Ruth lieth at Boaz his feet.

Ruth.

He buyeth the inheritance. down, that thou shalt mark the place Go not empty unto thy mother in law. where he fhall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou fhalt do.

5 And the faid unto her, All that thou fayft unto me, I will do.

6 And he went down unto the Roor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

7 And when Boaz had eaten, and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and the came foftly and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

9 And he faid, Who art thou? And the answered, I am Ruch thine handmaid: fpread therefore thy skirt over thine hand-maid, for thou art a near kinfman.

10 And he faid, Bleffed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou haft fhewed more kindness in the latter end, than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedft not young men, whether poor or rich.

11 And now, my daughter, fear not, I will do to thee all that thou requireft: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

12 And now it is true, that I am thy near kinfman: howbeit there is a kin man nearer than I.

13 Tarry this night, and it fhall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinfman, well, let him do the kinfmans part; but if he will not do the part of a kinfman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinfman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

14 And he lay at his feet until the morning and the role up before one could know another. And he faid, Let it not be known that a woman came in to the floor.

15 Alfo he faid, Bring the vail that thou haft upon thee, and hold it. And when the held it, he measured fix meafures of barley, and laid it on her: and The went into the city.

16 And when he came to her mother in law, fhe faid, Who art thou, my daughter? And he told her all that the man had done to her,

17 And fhe faid, Thefe fix measures of Barley gave he me; for he faid to me,

18 Then faid fhe, Sit ftill, my daugh ter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in reft, until he have finished the thing this day.

CHA P. IV.

1 Boax calleth into judgment the next kinfman: 6 he refusing the redemption, 10 Boaz marrieth Ruth.

fat him down there: and behold, Hen went Boaz up to the gate, and the kinfman of whom Boaz fpake, came by; unto whom he faid, Ho, fuch a one, turn afide, fit down here. And he turned afide, and fat down.

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and faid, Sit ye down here. And they fat down.

3 And he faid unto the kinfman, Naomi that is come again out of the country of Moab felleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelechs.

4 And I thought to advertise thee, faying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it befides thee, and I am after thee. And he faid, I will redem iz.

5 Then faid Boaz, What day thou buyeft the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it alfo of Ruth the Moabitefs, the wife of the dead, to raife up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 And the kinfman faid, I cannot redeem it for my felf, left I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thy felf, for I cannot redeem it.

7 Now this was the manner in former time in Ifrael, concerning redeeming, and concerning changing, for to confirm all things: a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a teftimony in Ifrael.

8 Therefore the kinfman faid unto Boaz, Buy it for thee: fo he drew off his shoe.

9And Boaz faid unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witneffes this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelechs, and all that was Chilions and Mahlons, of the hand of Naomi..

10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitefs, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchafed to be my wife, to raife up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

The First Book of SAMUEL, otherwife called, The First Book of the KINGS.

The birth of Samuel.

Samuel.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I fpoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli anfwered and faid, Go in peace: and the God of Ifrael grant thee thy petition that thou haft asked of him. 18 And the faid, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy fight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her Countenance was no more fad.

19 And they rofe up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembred her. 20 Wherefore it came to pafs, when the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived, that the bare a fon, and called his name Samuel, faying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his houfe, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly facrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for fhe faid 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 for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband faid unto her, Do what feemeth thee good, tar ry until thou have weaned him, only the LORD eftablifh his word: fo the woman abode, and gave her fon fuck until the weaned him.

24 And when fhe had weaned him, fhe took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the houfe of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they flew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And the faid, O my lord, as thy foul livech, my lord, I am the woman that ftood 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 alfo I have lent him to the LORD as long as he liveth, he fhall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

CHAP. II. Hannahs fong. 12 The fin of Eli's fons. 18 Samuel's miniftry. 27 A prophecy against Eli's house.

A

Nd Hannah prayed, and faid, My

Hannahs thanksgiving.

horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies: because Irejoyce in thy falvation.

2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none befide thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more fo exceeding proudly, let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that ftumbled are girt with ftrength.

5 They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry, ceased: fo that the barren hath born feven; and the that hath many children, is waxed feeble.

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and liftech up.

8 He raifeth up the poor out of the duft, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil, to fet them among princes. and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORDS, and he hath fet the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his faints, and the wicked fhall be filent in darknefs; for by ftrength shall no man prevail.

10 The adverfaries of the LORD fhall be broken to pieces: out of heaven fhall he thunder upon them: the LORD fhall judge the ends of the earth, and he fhall give ftrength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his houfe; and the child did minifter unto the LORD before Eli the prieft.

12 Now the fons of Eli were fons of Belial, they knew not the LORD.

13 And the priests cuftom with the people was, that when any man offered facrifice, the prifts fervant came, while the flesh was in feeching, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand :

14 And he ftruck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up, the prieft took for himself: fo they did in Shiloh, unto all the Ifraelites that came

thither.

The fin of Eli's Jons. Chap. ii, iii. that facrificed, Give fleth toroft for the prieft; for he will not have fodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if any man faid unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy foul defi reth: then he would answer him, Nay, but thou fait give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

17 Wherefore the fin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 But Samuel miniftred before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover, bis mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when the came up with her husband, to offer the yearly facrifice.

20 And Eli bleffed Elkanab, and his wife, and faid, The LoRn give thee feed of this woman, for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

21 And the LORD vifited Hannah, fo that the conceived, and bare three fons, and two daughters: and the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his fons did unto all If rael, and how they lay with the women that affembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he faid unto them, Why do ye fuch things? for I hear of your evil dealings, by all this people.

24 Nay, my fons: for it is no good report that I hear; ye make the LORDS people to tranfgrefs.

25 If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him: bur if a man fin against the LORD, who fhall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkned not unto the voice of their father, becaufe the LORD would flay them.

26 (And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and alfo with men.)

27 And there came a man of God

Eli's boufe threatnes

29 Wherefore kick ye at my facrifice, and at mine offering which I have com manded in my habitation, and honoureft thy fons above me, to make your felves fat with the chiefeft of all the offerings of Ifrael my people?

30 Wherefore the LORD God of Ifrael faith, I said indeed, that thy houfe, and the houfe of thy father fhould walk before me for ever: but now the LORD faith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that defpife me, fhall be lightly efteemed.

31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy fathers houfe, that there fhall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou fhalt fee an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God fhall give Ifracl: and there fhall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 And the man of thine, whom I fhall not cut off from mine altar, fhall be to confume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart and all the increase of thine house fhall die in the flower of their age.

:

34 And this fhall be a fign unto thee, that fhall come upon thy two fons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they hall die both of them.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful prieft, that fhall do according to that which is in mine heart, and in my mind: and I will build him a fure houfe, and he fhall walk before mine Anointed for ever..

36 And it fhall come to pafs, that every one that is left in thine houfe, fhall come and crouch to him for a piece of filver, and a morfel of bread, and fhall fay, Put me (I pray thee) into one of the priests offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

CHAP. III.

1 How the word of the Lord was firft revealed to Samuel. 11 God telleth Samuel the deftruction of Eli's houfe.

unto Eli, and faid unto him, Thus faith ANd the child Samuel miniftred un

the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the houfe of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaohs houfe?

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Ifrael, to be my prieft, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incenfe, to wear an ephod before me? and did Igive unto the houfe of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Ifracl?

to the LORD before Eli: and the word of the LORD was precious in thofe days; there was no open yifion.

2 And it came to país at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not fee;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to fleep: