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¹ Forsothe a myyti man and a man `of grete richessis, `Booz bi name, `was kynysman of Elymelech.<sup>2</sup> And Ruth of Moab seide to hir modir in lawe, If thou comaundist, Y schal go in to the feeld, and Y schal gadere eeris of corn that fleen the hondis of reperis, where euer Y schal fynde grace of an hosebonde man merciful in me. To whom sche answeride, Go, my douyter.<sup>3</sup> Therfor `sche yede, and gaderide eeris of corn after the backis of reperis. Forsothe it bifelde, that `thilke feeld hadde a lord, Booz bi name, that was of the kynrede of Elymelech.

⁴ And lo! he cam fro Bethleem. And he seide to the reperis, The Lord be with you. Whiche answeriden to hym, The Lord blesse thee.⁵ And Booz seide to the yong man that was souereyn to the reperis, Who is this damysel?⁶ Whiche answeride, This is the womman of Moab, that cam with Noemy fro the cuntrey of Moab; and sche preiede,⁷ that sche schulde gedere eeris of corn leeuynge bihynde, and sue the `steppis of reperis; and fro the morewtid til now sche stondith in the feeld, and sotheli nethir at a moment sche turnede ayen hoom.<sup>8</sup> And Booz seide to Ruth, Douytir, here thou; go thou not in to anothir feelde to gadere, nether go awei fro this place, but be thou ioyned to my dameselis,<sup>9</sup> and sue thou where thei repen; for Y comaundide to my children, that `no man be diseseful to thee; but also if thou thirstist, go to the fardels, and drynke `watris, of whiche my children drynken.<sup>10</sup> And sche felde on hir face, and worschipide on the erthe; and seide to hym, Wherof is this to me, that Y schulde fynde grace bifor thin iyen, that thou woldist knowe me a straunge womman?<sup>11</sup> To whom he answeride, Alle thingis ben teld to me, whiche thou didist to thi modir in lawe after the deeth of thin hosebonde, and that thou hast forsake thi fadir and modir, and the lond `in which thou were borun, and hast come to a puple, whom thou `knowist not bifore.<sup>12</sup> The Lord yelde to thee for thi werk, and resseyue thou ful mede of the Lord God of Israel, to whom thou camest, and vndir whose wengis thou fleddist.<sup>13</sup> And sche seide, My lord, Y haue founde grace bifor thin iyen, which hast coumfortid me, and hast spoke to the herte of thin handmaide, which am not lijk oon of thi damesels.<sup>14</sup> And Booz seide to hir, Whanne the our of etyng is, come thou hidur, and ete breed, and wete thi mussel in vynegre. Therfor sche sat at the `side of reperis; and he dresside to hir potage, and sche eet, and was fillid; and sche took the relifs.¹⁵ And sche roos fro thennus to gadere eeris of corn bi custom. Forsothe Booz comaundide to hise children, and seide, Also if sche wole repe with you,¹⁶ forbede ye not hir, and also `of youre handfuls caste ye forth of purpos, and suffre ye to abide, that sche gadere with out schame; and no man repreue hir gaderynge.

¹⁷ Therfor sche gaderide in the feeld `til to euentid; and sche beet with a yerde, and schook out tho thingis that sche hadde gaderid; and sche foond of barly as the mesure of ephi, that is, thre buschels.<sup>18</sup> Which sche bar, and turnede ayen in to the citee, and schewide to hir modir in lawe; ferthermore sche brouyte forth, `and yaf to hir the relifs of hir mete, with which mete sche was fillid.¹⁹ And the modir in lawe seide to hir, Where `gaderidist thou to dai, and where `didist thou werk? Blessid be he, that hadde mercy on thee. And sche telde to hir, at whom sche wrouyte; and sche seide the name `of the man, that he was clepid Booz.<sup>20</sup> To whom Noemy answeride, Blessid be he of the Lord, for he kepte also to deed men the same grace, which he yaf to the quike. And eft sche seide, He is oure kynysman.<sup>21</sup> And Ruth seide, Also he comaundide this to me, that so longe Y schulde be ioyned to hise reperis, til alle the cornes weren repid.<sup>22</sup> To whom hir modir in lawe seide, My douyter, it is betere that thou go `out to repe with hise damysels, lest in another feeld ony man ayenstonde thee.²³ `Therfor sche was ioyned to the damesels of Booz; and so longe sche rap with hem, til bothe barli and wheete weren closid in the bernys.