Ruth — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

Ruth is the short story of the Moabite widow who followed Naomi to Bethlehem and became the ancestor of David. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the second part of the Old Testament (Joshua to Esther) under the heading “The boke of Ruth”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 4 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

What this boke conteyneth.

• Chap. I. Elimelech departeth from Bethleem with his wife and two sonnes in to the londe of the Moabites, where the father dyeth and both the sonnes. Ruth the wife of the one sonne goeth home with hir mother in lawe.
• Chap. II. Ruth gathereth vp eares of corne in the felde of Boos hir houszbandes kynsmā.
• Chap. III. Ruth lyeth her downe in the barne at Boos fete, and he geueth her good wordes, and ladeth her with sixe measures of barlye.
• Chap. IIII. Boos marieth Ruth, which beareth him Obed Dauids graundfather.

Chapter 1

[A] IN yᵉ tyme whan the Iudges ruled, there was a derth in the londe. And there wente a mā from Bethleē Iuda to take his iourney in to the londe of the Moabites wᵗ his wife and two sonnes, which man was called Eli Melech, and his wife Naemi, & his two sonnes, the one Mahelon, and the other Chilion: these were Ephrates of Bethleem Iuda. And whan they came in to the londe of yᵉ Moabites, they dwelt there. And Eli Melech Naemis huszbande dyed, & she was left behinde wᵗ hir two sonnes, which toke Moabitish wyues: the one was called Arpa, the other Ruth. And whan they had dwelt there ten yeare, they dyed both, Mahelon and Chilion, so that the woman remayned desolate of both hir sonnes and hir huszbande.

Then gat she her vp wᵗ both hir sonnes wyues, & wente agayne out of the lōde of yᵉ Moabites (for she had herde in the londe of [B] the Moabites, yᵗ the LORDE had visited his people & geuen them bred) & so she departed from yᵉ place where she was, & both hir sonnes wyues wᵗ her. And as they wēte by the waye to come agayne in to the londe of Iuda, she sayde vnto both hir sonnes wyues: Go yoʳ waye, & turne backe ether of you to hir mothers house: the LORDE shewe mercy vpon you, as ye haue done on thē yᵗ are deed & on me. The LORDE graunte you, yᵗ ye maie fynde rest ether of you in hir huszbādes house (whom ye shal get) and she kyssed them.

Then lift they vp their voyce, and wepte, & sayde vnto her: We wil go with the vnto yᵉ people. But Naemi sayde: Turne agayne my doughters, why wolde ye go with me? How can I haue children eny more in my body, to be youre huszbandes? Turne agayne my doughters, and go youre waye, for I am now to olde to take an huszbande.

And though I shulde saye: I hope this [C] night to take an huszbande & to brynge forth children, yet coulde ye not tary tlll they were growne vp: for ye shulde be to olde, so that ye coulde haue no huszbandes. No my doughters, therfore am I sory for you, for yᵉ hāde of the LORDE is gone forth ouer me.

Then lifte they vp their voyce, and wepte yet more, and Arpa kyssed hir mother in lawe (and turned backe againe) but Ruth abode styll by her. Neuertheles she sayde: Beholde, thy syster in lawe is turned backe vnto hir people and to hir god, turne thou againe also after thy sister in lawe. Ruth answered: Speake not to me therof, that I shulde forsake the, and turne backe from the: whither so euer thou goest, thither wil I go also: and loke where thou abydest, there wil I abide also: Thy people is my people, & thy God is my God. Loke where thou diest, there wil dye, and euen there wil I also be buried. The LORDE do this and that vnto me, death onely shal departe vs.

Now whan she sawe, that she was stedfastly [D] mynded to go with her, she spake nomore to her therof. So they wente on both together, till they came vnto Bethleem. And whan they were come in to Bethleem, the whole cite was moued ouer them, and sayde Is not this Naemi? Neuerthelesse she sayde vnto them: call me not Naemi, but Mara: for the Allmightie hath made me very sory. I departed full, but the LORDE hath brought me home agayne emptye. Why call ye me then Naemi? whā the LORDE hath broughte me lowe, and the Allmightie hath made me sory?

It was aboute the tyme of the begynninge of the barlye haruest, whan Naemi and his sonnes wife Ruth yᵉ Moabitysse, came agayne from the londe of the Moabites vnto Bethleem. There was a kinsman also of yᵉ kynred of Eli Melech Naemis huszbande, whose name was Boos, which was an honest man.

Chapter 2

ANd Ruth the Moabitisse saide vnto [A] Naemi: Let me go in to yᵉ felde, & gather eares of corne, after him, in whose sight I shal finde fau⟨illegible⟩. She sayde vnto her: Go yᵗ waie my doughter. She wēte on, & came & gathered after yᵉ reapers in yᵉ feld. And it fortuned that the same felde was the enheritaunce of Boos, which was of the kynred of Elimelech, and beholde, Boos came from Bethleem, and sayde vnto the reapers: The LORDE be with you. They answered: The LORDE blesse the. And Boos sayde vnto his yongman which had the ouersight of yᵉ reapers. Whose damsell is this? The yonge man that was set ouer yᵉ reapers, answered and sayde: It is the damsell the Moabitisse, which came agayne with Naemi from the [B] londe of the Moabites. And she sayde: Let me plucke vp and gather (I praie the) betwene the sheues after the reapers: and thus is she come, and hath stonde here euer sence the mornynge, and within a litle whyle she wolde haue bene gone home agayne.

