Liber Ruth, 2

1. erat autem vir Helimelech consanguineus homo potens et magnarum opum nomine Booz

1. Now her husband Elimelech had a kinsman, a powerful man, and very rich, whose name was Booz.

2. dixitque Ruth Moabitis ad socrum suam si jubes vadam in agrum et colligam spicas quæ metentium fugerint manus ubicumque clementis in me patris familias repperero gratiam cui illa respondit vade filia mi

2. And Ruth the Moabitess said to her mother in law: If thou wilt, I will go into the field, and glean the ears of corn that escape the hands of the reapers, wheresoever I shall find grace with a householder that will be favourable to me. And she answered her: Go, my daughter.

3. abiit itaque et colligebat spicas post terga metentium accidit autem ut ager ille haberet dominum Booz qui erat de cognatione Helimelech

3. She went therefore and gleaned the ears of corn after the reapers. And it happened that the owner of that field was Booz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4. et ecce ipse veniebat de Bethleem dixitque messoribus Dominus vobiscum qui responderunt ei benedicat tibi Dominus

4. And behold, he came out of Bethlehem, and said to the reapers: The Lord be with you. And they answered him: The Lord bless thee.

5. dixitque Booz juveni qui messoribus præerat cujus est hæc puella

5. And Booz said to the young man that was set over the reapers: Whose maid is this?

6. qui respondit hæc est Moabitis quæ venit cum Nœmi de regione moabitide

6. And he answered him: This is the Moabitess who came with Noemi, from the land of Moab,

7. et rogavit ut spicas colligeret remanentes sequens messorum vestigia et de mane usque nunc stat in agro et ne ad momentum quidem domum reversa est

7. And she desired leave to glean the ears of corn that remain, following the steps of the reapers: and she hath been in the field from morning till now, and hath not gone home for one moment.

8. et ait Booz ad Ruth audi filia ne vadas ad colligendum in alterum agrum nec recedas ab hoc loco sed jungere puellis meis

8. And Booz said to Ruth: Hear me, daughter, do not go to glean in any other field, and do not depart from this place: but keep with my maids,

9. et ubi messuerint sequere mandavi enim pueris meis ut nemo tibi molestus sit sed etiam si sitieris vade ad sarcinulas et bibe aquas de quibus et pueri bibunt

9. And follow where they reap. For I have charged my young men, not to molest thee: and if thou art thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink of the waters whereof the servants drink.

10. quæ cadens in faciem suam et adorans super terram dixit ad eum unde mihi hoc ut invenirem gratiam ante oculos tuos et nosse me dignareris peregrinam mulierem

10. She fell on her face and worshipping upon the ground, said to him: Whence cometh this to me, that I should find grace before thy eyes, and that thou shouldst vouchsafe to take notice of me a woman of another country?

11. cui ille respondit nuntiata sunt mihi omnia quæ feceris socrui tuæ post mortem viri tui et quod dereliqueris parentes tuos et terram in qua nata es et veneris ad populum quem ante nesciebas

11. And he answered her: All hath been told me, that thou hast done to thy mother in law after the death of thy husband: and how thou hast left thy parents, and the land wherein thou wast born, and art come to a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12. reddat tibi Dominus pro opere tuo et plenam mercedem recipias a Domino Deo Israël ad quem venisti et sub cujus confugisti alas

12. The Lord render unto thee for thy work, and mayest thou receive a full reward of the Lord the God of Israel, to whom thou art come, and under whose wings thou art fled.

13. quæ ait inveni gratiam ante oculos tuos domine mi qui consolatus es me et locutus es ad cor ancillæ tuæ quæ non sum similis unius puellarum tuarum

13. And she said: I have found grace in thy eyes, my lord, who hast comforted me and hast spoken to the heart of thy handmaid, who am not like to one of thy maids.

14. dixitque ad eam Booz quando hora vescendi fuerit veni huc et comede panem et intingue buccellam tuam in aceto sedit itaque ad messorum latus et congessit pulentam sibi comeditque et saturata est et tulit reliquias

14. And Booz said to her: At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. So she sat at the side of the reapers, and she heaped to herself frumenty, and ate and was filled, and took the leavings.

15. atque inde surrexit ut spicas ex more colligeret præcepit autem Booz pueris suis dicens etiam si vobiscum metere voluerit ne prohibeatis eam

15. And she arose from thence, to glean the ears of corn as before. And Booz commanded his servants, saying: If she would even reap with you, hinder her not:

16. et de vestris quoque manipulis proicite de industria et remanere permittite ut absque rubore colligat et colligentem nemo corripiat

16. And let fall some of your handfuls of purpose, and leave them, that she may gather them without shame, and let no man rebuke her when she gathereth them.

17. collegit ergo in agro usque ad vesperam et quæ collegerat virga cædens et excutiens invenit hordei quasi œphi mensuram id est tres modios

17. She gleaned therefore in the field till evening: and beating out with a rod and threshing what she had gleaned, she found about the measure of an ephi of barley, that is, three bushels:

18. quos portans reversa est in civitatem et ostendit socrui suæ insuper protulit et dedit ei de reliquiis cibi sui quo saturata fuerat

18. Which she took up and returned into the city, and shewed it to her mother in law: moreover she brought out, and gave her of the remains of her meat, wherewith she had been filled.

19. dixitque ei socrus ubi hodie collegisti et ubi fecisti opus sit benedictus qui misertus est tui indicavitque ei apud quem esset operata et nomen dixit viri quod Booz vocaretur

19. And her mother in law said to her: Where hast thou gleaned to day, and where hast thou wrought? blessed be he that hath had pity on thee. And she told her with whom she had wrought: and she told the man's name, that he was called Booz.

20. cui respondit Nœmi benedictus sit a Domino quoniam eandem gratiam quam præbuerat vivis servavit et mortuis rursumque propinquus ait noster est homo

20. And Noemi answered her: Blessed be he of the Lord: because the same kindness which he shewed to the living, he hath kept also to the dead. And again she said: The man is our kinsman.

21. et Ruth hoc quoque inquit præcepit mihi ut tamdiu messoribus ejus jungerer donec omnes segetes meterentur

21. And Ruth said, He also charged me, that I should keep close to his reapers, till all the corn should be reaped.

22. cui dixit socrus melius est filia mi ut cum puellis ejus exeas ad metendum ne in alieno agro quispiam resistat tibi

22. And her mother in law said to her: It is better for thee, my daughter, to go out to reap with his maids, lest in another man's field some one may resist thee.

23. juncta est itaque puellis Booz et tamdiu cum eis messuit donec hordea et triticum in horreis conderentur

23. So she kept close to the maids of Booz: and continued to glean with them, till all the barley and the wheat were laid up in the barns.