JUDGES.

remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen 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 Samson 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 his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines: and he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying-place of Manoah his father: and he judged Israel twenty years,

FROM RUTH.

CHAPTER. I.

RUTH'S ATTACHMENT TO NAOMI.

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 Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 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. 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them: and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she

RUTH.

had heard in the country of Moab, how that the Lord had visited his people in giving 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 said unto 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 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 they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters; why will ye go with me? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your ways. 13 Nay, my daughters, for it grieved me much for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 And they lift up their voice, and wept again : and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law: but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, 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 so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and

me.

18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded

to go with her, then she left speaking 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 said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi; call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 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.So

RUTH.

Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughterin-law with her, which returned out of the country of Moab. And they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley-harvest.

RUTH OBTAINS FAVOR WITH BOAZ..

AND Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said 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. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you: and they answered him, The Lord bless thee. 5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6 And the servant that was set over the reapers, answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back. with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7. And she said, I pray you, let me glean, and gather after the reapers, among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 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 shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn..

10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? ? 11. And Boaz answered,

2

RUTH.

and said unto her, It hath fully been shewn me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

23 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord: for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. 14 And Boaz said unto her, At meal-time come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers; and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls on purpose for her, and leave them that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat. out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up, and went into the city. And her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. And she brought forth and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 19 And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I have wrought to-day is Boaz.

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And

RUTH.

Naomi said 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 she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley-harvest, and of wheat-harvest; and dwelt with her mother-in-law.

FROM I. SAMUEL.

CHAPTER I.

HANNAH'S DEDICATION OF HER CHILD TO GOD.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah. 20 And Hannah [his wife) bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. 21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and her son, until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh : and the child was young. 25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh, my lord! as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him : 28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there..