Then sayde Boos vnto Ruth: Hearest thou my doughter? Thou shalt not come vpon another mans londe to gather, and go not awaye from hence, but tary with my dāsels, and loke where they reape in yᵉ felde, go thou after them: for I haue cōmaunded my seruauntes that no man touch the. And yf thou be a thyrst, go thy waye to the vessell & drynke, where my seruauntes drawe. Then fell she downe vpon hir face, and bowed hir self downe to the earth, and sayde vnto him: How haue I founde this fauoure in yᵉ sighte, that thou woldest knowe me, which am yet a straunger?

[C] Boos answered and sayde vnto her: It is tolde me alltogether, what thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe after thy huszbādes death, how that thou hast left yᵉ father and thy mother, and thy natiue countre, and art come to a people, whom thou hast not knowne afore. The LORDE recompence the thy doinge, and thy rewarde be parfecte wᵗ the LORDE God of Israel, vnto whom thou art come to put thy trust vnder his wynges. She sayde: let me fynde fauoure (syr) before thyne eyes, for thou hast comforted me, and spoken frendly vnto thy handmaydē, where as I am not yet like one of yᵉ handmaydēs.

Boos sayde vnto her: Whan it is eatinge tyme, come hither, and eate of the bred, and dyppe thy morsell in the vyneger. And she sat hir downe besyde the reapers. And he set parched come before her, and she ate, & was [D] satisfyed, and lefte ouer. And whā she rose to gather, Boos commaunded his seruauntes, and sayde: Let her gather betwene the sheues also, and do her no dishonestye: and cast of the sheues vnto her, and let it lye that she maye gather it vp, and se that noman reproue her for it.

So she gathered in the felde vntyll euen and she shaked out what she had gathered, and it was allmost an Epha of barlye: and she toke it vp, and came in to the cite, and shewed hir mother in lawe what she had gathered. She toke forth also, and gaue her of that which was left, wherof she was satysfyed. Thē sayde hir mother in lawe vnto her Blessinge haue the man that hath knowne the, where thou hast gathered and laboured this daye.

She tolde hir mother in lawe by whom she had laboured, and sayde: The mans name, by whom I haue wroughte to daye, is Boos. Naemi sayde vnto hir doughter in lawe: The blessynge of the LORDE haue he, for he hath not lefte of to be mercifull vnto the lyuynge ⁽¹⁾ and to the deed. And Naemi sayde vnto her: The same man belongeth ⟨illegible⟩ to vs, and is oure nye kynsman. Ruth the Moabitisse saide: He saide morouer vnto me: Thou shalt resorte vn to my seruauntes, tyll they haue made an ende of all my haruest. Naemi sayde vnto Ruth hir doughter in lawe: It is better my doughter, that thou go forth with his damsels, lest eny man withstōde the in another felde. Thus she kepte herselfe with Boos damsels, so that she gathered vntill the barlye haruest and the wheate haruest was out, and came againe to hir mother in lawe.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 3

ANd Naemi hir mother in lawe sayde vnto her: My doughter, I wyll prouyde rest for the, that thou maiest prospere. Boos oure kynsman, by whose damsels thou hast bene, casteth vp barlye now this night in his barne. Bathe thyselfe therfore, and ⁽¹⁾ moffell the, and put on thy clothes, and go downe vnto the barne, so yᵗ nomā knowe the, tyll they haue all eaten and dronken.

Whan he layeth him downe then to slepe, mark yᵉ place where he lyeth downe, and come thou, and take vp the couerynge at his fete, and laye the downe, so shall he tell the what thou shalt do. She sayde vnto her▪ whatso euer thou saiest vnto me, I wil do it.

She wente downe to the barne, & dyd all as hir mother in lawe had cōmaunded her. And whā Boos had eatē & dronkē, his hert was mery, & he came and layed him downe behynde a heape of sheues. And she came secretly, and toke vp the coueringe at his fete, and layed hir downe. Now whā it was midnight, the man was afrayed, and groped aboute him, and beholde, a woman laye at his fete. And he sayde: Who art thou? She answered: I am Ruth thy handmayden, sprede yᵉ wynges ouer thy hādmayden: for thou art the nexte kynsman.

