Philistines saying, "Come up this once, for he hath showed me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, "I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself." And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house. Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hand." And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us." And it came to pass when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may make us sport." And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars. And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, "Suffer me, that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them." Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.' And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him in the buryingplace of his father. The Story of Ruth. (From the Book of RUTH.) Now a certain man went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife, and his two sons. And his wife's name was Naomi, and the man died there, and Naomi was left, and her two sons. And they took unto them wives of the women of Moab; and the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. And the sons of Naomi died also, both of them. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return unto the land of Judah. And her daughters-in-law went forth on the way with her. But Naomi said unto them, "Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me." Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice and wept. And they said unto her, "Surely we will return with thee unto thy people." And they lifted up their voice and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. And Naomi 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 aught but death part thee and me." When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they went on their way together towards Bethlehem. And they came unto Bethlehem in the beginning of the barley-harvest. And Ruth said unto Naomi, "Let me now go to the fields and glean ears of corn." And she said, "Go, my daughter." And she went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on a part of the field which belonged unto Boaz. Now Boaz was a kinsman of the husband of Naomi, and he was a mighty man of wealth. And Boaz said unto his servant that was set over the reapers, "Whose damsel is this?" And he answered and said, "It is the damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. And she said unto me, I pray you let me glean and gather 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 showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy motherin-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 favor 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 meal-time 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 motherin-law saw what she had gleaned and her mother-in-law said |