Ruth 3
1 A little later Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, don't you think I should find you a husband and a good home?
Then said Na'omi her mother-in-law unto her, My daughter, behold I will seek for thee a resting-place, where it may be well with thee.
2 Don't ignore the fact that Boaz, whose women you worked with, is closely related to us. Now tonight he will be busy winnowing grain on the threshing floor.
And now, behold, Bo'az is our kinsman, he with whose maidens thou hast been. Lo, he is winnowing the barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
3 Have a bath, put on some perfume, wear your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor—but don't let him recognize you. Once he's finished eating and drinking,
Therefore bathe, and anoint thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor; [but] make thyself not known unto the man, until he shall have finished eating and drinking.
4 watch where he goes to lie down. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”
And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt note the place where he will lie, and thou shalt then go in, and lift up the covering that is on his feet, and lay thyself down: and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 “I'll do everything you told me,” said Ruth.
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me will I do.
6 She went down to the threshing floor and did what her mother-in-law had told her to do.
And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did in accordance with all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.
7 After Boaz had finished eating and drinking, and was feeling contented, he went and lay down beside the grain pile. Ruth quietly approached him, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
And Bo'az ate and drank, and his heart became merry; and he then went in to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came in softly, and lifted up the covering that was on his feet, and laid herself down.
8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up. Bending forward he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man became terrified, and bent himself forward; and, behold, a woman was lying at his feet.
9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I'm Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Please spread the corner of your cloak over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
And he said, Who art thou? And she said, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10 “May the Lord bless you, my daughter,” he said. “You are showing even more loyalty and love to the family than before. You haven't gone looking for a younger man, of whatever social status.
And he said, Blessed be thou unto the Lord, my daughter; for thou hast shown more kindness in the last instance than the first, by not going after the young men, whether they be poor or rich.
11 So don't worry, my daughter. I will do everything you ask—everyone in town knows you are a woman of good character.
And now, my daughter, fear not: all that thou mayest say will I do for thee; for all [the men in] the gate of my people know that thou art a virtuous woman.
12 However, even though I'm one of your family redeemers, there's one who is more closely related than I am.
And now, it is indeed true that I am thy near kinsman; nevertheless, there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, then fine, let him do it. But if he doesn't, then I promise you in the name of the living Lord, I will redeem you. Lie down here until morning.”
Remain here this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem; but if he be not willing to redeem thee, then will I redeem thee, as the Lord liveth: lie still until the morning.
14 So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up before it was light enough to recognize anyone because Boaz had told her, “No one must know that a woman came here to the threshing floor.”
And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, It must not be known that this woman came into the threshing-floor.
15 He also told her, “Bring me the cloak you're wearing and hold it out.” So she held it out and he poured out six measures of barley into it. He helped her put it on her back and she went back to town.
Also he said, Bring hither the cloak that thou hast upon thee, and lay hold of it. And she laid hold of it, and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid it on her, and went into the city.
16 Ruth went to her mother-in-law, who asked her, “How did it go for you, my daughter?” So Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her.
And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, How is it with thee, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 “And he also gave me these six measures of barley,” she added. “He told me, ‘You mustn't go home to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he unto me; for he said to me, Thou shalt not come empty to thy mother-in-law.
18 Naomi said to Ruth, “Wait patiently, my daughter, until you find out how it all works out. Boaz won't rest until he has it settled today.”
Then said she, Remain still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the matter this day.
