmaid, which am not like one of thine handmaids. (And she said, My lord, for I have found favour in thine eyes, and thou hast spoken to the heart of thy servantess, though I am not equal to one of thy servantesses, yea, thou hast greatly comforted me.)

¹⁴ And Boaz said to her, When the hour of eating is, come thou hither, and eat bread, and wet thy morsel in vinegar. Therefore she sat at the side of [the] reapers; and he directed to her pottage, and she ate, and was filled; and she took the remnants. (And Boaz said to her, When it is time to eat, come thou here, and eat bread, and wet thy morsel in the vinegar. And so she sat beside the reapers; and Boaz passed her some roasted grain, and she ate, and was fulfilled; and she took up the remnants.)

¹⁵ And she rose from thence to gather the ears of corn, by custom. And Boaz commanded to his young men, and said, Also if she will reap with you, forbid ye not her, (And then she rose up from there to gather the ears of corn again, as was her custom. And Boaz commanded to his young men, and said, Yea, if she will reap with you, forbid ye her not,)

¹⁶ and also cast ye forth to her handfuls of purpose (and also throw ye forth to her some handfuls on purpose), and suffer ye those to abide, that she gather those without shame; and no man reprove her gathering them.

¹⁷ Therefore she gathered in the field till to eventide; and she beat with a rod, and shook out those things that she had gathered; and she found of barley as the measure of (an) ephah (and she found that she had about a bushel of barley).

¹⁸ Which she bare, and turned again into the city, and showed to her mother-in-law; furthermore she brought forth, and gave to her the remnants of her meat, with which meat she was (ful)filled. (Which she carried, and returned to the city, and showed to her mother-in-law; and she also brought forth, and gave her the remnants of her food, with which food she was fulfilled.)

¹⁹ And her mother-in-law said to her, Where hast thou gathered this today, and where hast thou done (all) this work? Blessed be he, that had mercy on thee. And Ruth told to her mother(-in-law) with whom she (had) wrought; and she said that the man’s name was called Boaz.

²⁰ To whom Naomi answered, Blessed be he of the Lord, for he [hath] kept also to dead men the same grace, which he gave to the quick. And again she said, He is our kinsman. (To whom Naomi answered, May the Lord bless him; yea, the Lord hath given the same favour to the living, as to the dead. And she said to Ruth, He is our kinsman.)

²¹ And Ruth said, Also he commanded this thing to me, that so long I should be joined to his reapers, till all his corns were reaped. (And Ruth said, And he also commanded this to me, that I should be joined to his reapers, until all his grain was harvested.)

²² To whom her mother-in-law said, My daughter, it is better, that thou go out to reap with his damsels, lest in another field any man against-stand thee.

²³ And so Ruth was joined to the damsels of Boaz; and so long she reaped with them, till both the barley and the wheat were closed in the barns. (And so Ruth was joined to Boaz’s young women; and she worked with them, until all the barley and the wheat were harvested, and enclosed in the barns.)

3 And after that Ruth had turned (again) to her mother-in-law, she heard of her, My daughter, I shall seek rest to thee, and I shall purvey that it be well to thee. (And sometime later, when Ruth had returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi said to her, My daughter, I shall seek rest for thee, and I shall purvey that it be well with thee.)

² This Boaz, to whose damsels thou were joined (to) in the field, is our kinsman, and in this night he winnoweth the cornfloor of barley (and tonight he thresheth barley at his threshing floor).

³ Therefore be thou washed, and anointed, and be thou clothed with more honest clothes, and go thou down into the cornfloor; the man see not thee, till he have ended to eat and to drink. (And so be thou washed, and anointed, and be thou clothed with more honourable, or more decent, clothes, and then go thou down to the threshing floor; but do not let the man see thee until he hath finished eating and drinking.)

⁴ Forsooth when he goeth to sleep, mark thou the place in which he sleepeth; and thou shalt come, and uncover the cloak, with which he is covered, from the part of the feet, and thou shalt cast thee down, and thou shalt lie there. Forsooth he shall say to thee, what thou oughtest to do.

⁵ And Ruth answered, Whatever thing thou commandest to me, I shall do.

