Ruth 3

1 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?

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?

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

And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou were? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing-floor.

3 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.

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor. But do not make thyself known to the man until he shall have done eating and drinking.

4 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.’

And it shall be, when he lies down, that thou shall notice the place where he shall lie. And thou shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lie thee down. And he will tell thee what thou shall do.

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

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

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

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

7 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.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. And she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid down.

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

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

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

And he said, Who are thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou are a near kinsman.

10 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.

And he said, Blessed be thou of Jehovah, my daughter. Thou have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou did not follow young men, whether poor or rich.

11 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.

And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do to thee all that thou say, for all the city of my people know that thou are a worthy woman.

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

And now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13 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.’

Remain this night, and it shall be in the morning that if he will perform to thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part. But if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then I will do the part of a kinsman to thee, as Jehovah lives. Lie down until the morning.

14 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.’

And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.

15 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.

And he said, Bring the mantle that is 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.

16 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.

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

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

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

18 ‘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.’

Then she said, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall, for the man will not rest until he has finished the thing this day.