Ruth 3

1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?

And she lodged with her mother-in-law: and Noemin her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

2 Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

And now [is] not Booz our kinsman, with whose damsels you were? behold, he winnows barley this night in the floor.

3 Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.

But do you wash, and anoint yourself, and put your raiment upon you, and go up to the threshing floor: do not discover yourself to the man until he has done eating and drinking.

4 When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”

And it shall come to pass when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he lies down, and shall come and lift up the covering of his feet, and shall lie down; and he shall tell you what you shall do.

5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered.

And Ruth said to her, All that you shall say, I will do.

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her.

7 After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

And Booz ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of corn; and she came secretly, and lifted up the covering of his feet.

8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!

And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

And he said, Who are you? and she said, I am your handmaid Ruth; spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid, for you are a near relation.

10 Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

And Booz said, Blessed [be] you of the Lord God, [my] daughter, for you have made your latter kindness greater than the former, in that you follow not after young men, whether [any be] poor or rich.

11 And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.

And now fear not, my daughter, whatever you shall say I will do to you; for all the tribe of my people knows that you are a virtuous woman.

12 Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.

And now I am truly akin to you; nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie here until morning.”

Lodge [here] for the night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will do the part of a kinsman to you, well—let him do it: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, I will do the kinsman's part to you, [as] the Lord lives; lie down till the morning.

14 So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her. Then Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before a man could know his neighbour; and Booz said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

15 And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl. Then he went into the city.

And he said to her, Bring the apron that is upon you: and she held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and put them upon her, and she went into the city.

16 When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her.

And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she said to her, [My] daughter! and [Ruth] told her all that the man had done to her.

17 And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

And she said to her, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Go not empty to your mother-in-law.

18 “Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go, for he will not rest unless he has resolved the matter today.”

And she said, Sit still, [my] daughter, until you shall know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until the matter be accomplished this day.