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?

Then Naomi her mother in law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

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

And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he winnows barley to night 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 yourself therefore, and anoint you, and put your raiment on you, and get you down to the floor: but make not yourself 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 you shall mark the place where he shall lie, and you shall go in, and uncover his feet, and lay you down; and he will tell you what you shall do.

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

And she said to her, All that you say to me 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 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 corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her 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 afraid, 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 you? And she answered, I am Ruth your handmaid: spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid; for you 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 you of the LORD, my daughter: for you have showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you followed not 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 you all that you require: for all the city of my people does know that you are a virtuous 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 your 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.’

Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform to you 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 you, then will I do the part of a kinsman to you, as the LORD 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 know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the 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.

Also he said, Bring the veil that you have on you, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she 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 you, 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, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty to your 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 said she, Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.