⁶ And she went down into the cornfloor (And she went down to the threshing floor), and did all things which her mother-in-law commanded to her.

⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and (had) drunk, and was made more glad, and had gone to sleep beside the mound of sheaves, Ruth came, and hid herself; and when the cloth was uncovered from his feet, she casted down herself (and she turned back the cloak over his feet, and lay herself down).

⁸ And lo! now at midnight, the man dreaded, and was troubled (And lo! at midnight, the man was startled, or was afraid, and he woke up from his sleep); and he saw a woman lying at his feet;

⁹ and he said to her, Who art thou? She answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid; stretch forth thy cloth on thy servantess, for thou art nigh of kin. (and he said to her, Who art thou? She answered, I am Ruth, thy servantess; stretch forth thy cloak over thy servantess, for thou art my next of kin.)

¹⁰ And he said, Daughter, thou art blessed of the Lord, and thou hast overcome the former mercy with the latter (and now thou hast surpassed thy earlier proof of family devotion, or loyalty, with this one); for thou followedest not young men, poor either rich.

¹¹ Therefore, do not thou dread, but whatever thing thou shalt say to me, I shall do to thee; for all the people that dwelleth within the gates of my city know, that thou art a woman of virtue. (And so, do not thou fear, but whatever that thou shalt ask of me, I shall do for thee; for all the people who liveth within the gates of my city know, that thou art a woman of virtue.)

¹² And I forsake not, that I am of nigh kin, but another man is nearer kin than I; (And I do not deny, that I am your close kin, but another man is a closer kin than I;)

¹³ (so) rest thou here this night, and when the morrowtide is made, if the man will hold thee to wife by right of nigh kin (if the man will make thee his wife by right of next of kin), (then) the thing is well done; and if he will not, (then) I shall take thee without any doubt, (as) the Lord liveth; (so) sleep thou till the morrowtide.

¹⁴ Therefore she slept at his feet till to the going away of [the] night, and then she rose (up), before that men should know each other. And Boaz said to her, Be thou ware lest any man know, that thou camest hither.

¹⁵ And again he said, Stretch forth thy mantle with which thou art covered, and hold thou with ever either hand. And while she stretched forth and held, he meted six measures of barley, and putted on her; and she bare, and entered into the city, (And then he said, Stretch forth thy mantle with which thou art covered, and hold thou it with both hands. And while she stretched it forth and held it, he measured, or counted, out six measures of barley, and put it on her mantle; and she carried it, and went into the city,)

¹⁶ and came to her mother-in-law. Which said to Ruth, What hast thou done, daughter? And Ruth told to her all things, which the man had done to her. (and came home to her mother-in-law. And Naomi said to Ruth, What happened, my daughter? And Ruth told her all the things, that the man had done for her.)

¹⁷ And Ruth said, Lo! he gave to me six measures of barley; and he said, I will not that thou turn again void to thy mother-in-law. (And Ruth added, Lo! he gave me six measures of barley; for he said, I will not have it that thou return empty-handed to thy mother-in-law.)

¹⁸ And Naomi said, Abide, daughter, till we see what issue the thing shall have (And Naomi said, Just wait, or have patience, daughter, until we see what shall happen); for the man shall not cease, no but he [ful]fill those things which he spake.

4 Therefore Boaz ascended to the gate, and sat there (And so Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there); and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned (back), and sat (down).

² And Boaz took ten elder men of the city, and he said to them, Sit ye down here. And while they sat (And when they had sat down),

³ Boaz spake to the kinsman, (and said,) Naomi, that turned again from the country of Moab, sold, that is, is in purpose to sell, for it was not yet sold, the part of the field of our brother Elimelech, (Boaz said to his kinsman, Our kinswoman Naomi, who hath returned from the country of Moab, is selling the portion of the field, that was Elimelech’s, our kinsman,)

⁴ which thing I would that thou hear; and I would say to thee before all men sitting, and greater in birth of my people. If thou wilt have in possession the field by right of nigh kin, buy thou, and have thou in possession; soothly if it displeaseth thee, show thou this same thing to me, that I know what I ought to do; for none is nigh in kin, besides thee which art the former, and besides me which am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field. (which thing I desire that thou hear about; and I say it to thee before all the men sitting here, and of great age, that is, the elders, of my people. If thou wilt have the field for a possession by right of next of kin, buy thou it, and have thou it for a possession; but if it displeaseth thee, tell thou this to me, so that I know what I ought to do; for no one is next of kin, besides thee, who art the first by right, and I, who am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field.)

