< 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?
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 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,
And now [is] not Booz our kinsman, with whose damsels you were? behold, he winnows barley this night in the 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;
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 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.”
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 And she says to her, “All that you say—I do.”
And Ruth said to her, All that you shall say, I will do.
6 And she goes down [to] the threshing-floor, and does according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her
And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her.
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.
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 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.
And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay 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.”
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 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.
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, 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.
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 And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.
And now I am truly akin to you; nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I.
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.”
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 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.”
And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before a man could know his neighbor; and Booz said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.”
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.

< Ruth 3 >