Ruth 3

1 And her mother-in-law Naomi says to her, “My daughter, do I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

A little later Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, don't you think I should find you a husband and a good home?

2 And now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women you have been? Behold, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley tonight,

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.

3 and you have bathed, and anointed yourself, and put your garments on you, and gone down to the threshing-floor; do not let yourself be known to the man until he completes to eat and to drink;

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,

4 and it comes to pass, when he lies down, that you have known the place where he lies down, and have gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down—and he declares to you that which you do.”

watch where he goes to lie down. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

5 And she says to her, “All that you say—I do.”

“I'll do everything you told me,” said Ruth.

6 And she goes down [to] the threshing-floor, and does according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her

She went down to the threshing floor and did what her mother-in-law had told her to do.

7 And Boaz eats and drinks, and his heart is glad; and he goes in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she comes in gently, and uncovers his feet, and lies down.

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.

8 And it comes to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembles, and turns himself, and behold, a woman is lying at his feet.

Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up. Bending forward he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet.

9 And he says, “Who [are] you?” And she says, “I [am] Ruth your handmaid, and you have spread your skirt over your handmaid, for you [are] a redeemer.”

“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.”

10 And he says, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, my daughter; you have dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning—not to go after the young men, either poor or rich.

“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.

11 And now, my daughter, do not fear, all that you say I do to you, for all the gate of my people knows that you [are] a virtuous woman.

So don't worry, my daughter. I will do everything you ask—everyone in town knows you are a woman of good character.

12 And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.

However, even though I'm one of your family redeemers, there's one who is more closely related than I am.

13 Lodge tonight, and it has been in the morning, if he redeems you, well: he redeems; and if he does not delight to redeem you, then I have redeemed you—I; YHWH lives! Lie down until the morning.”

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.”

14 And she lies down at his feet until the morning, and rises before one discerns another; and he says, “Let it not be known that the woman has come into the floor.”

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.”

15 And he says, “Give the covering which [is] on you, and keep hold on it”; and she keeps hold on it, and he measures six [measures] of barley, and lays [it] on her; and he goes into the city.

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.

16 And she comes to her mother-in-law, and she says, “Who [are] you, my daughter?” And she declares to her all that the man has done to her.

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.

17 And she says, “These six [measures] of barley he has given to me, for he said, You do not go in empty to your mother-in-law.”

“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.’”

18 And she says, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls, for the man does not rest except he has completed the matter today.”

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.”