⁵ To whom Boaz said, When thou hast bought the field (out) of the hand of the woman, thou oughtest also to take to wife Ruth of Moab, that was the wife of the dead man, that thou raise the name of thy kinsman in his heritage. (To whom Boaz then said, And when thou hast bought the field from the hand of the woman, thou ought also to take for a wife Ruth the Moabite, who was the wife of the dead man, so that thou can raise up the name of thy kinsman on his inheritance, that is, on his land.)

⁶ And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)

⁷ Forsooth this was the custom by eld time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was (the) witnessing of (such) a gift in Israel.

⁸ Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot (and at once he unlaced his shoe and took it off his foot).

⁹ And Boaz said to the greater men in birth, and to all the people, Ye be witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all things that were of Elimelech, and of Chilion, and of Mahlon, by the gift of Naomi; (And Boaz said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, and to all the people there, Ye be my witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all the things that were Elimelech’s, and Chilion’s, and Mahlon’s, by purchasing them from Naomi;)

¹⁰ and that I have taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, that I raise up the name of the dead man in his heritage; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his brethren, and his people. Ye, he said, be witnesses of this thing. (and that I have also taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, so that I can raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, that is, on his land; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his kinsmen, and from his people. Ye be my witnesses of this, he said.)

¹¹ All the people, that was in the gate, answered, and the greater men in birth, (and said,) We be witnesses; the Lord make this woman, that entereth into thine house, as Rachel and Leah, that builded the house of Israel, that she be ensample of virtue in Ephratah, and have a solemn name in Bethlehem; (And all the people, and the men of great age, or the elders, who were there at the city gate, answered, We be thy witnesses; may the Lord make this woman, who entereth into thy house, like Rachel and Leah, who built the house of Israel, and may she be an example of virtue in Ephratah, and have a famous name in Bethlehem;)

¹² and thine house be made as the house of Pharez, whom Tamar childed to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give to thee of this damsel. (and may thy house be made like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore for Judah, through the children, or the descendants, whom the Lord shall give thee by this young woman.)

¹³ Then Boaz took Ruth, and he took her to wife (and he made her his wife); and he entered to her, and the Lord gave to her, that she conceived, and childed a son.

¹⁴ And women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which suffered not, that an heir failed to thy family, and his name were called in Israel; (And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left thy family without an heir; may his name be known in all of Israel;)

¹⁵ and that thou have (him), that shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thine eld age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, that shall love thee, and he is better to thee, than if thou haddest seven sons. (and that thou have him, who shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thy old age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, yea, she hath done more for thee than if thou haddest seven sons.)

¹⁶ And Naomi putted the child, whom she received, in her bosom (And Naomi took the child, and put him in her bosom); and she did the office of a nurse, and of a bearer-about.

¹⁷ And [the] women neighbours thanked her, or joyed together with her, and said, A son is born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed. This is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸ These be the generations of Pharez; Pharez begat Hezron; (For these be the descendants of Perez; Perez begat Hezron;)

¹⁹ Hezron begat Ram; Ram begat Amminadab;

²⁰ Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon;

²¹ Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed;

²² Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David the king. (Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David, the king of Israel.)

⁴³ And after two days he went out from thence [Forsooth after two days he went thence], and went into Galilee.

⁴⁴ And he [Jesus] bare witnessing, that a prophet in his own country hath none honour. [Soothly he Jesus bare witnessing, for a prophet in his own country hath not honour, or worship.]

⁴⁵ Therefore when he came into Galilee, men of Galilee received him, when they had seen all things that he had done in Jerusalem in the feast day; for also they had come to the feast day.

⁴⁶ Therefore he came again into the Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a little king, whose son was sick at Capernaum. [Therefore he came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And some little king was, whose son was sick at Capernaum.]

