Ruth 3

1 And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, should I not seek to secure a home for you where you will be happy and prosperous?

2 And now, is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he is winnowing barley in the threshing-floor to-night.

Is not Boaz, with whose girls you have been, a relative of ours?

3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thyself, and put thy raiment upon thee, and go down to the floor; make not thyself known to the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

Tonight he is going to winnow barley on the threshing-floor. So bathe and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

4 And it shall be, when he lies down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall have lain down, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thyself down; and he will shew thee what thou shalt do.

Then when he lies down, mark the place where he lies. Go in, uncover his feet, lie down, and then he will tell you what to do.’

5 And she said to her, All that thou sayest will I do.

‘I will do as you say.’ Ruth said to her.

6 And she went down to the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law had bidden her.

So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her.

7 And Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. Then she went softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid herself down.

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in a happy mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth came quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was startled, and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

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

9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thy handmaid: spread thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou hast the right of redemption.

‘Who are you?’ he said. ‘I am Ruth your servant,’ she answered, ‘Spread your cloak over your servant, for you are a near relative.’

10 And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter! Thou hast shewn more kindness at the end than at the first, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

He said, ‘May you be blest by the Lord, my daughter. You have shown me greater favour now than at first, for you have not followed young men, whether poor or rich.

11 And now, my daughter, fear not: all that thou sayest will I do to thee; for all the gate of my people knows that thou art a woman of worth.

My daughter, have no fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for the whole town knows that you are a virtuous woman.

12 And now, truly I am one that has the right of redemption, yet there is one that has the right of redemption who is nearer than I.

Now it is true that I am a near relative, but there is another man nearer than I.

13 Stay over to-night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will redeem thee, well — let him redeem; but if he like not to redeem thee, then will I redeem thee, [as] Jehovah liveth. Lie down until the morning.

Stay here tonight, and then in the morning, if he will perform for you the duty of a kinsman, well, let him do it. But if he will not perform for you the duty of a kinsman, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will do it for you. Lie down until morning.’

14 And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the threshing-floor.

So she lay at his feet until morning, but rose before anyone could recognise her, for Boaz said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’

15 And he said, Bring the cloak that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And she held it, and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid [it] on her; and he went into the city.

He also said, ‘Bring the cloak which you have on and hold it.’ So she held it while he poured into it six measures of barley and laid it on her shoulders. Then he went into the city.

16 And she came to her mother-in-law; and she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘Is it you, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that the man had done for her.

17 And she said, These six [measures] of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law.

‘He gave me these six measures of barley,’ she said, ‘for he said I should not go to my mother-in-law empty-handed.’

18 Then she said, Be still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest until he have completed the matter this day.

‘Wait quietly, my daughter.’ Naomi said, ‘Until you know how the affair will turn out, for the man will not rest unless he settles it all today.’