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 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 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.--Ruth ii, 1-17.

THE RETURN OF THE ARK.

And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven
months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners,
saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we
shall send it to his place. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the
God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass
offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his
hand is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the trespass
offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden
emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of
the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice
that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel:
peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your
gods, and from off your land. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as
the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought
wonderfully among them, did they