⁴⁷ When this had heard, that Jesus should come from Judaea into Galilee, he went to him, and prayed him, that he should come down, and heal his son; for he began to die.

⁴⁸ Therefore Jesus said to him, But ye see tokens and great wonders, ye believe not.

⁴⁹ The little king saith to him, Lord, come down, before that my son die.

⁵⁰ Jesus saith to him, Go, thy son liveth. The man believed to the word, that Jesus said to him, and he went.

⁵¹ And now when he came down [Soothly now him coming down], the servants came to meet him, and told to him, and said [saying], That his son lived.

⁵² And he asked of them the hour, in which he was amended. And they said to him, For yesterday in the seventh hour the fever left him.

⁵³ Therefore the father knew, that that hour it was, in which Jesus said to him, Thy son liveth; and he believed, and all his house.

⁵⁴ Jesus did again this second token, when he came from Judaea into Galilee.

¹⁶ And God called hunger on earth (And God called for hunger, or a famine, on the earth); and he wasted all the steadfastness of bread.

¹⁷ He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold into a servant (Joseph was sold as a slave).

¹⁸ They made low his feet in fetters, iron passed by his soul; (They put his feet in fetters, and an iron collar around his neck;)

¹⁹ till the word of him came. The speech of the Lord enflamed him; (until the word of the Lord came as predicted. The word of the Lord proved him right;)

²⁰ the king sent and unbound him; the prince of peoples sent and delivered him. (then the king sent and unbound him; yea, the ruler of the nations sent word, and set him free.)

²¹ He ordained him lord of his house; and prince of all his possession. (He ordained him lord of his house; and the ruler of all his possessions.)

²² That he should learn his princes as himself (And that he should teach his leaders, or his officials, as he desired); and that he should teach his eld men prudence.

²³ And Israel entered into Egypt; and Jacob was a comeling in the land of Ham. (And then Jacob, or Israel, came down to Egypt; and he was a newcomer, or a stranger, in the land of Ham.)

²⁴ And God increased his people greatly; and made them steadfast on his enemies. (And God greatly increased his people; and he made them stronger than their enemies.)

²⁵ He turned the heart of them, that they hated his people; and did guile against his servants. (And then he turned the hearts of their enemies, so that they hated his people; and they were deceitful with his servants.)

²⁶ He sent Moses, his servant; [and] that Aaron, whom he chose.

²⁷ He putted in them (to tell and to do) the words of his miracles; and of his great wonders in the land of Ham. (And they told of his miracles beforehand; and then they performed his great wonders in the land of Egypt.)

²⁸ He sent darknesses, and made (it) dark; and he made not bitter his words. (He sent darkness, and all the land was made dark; but still the Egyptians resisted his commands.)

²⁹ He turned the waters of them into blood; and he killed the fishes of them.

³⁰ And the land of them gave paddocks; in the privy places of the kings of them. (And their land brought forth frogs; even the king’s private rooms were filled with them.)

³¹ God said, and a flesh fly came; and gnats in all the coasts of them. (And God spoke, and then swarms of flies came; and gnats as well, in all their coasts.)

³² He setted their rains (into) hail; (and) fire burning in the land of them.

³³ And he smote the vines of them, and the fig trees of them; and all-brake the trees of the coasts of them.

³⁴ He said, and the locust(s) came; and a bruchus of which (there) was no number (and innumerable bruchi).

³⁵ And it ate all the hay in the land of them; and it ate all the fruit of the land of them. (And they ate all the plants in their land; and they ate all the fruit of their land.)

³⁶ And he killed each the first engendered thing in the land of them (And he killed all their first-born in their land); the first fruits of all the travail of them.

²⁶ In the dread of the Lord is trust of strength; and hope shall be to the sons of him. (He who feareth the Lord/He who revereth the Lord hath trust in his strength; and his sons and daughters shall have hope and security.)

²⁷ The dread of the Lord is a well of life; that it bow away from the falling of death. (The fear of the Lord/Reverence for the Lord is a well of life; yea, so that thou turn away from deadly traps, or snares.)