with his maidens, and 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 she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

And 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 our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing-floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-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 I will do."

And she went down unto the threshing-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 grain 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 thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” And he said, "Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. And now it is

true that I am a 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,1 well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as Jehovah liveth: lie down until the morning."

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor." And he said, "Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it;" and she held it; and he measured six measures2 of barley, and laid it on her: and he 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. she said, "These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, '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 rest, until he have finished the thing this day."

And

Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, "Ho, such a one e! turn aside, sit down here." And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit ye down here." And they sat down. And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: and I thought

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1. It was written in the Mosaic law that if a man died childless it was the duty of one of his brothers or of the nearest kinsman to marry the widow in order that the name of the dead man might not become extinct. (See Deut. xxv, 5 and 6.)

2. A measure was about one-tenth of a bushel.

to disclose it unto thee, saying, 'Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people.' If thou wilt redeem it,1 redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides thee; and I am after thee." And he said, "I will redeem it." Then said Boaz, "What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance." And the near kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it."

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, “Buy it for thyself." And he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, “Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise 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." And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. Jehovah make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah,3 and be famous in Beth1. Buy it.

2. Get thee wealth.

3. Another name for Bethlehem.

lehem: and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which Jehovah shall give thee of this young woman.'

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and Jehovah gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, "Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age; for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him." And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi ;" and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

[What follows is the story of an Ephraimite, Elkanah, and his wife, Hannah, who had no children. Hannah prayed earnestly for a son, whom she promised to devote to the service of Jehovah. The Lord heard her prayer and in due time Samuel was born and given to Eli, the priest of the temple, to be trained in the service of Jehovah.]

LII

THE CALLING OF SAMUEL

(I Samuel iii: 1-21)

And the child Samuel1 ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark2 of God was; that Jehovah called Samuel: and he said, "Here am I." And he ran unto Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me.” And he said, “I called not; lie down again." And he went and lay down. And Jehovah called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, "Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth."" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel said, "Speak; for thy servant heareth." And Jehovah said to Samuel,

1. "Asked for of God."

2. The ark was the repository of the tables of the law.