Ruth 1
1 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.
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to dwell in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 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.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elymelech, the hosebonde of Noemy, diede, and sche lefte with the sones;
And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 and thei token wyues of Moab, of whiche wyues oon was clepid Orpha, the tother Ruth. And the sones dwelliden there ten yeer,
And they took for themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 and bothe dieden, that is, Maalon and Chelion; and the womman lefte, and was maad bare of twey fre sones, and hosebonde.
And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 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.
Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them food.
7 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,
Therefore she went forth from the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 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;
And Naomi said to her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 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,
The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 and to seie, We schulen go with thee to thi puple.
And they said to her, Surely we will return with thee to thy people.
11 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;
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 for now Y am maad eeld, and Y am not able to boond of mariage; yhe, thouy Y myyte conseyue in this nyyt,
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 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.
Would ye wait for them till they should be grown? would ye restrain yourselves from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD hast gone out against me.
14 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.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clung to her.
15 To whom Noemy seide, Lo! thi kyneswomman turnede ayen to hir puple, and to hir goddis; go thou with hir.
And she said, Behold, thy sister in law hath gone back to her people, and to her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 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;
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to turn away from following thee: for where thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 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.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if any thing but death shall part thee and me.
18 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.
When she saw that she was steadfastly resolved to go with her, then she finished speaking to her.
19 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.
So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 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.
And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 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?
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 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.
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
