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.

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, —My daughter! shall I not seek for thee a place of rest, in which it may be well with thee?

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.

Now, therefore, is not, Boaz, of our kindred, with whose maidens thou hast been? Lo! he is winnowing the barley threshing-floor, to-night!

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.

Thou wilt, therefore, bathe thee, and anoint thee, and put thine apparel upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor, —do not make thyself known to the man, until he have done 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.”

And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he doth lie, and shalt go in and turn aside the covering of his feet, and lay thee down, —and, he, will tell thee what thou shalt do.

5 Ruth replied, “I will do everything that you have told me [to do].”

And she said unto her, —All that thou sayest, will I do.

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].

So she went down to the threshing-floor, —and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

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].

And, when Boaz had eaten, and drunk, and his heart was glad, he went in to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. Then came she in softly, and turned aside the covering of his feet, and laid her down.

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

And it came to pass, in the middle of the night, that the man started up, and turned, —and lo! 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].”

And he said, Who art, thou? And she said, I, am Ruth, thy handmaid, spread, therefore, thy wing over thy handmaid, for, a kinsman, thou art.

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].

And he said—Blessed, be thou of Yahweh, my daughter, for thou hast made thy last lovingkindness better than the first, —in not following after young men, whether poor, or rich.

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.

Now, therefore, my daughter, do not fear, whatsoever thou shalt say, I will do for thee, —for all the gate of my people doth know, that, a virtuous woman, thou art.

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.

And, now, although it is true that, a kinsman, am I, yet is there a kinsman nearer than I.

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.”

Tarry the night, and it shall be, in the morning, if he will act as kinsman to thee, well, let him so act, but, if he inclineth not to act as kinsman to thee, then will, I, so act to thee—by the life of Yahweh, —Lie still, until the 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 she lay at his feet, until the morning, and rose up before one could know his neighbour. And he said—Do not let it be known that a woman came into 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.

And he said—Bring the cloak that is upon thee, and hold it. So she held it, —and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it upon her, and he went into the city.

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].

And, when she came unto her mother-in- law, she said—Who art, thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man 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 she said—These six measures of barley, gave he unto me, —for he said, Do not go in empty, unto thy mother-in- law.

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]”

And she said—Abide, my daughter, until that thou get to know, how the matter will fall out, —for the man will not rest, except he have finished the thing to-day.