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.

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: 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.

When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

So they two went until they came to

Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 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?

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Question. Is anything known of the authorship of this book?

Answer-It is supposed to have been written by David, who was the great-grandson of Ruth.

Q-At what time did the events recorded occur? 4. About 1312 years before the birth of Christ, at which time the judges ruled Israel. It is supposed from the reference to the famine in the land, when Naomi, with her husband Elimelech, went to the country of Moab, that it was during the time when Gideon judged Israel, as that is the only famine mentioned in the book of Judges. The Amalekites "destroyed the increase of the earth," and left no sustenance for Israel.

Q. Which of the sons of Naomi was the husband of Ruth?

A.-Mahlon.

Q-Why are the family of Elimelech spoken of as Ephrathites?

4.-The words mean natives of Ephratah, the old name of Bethlehem. In the book of Samuel, Jesse, the father of David, is spoken of as an Ephrathite.

-Has the name Ruth any particular meaning? A.-It comes from a Hebrew word signifying beauty. Q-Was it not an act of disobedience to the law when the sons of Naomi married Moabitish women?

A.-Yes; and it was probably as a punishment that they died without having children.

Q-What is the meaning of Naomi's appeal to her daughters-in-law to return to Moab, because she would have no more sons?

A.-By the Jewish law if a man died without leaving chil dren, his brother, if he had one unmarried, was bound to marry his widow, and support her. Naomi, there fore, told Ruth and Orpah that she had no other son to be husbands to them, and it would be better that they should return to their own families.

Q. It is said that "Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her." In what manner, then, did their conduct differ?

A. The kiss meant "farewell;" that Orpah took leave of her, intending to return to Moab.

Q-When Naomi reached Bethlehem why did she say, "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara ?" A.-Naomi means "pleasant," and Mara, as we learnt in reading the book of Exodus, "bitter;" the reason why Naomi thought the last name more suitable to her is given in the words which follow.

A.-The word is employed most frequently in the five books of Moses and in Job. It only occurs twice in the Psalms, and four times in the prophetical books. Q.-What did Naomi mean by saying, "The Lord hath testified against me?"

A. She thought that the loss of her husband and sons was a punishment for her sinfulness, that the Lord had testified, or "brought up her sins in judgment against her." She went out of the land of the Israelites full, with her heart full of happiness, having with her those she loved; she had come back empty, deprived of them, and she saw the hand of God in the trouble she felt. She had not yet learned, it would appear, to love Ruth as she did afterwards.

AND Naomi had a kinsman of her

husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech ; and his name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabitess 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.

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, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 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 :

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.

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. 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.

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?

And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed 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. 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.

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.

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime 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.

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: and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 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.

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 wrought to day is Boaz.

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.

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.

And 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.

So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now, is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing-floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. 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 she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

And it came to pass at midnight,

that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, in as much as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then I will do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.