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me all his heart.

Then the hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which flew many of us.

lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand.

19 And he made him 25 And it came to pafs fleep upon her knees. And when their hearts were merfhe called for a man, and ry, that they faid, Call for fhe caufed him to fhave off Samfon, that he may make the feven locks of his head, us fport. And they called and fhe began to afflict him, for Samfon out of the priand his ftrength went from fon-houfe; and he made him. them fport and they fot 20 And fhe faid, The Phi-him between the pillars. liftines be upon thee, Samfon. And he awoke out of his fleep, and faid, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wift not that the Lord was departed from him.

21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brafs; and he did grind in the prifonhoufe.

22 Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again, after he was fhaven.

23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them to gether, for to offer a great facrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they faid, Our god hath delivered Samfon our enemy into our hand.

24 And when the people faw him, they praised their god: for they faid, Our god

26 And Samfon faid unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women: and all the lords of the Philiftines were there: and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samfon made fport.

28 And Samfon called unto the Lord, and faid, Q Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and ftrengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 And Samfon took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with

1

his left.

in his life.

197

30 And Samfon faid, Let 31 Then his brethren, and me die with the Philiftines: all the houfe of his father, and he bowed himself with came down and took him, all his might; and the house and brought him up, and bufell upon the lords, and upon ried him between Zorah all the people that were and Efhtaol, in the burying. therein. So the dead which place of Manoah his father: he flew at his death were and he judged Ifrael twenty more than they which he flew years.

From the Book of RUTH.

CHAP. I.

5 And Mahlon, and Chi

OW it came to pass lion died alfo both of them:

NOV in the days when the and the woman was left of

judges ruled, that there was her two fons and her hufa famine in the land. And band. a certain man of Beth-lehemjudah went to fojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two fons.

2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two fons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephraithites of Beth-lehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and fhe was left, and her two fons.

6 Then the arose with her daughters-in-law, that fhe might return from the country of Moab: for fhe had heard in the country of Moab, how that the Lord had vifited his people in giv❤ ing them bread.

7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

8 And Naomi faid unto her two daughters-in-law, 4 And they took them Go, return each to her mowives of the women of Mo-ther's house; the Lord deal ab; the name of the one kindly with you, as ye have was Orpah, and the name of dealt with the dead, and with the other Ruth: and they me. dwelled there about ten years.

The Lord grant you

that ye may find reft, each of you in the houfe of her husband. Then fhe kiffed them. And they lifted up their voice and wept.

10 And they faid unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11 And Naomi faid, Turn again, my daughters; why will ye go with me? are there yet any more fons in my womb, that they may be your hufbands?

12 Turn again, my daughters, go your ways: for I am too old to have an husband. If I fhould fay, I have hope, if I fhould have an husband also to night, and should also bear fons ;

13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye ftay for them from having hufbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieved me much for your fakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

me not to leave thee, or ta return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgeft, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do fo to me, and more alfo, if ought but death part thee and me.

18 When she saw that she was ftedfaftly minded to go with her, then the left fpeaking unto her.

19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem, And it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them; and they faid, Is this Naomi ?

20 And she said unta them, Call me not Naomi; call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

21 I went out full, and 14 And they lift up their the Lord hath brought me voice, and wept again: and home again empty: why then Orpah kiffed her mother-call ye me Naomi, feeing in-law: but Ruth clave unto the Lord hath teftified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

her.

15 And fhe faid, Behold, thy fifter-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods return thou after thy lifter-in-law.

16 And Ruth faid, Intreat

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabites her daughter-in-law with her, which returned out of the country of Moab. And they

çame

came to Beth-lehem in the you, let me glean, and ga

beginning of barley-harveft.

A

CHAP. II.

ther after the reapers, among the fheaves: fo fhe came,

and hath continued even from

ND Naomi had a kinf-the morning until now, that man of her husband's, fhe tarried a little in the a mighty man of wealth, of houfe.

the family of Elimelech; and 8 Then faid Boaz unto his name was Boaz. Ruth, Heareft thou not, my 2 And Ruth the Moabi-daughter? Go not to glean tefs faid unto Naomi, Let in another field, neither go me now go to the field, and from hence, but abide here glean ears of corn after him faft by my maidens: in whofe fight I fhall find grace. And the faid unto her, Go, my daughter.

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they fhall not touch thee? and when thou art athirft, go unto the veffels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10 Then fhe fell on her 4 And behold, Boaz face, and bowed herself to came from Beth-lehem, and the ground, and faid unto faid unto the reapers, The him, Why have I found Lord be with you and they grace in thine eyes, that anfwered him, The Lord thou fhouldeft take knowbless thee. ledge of me, feeing I am a ftranger?

5 Then faid Boaz unto his fervant that was fet over the reapers, Whofe damfel is this?

6 And the fervant that was set over the reapers, answered and faid, It is the Moabitish damfel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab :

7 And the faid, I pray

11 And Boaz answered, and faid unto her, It hath fully been fhewn me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law fince the death of thine husband: and how thou haft left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou 04 i knewest

knewest not heretofore.

12 The Lord recompenfe thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Ifrael, under whofe wings thou art come to trust. 13 Then the faid, Let me find favour in thy fight, my lord: for that thou haft comforted me, and for that thou haft fpoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14 And Boaz faid unto her, At meal-time come thou bither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morfel in the vinegar. And fhe fat befide the reapers; and he reached her parched corn, and fhe did eat, and was fufficed, and left.

15 And when he was rifen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, faying, Let her glean even among the fheaves, and reproach her not:

16 And let fall also some of the handfuls on purpose for her, and leave them that fhe may glean them, and rebuke

her not.

17 So the gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that he had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley....

18 And fhe took it up, and went into the city. And

her mother-in-law faw what fhe had gleaned. And she brought forth and gave to her that he had referved after fhe was fufficed.

19 And her mother-inlaw faid unto her, Where haft thou gleaned to-day? and where wroughteft thou? bleffed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And the fhewed her mother-inlaw with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I have wrought to-day is Boaz.

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20 And Naomi faid unto her daughter-in-law, Bleffed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi faid unto her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21 And Ruth the Moabitefs faid, He said unto me alfo, Thou fhalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harveft.

22 And Naomi faid 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.

23 So fhe kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley-harveft, and of wheat-harveft; and dwelt with her motherin-law.

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