< Ruth 1 >

1 And it came to pass when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land: and a man went from Bethleem Juda to sojourn in the land of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
In the daies of o iuge, whanne iugis weren souereynes, hungur was maad in the lond; and a man of Bethleem of Juda yede to be a pylgrym in the cuntrei of Moab, with his wijf and twey fre sones.
2 And the man's name [was] Elimelech, and his wife's name Noemin, and the names of his two sons Maalon and Chelaion, Ephrathites of Bethleem of Juda: and they came to the land of Moab, and remained there.
He was clepid Elymelech, and his wijf Noemy, and the twey sones, `the oon was clepid Maalon, and the tother Chelion, Effrateis of Bethleem of Juda; and thei entriden in to the cuntrey of Moab, and dwelliden there.
3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemin died; and she was left, and her two sons.
And Elymelech, the hosebonde of Noemy, diede, and sche lefte with the sones;
4 And they took to themselves wives, women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpha, and the name of the second Ruth; and they lived there about ten years.
and thei token wyues of Moab, of whiche wyues oon was clepid Orpha, the tother Ruth. And the sones dwelliden there ten yeer,
5 And both Maalon and Chelaion died also; and the woman was left of her husband and her two sons.
and bothe dieden, that is, Maalon and Chelion; and the womman lefte, and was maad bare of twey fre sones, and hosebonde.
6 And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord [had] visited his people to give them bread.
And sche roos to go with euer eithir wijf of hir sones in to hir cuntrey fro the cuntrey of Moab; for sche hadde herd, that the Lord hadde biholde his puple, and hadde youe `metis to hem.
7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her: and they went by the way to return to the land of Juda.
Therfor sche yede out of the place of hir pilgrymage with euer either wijf of hir sones; and now sche was set in the weie of turnyng ayen in to the lond of Juda,
8 And Noemin said to her daughter-in-law, Go now, return each to the house of her mother: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
and sche seide to hem, Go ye in to `the hows of youre modir; the Lord do mercy with you, as ye diden with the deed men, and with me;
9 The Lord grant you that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband: and she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
the Lord yyue to you to fynde reste in the howsis of hosebondis, whiche ye schulen take. And sche kiste hem. Whiche bigunnen to wepe with `vois reisid,
10 And they said to her, We will return with you to your people.
and to seie, We schulen go with thee to thi puple.
11 And Noemin said, Return now, my daughters; and why do you go with me? have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands?
To whiche sche answeride, My douytris, turne ye ayen, whi comen ye with me? Y haue no more sones in my wombe, that ye moun hope hosebondis of me; my douytris of Moab, turne ye ayen, and go;
12 Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons;
for now Y am maad eeld, and Y am not able to boond of mariage; yhe, thouy Y myyte conseyue in this nyyt,
13 would you wait for them till they should be grown? or would you refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters; for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.
and bere sones, if ye wolen abide til thei wexen, and fillen the yeris of mariage, `ye schulen sunner be eld wymmen than ye schulen be weddid; I biseche, `nyle ye, my douytris, for youre angwische oppressith me more, and the hond of the Lord yede out ayens me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.
Therfor, whanne the vois was reisid, eft thei bigunnen to wepe. Orpha kisside `the modir of hir hosebonde, and turnede ayen, and Ruth `cleuyde to `the modir of hir hosebonde.
15 And Noemin said to Ruth, Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; turn now you also after your sister-in-law.
To whom Noemy seide, Lo! thi kyneswomman turnede ayen to hir puple, and to hir goddis; go thou with hir.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave you, or to return from following you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people [shall be] my people, and your God my God.
And sche answeride, Be thou not `aduersarye to me, that Y forsake thee, and go awei; whidur euer thou schalt go, Y schal go, and where thou schalt dwelle, and Y schal dwelle togidere; thi puple is my puple, and thi God is my God;
17 And wherever you die, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, [if I leave you], for death [only] shall divide between me and you.
what lond schal resseyue thee diynge, Y schal die ther ynne, and there Y schal take place of biriyng; God do to me these thingis, and adde these thingis, if deeth aloone schal not departe me and thee.
18 And Noemin seeing that she was determined to go with her, ceased to speak to her any more.
Therfor Noemy siy, that Ruth hadde demyde with stidefast soule to go with hir, and sche nolde be ayens hir, nether counseile ferthere turnynge ayen `to her cuntrei men.
19 And they went both of them until they came to Bethleem: and it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethleem, that all the city rang with them, and they said, Is this Noemin?
And thei yeden forth togidere, and camen in to Bethleem; and whanne thei entriden in to the citee, swift fame roos anentis alle men, and wymmen seiden, This is thilke Noemy.
20 And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me 'Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.
To whiche sche seide, Clepe ye not me Noemy, that is, fair, but `clepe ye me Mara, that is, bittere; for Almyyti God hath fillid me greetli with bitternesse.
21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty: and why call you me Noemin, whereas the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?
Y yede out ful, and the Lord ledde me ayen voide; whi therfor clepen ye me Noemy, whom the Lord hath `maad low, and Almyyti God hath turmentid?
22 So Noemin and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethleem in the beginning of barley harvest.
Therfor Noemy cam with Ruth of Moab, `the wijf of hir sone, fro the lond of hir pilgrimage, and turnede ayen in to Bethleem, whanne barli was ropun first.

< Ruth 1 >