[C] He sayde: The LORDES blessinge haue thou my doughter. Thou hast done a better mercy here after then before, yᵗ thou art not gone after yonge men, nether riche ner poore. Feare not now my doughter: All yᵗ thou hast sayde, will I do for the: for all the cite of my people knoweth, yᵗ thou art a vertuous womā. Trueth it is now, yᵗ I am a nye kynsmā, but there is one nyer then I. Tarye thou allnighte. Tomorow yf he take the, well: yf he like not to take yᵉ, then wil I take yᵗ my selfe, as truly as yᵉ LORDE lyueth. Slepe thou tyll yᵉ mornynge. And she slepte at his fete [D] vntyll yᵉ morow. And she rose vp or euer one coulde knowe another. And he thoughte thus: That no mā knowe now yᵗ there hath come a woman in to the barne, and he sayde: Reach me the cloke yᵗ thou hast on the, & holde it forth. And she helde it forth. And he meet her sixe measures of barlye, and layed it vpon her, & she wente in to the cite, & came to hir mother in lawe, which sayde: How is it wᵗ the my doughter? And she tolde her all yᵗ the mā had done vnto her, & sayde: These sixe measures of barlye gaue he me, for he sayde: Thou shalt not come emptye vnto yᵉ mother in lawe. She sayde: Abyde my doughter, tyll thou se what yᵉ matter wil growe to: for the man wilt not ceasse, tyll he brynge it to an ende this daye.

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 4

[A] BOos wente vp to yᵉ gate, and sat him downe there: & beholde, whan yᵉ nye kynsman wente by, Boos spake vnto him, & sayde: Come & syt the downe here (and called him by his name.) And he came & sat him downe, & he toke ten men of the Elders of yᵉ cite, & sayde: Syt you downe here. And they sat thē downe. Thē sayde he to the nye kynszman: Naemi which is come againe frō the lōde of the Moabites ⁽¹⁾ offreth to sell yᵉ pece of londe, yᵗ was oure brothers Eli Melech, therfore thoughte I to shewe it before thine eares, & to tell the: Yf thou wilt redeme it, then bye it before the citesyns & before the Elders of my people: but yf thou wylt not redeme it, then tell me, yᵗ I maie knowe: for there is no nye kynsmā excepte thou, and I nexte after the.

[B] He sayde: I wil redeme it. Boos saide: In the daye yᵗ thou byest the lōde out of yᵉ hande of Naemi, thou must take Ruth also the Moabitisse the wife of the deed, that thou mayest rayse vp a name to yᵉ deed in his inheritaunce. Thē sayde he: I can not redeme it, lest I happlye destroye myne awne enheritaunce. Redeme thou yᵗ I shulde redeme, for I can not redeme it. But this was an olde custome in Israel concernynge the redemynge & chaūginge, yᵗ all matters mighte be stable, the one put of his shue, & gaue it vnto yᵉ other: yᵗ was the testimony in Israel.

And the nye kynsman sayde vnto Boos: Bye thou it, & he put of his shue. And Boos sayde vnto the Elders and to all the people: Ye are witnesses this daie, yᵗ I haue boughte out of the hande of Naemi, all that belonged to Eli Melech, and all that was Chilions and Mahelons: And Ruth the Moabitisse Mahelons wife, take I to wife, ⁽²⁾ that I maye rayse vp a name vnto yᵉ deed in his inheritaunce, and that his name be not roted [C] out from amonge his brethren, and out of the gate of his place: Of this are ye witnesses. And all the people that was in the gate with the Elders, saide: We are witnesses. The LORDE make the woman that commeth in to thy house, as Rachel and Lea (⁽³⁾ which both haue buylded vp the house of Israel) that she maye be an ensample of vertue in Ephrata, and haue an honorable name in Bethleem. And thy house be as yᵉ house of Phares (⁽⁴⁾ whō Thamar bare vnto Iuda) thorow the sede, that the LORDE shall geue the of this damsell.

So Boos toke Ruth, and she became his wife. And whan he laye with her, the LORDE graunted her yᵗ she conceaued, and bare a sonne. Thē sayde the wemen vnto Naemi: Praysed be the LORDE, which hath not suffred [D] a kynsman to ceasse from the at this tyme, that his name maye contynue in Israel: he shal restore thy life agayne, and prouyde for thine age. For yⁱ sonnes wife which hath loued the, hath borne him that is better vnto the, then seuen sonnes.

And Naemi toke the childe, and layde it vpon hir lappe, and became the norse of it, and hir neghbours gaue him a name & sayde: There is a childe borne vnto Naemi, and they called his name Obed. The same is the father of Isai, which is yᵉ father of Dauid.

This is yᵉ generacion of Phares. ⁽⁵⁾ Phares begat Hesrom. Hesrom begat Aram. Aram begat Aminadab. Aminadab begatt Naasson. Naasson begat Salmon. Salmō begat Boos. Boos begat Obed. Obed begat Isai. Isai begat Dauid.

Notes to Chapter 4

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 2⟨illegible⟩ d ⟨illegible⟩. 32. b

⁽²⁾ Deut. 25. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ Ge. 29.3⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ Gen. 3⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ 1. Par. 2. a Matth. 1. a

The ende of the boke of Ruth.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

11 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (2 in the text, 9 in the marginal notes).

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