Ruth 3

1 One day, Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, I think that I should [RHQ] try to arrange for you to have a husband [MTY] who will (take care of/provide for) 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 Boaz, the man with whose [servant] girls you have been [gathering grain], is a close relative [of our dead husbands]. Listen [carefully]. Tonight he will be at the ground where [the barley has] been threshed. He will be separating the barley grain from the chaff.

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 Bathe yourself and put on some perfume. Put on your [best] clothes. Then go down to the ground where they have threshed [the grain]. But do not let Boaz know that you are there while he is eating [supper] and drinking.

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 [When he has finished eating], notice where he lies down to sleep. Then [when he is asleep], take the blanket off his feet and lie [close to his feet]. [When he wakes up], he will tell you what to 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 Ruth replied, “I will do everything that you have told me [to do].”

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

6 So she went down to the ground where they had threshed [the barley grain]. There she did everything that her mother-in-law had told her [to do].

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

7 When Boaz finished eating [supper] and drinking [wine], he felt happy. Then he went over to the far end of the pile of grain. He lay down [and went to sleep]. Then Ruth approached him quietly. She took the blanket off his feet and lay down [there].

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 In the middle of the night, he suddenly awoke. He sat up and saw that a woman was lying at his feet.

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

9 He asked her, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am your servant, Ruth. Since you are the one who has a responsibility to take care of [someone like me whose dead husband was] your close relative, spread the corner of your cloak over my [feet to show that you will marry me].”

“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 Boaz replied, “Young lady, I hope that Yahweh will (bless/be kind to) you! You have acted kindly [toward your mother-in-law], and now you are acting even more kindly [toward me by wanting to marry me, instead of wanting to marry a young man]. You have not looked for either a rich young man or a poor young man, [to marry him].

“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 Now, young lady, I will do everything you ask. Don’t worry [that people in this town might think I am doing wrong by marrying you because you are a woman from Moab]. All the people in this town know that you are an honorable 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 But [there is one problem]. Although it is true that I am a close relative [of your mother-in-law’s dead husband], there is another man who is a closer relative [than I am], and therefore he should be the one to [marry you and] take care of you.

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

13 You stay here for the rest of this night. Tomorrow morning [I will tell this man about you]. If he says that he will [marry you and] take care of you, fine, [we will] let him do that. But if he is not willing [to do that], I solemnly promise that as surely as Yahweh lives, I will [marry you and] take care of you. So lie/sleep here until it is 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 So she lay at his feet until morning. But she got up and left before it was light enough that people would be able to recognize her, because Boaz said, “I do not want anyone to know that a woman was here.”

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 He also said to her, “Bring to me your cloak and spread it out.” When she did that, he poured into it six measures/24 liters/50 pounds of barley, and put in on her back. Then he (OR, she) went back to the town.

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 When Ruth arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, “My daughter, how did (things go/Boaz act toward you)?” Then Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her [and said 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 She also said [to Naomi], “He gave me all this barley, saying ‘I do not want you to return to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

“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 Then Naomi said, “My daughter, just wait until we see what happens. [I am sure that] Boaz will take care of [LIT] the matter [of your marriage]. [LIT]”

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.”