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New International Reader’s Version

Ruth and Boaz at the threshing-floor

1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi spoke to her. She said, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you. It should be a place where you will be provided for. 2 You have been working with the women who work for Boaz. He’s a relative of ours. Tonight he’ll be separating the straw from his barley on the threshing-floor. 3 So wash yourself. Put on some perfume. And put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing-floor. But don’t let Boaz know you are there. Wait until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Notice where he lies down. Then go over and uncover his feet. Lie down there. He’ll tell you what to do.’ 5 ‘I’ll do everything you say,’ Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing-floor. She did everything her mother-in-law had told her to do. 7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went over to lie down at the far end of the corn pile. Then Ruth approached quietly. She uncovered his feet and lay down there. 8 In the middle of the night, something surprised Boaz and woke him up. He turned and found a woman lying there at his feet! 9 ‘Who are you?’ he asked. ‘I’m Ruth,’ she said. ‘You are my family protector. So take good care of me by making me your wife.’ 10 ‘Dear woman, may the LORD bless you,’ he replied. ‘You are showing even more kindness now than you did earlier. You didn’t run after the younger men, whether they were rich or poor. 11 Dear woman, don’t be afraid. I’ll do for you everything you ask. All the people of my town know that you are an excellent woman. 12 It’s true that I’m a relative of yours. But there’s a family protector who is more closely related to you than I am. 13 So stay here for the night. In the morning if he wants to help you, good. Let him help you. But if he doesn’t want to, then I’ll do it. You can be sure that the LORD lives. And you can be just as sure that I’ll help you. Lie down here until morning.’ 14 So she stayed at his feet until morning. But she got up before anyone could be recognised. Boaz thought, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’ 15 He said to Ruth, ‘Bring me the coat you have around you. Hold it out.’ So she did. He poured more than 70 kilograms of barley into it and helped her pick it up. Then he went back to town. 16 Ruth came to her mother-in-law. Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had done for her. 17 She said, ‘He gave me all this barley. He said, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law with your hands empty.” ’ 18 Naomi said, ‘My daughter, sit down until you find out what happens. The man won’t rest until he settles the whole matter today.’

English Standard Version

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? (Ru 1:9) 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. (Ru 2:1; Ru 2:8) 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. (2Sa 12:20; 2Sa 14:2) 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 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. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. (Jud 19:6) 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings^[1] over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” (De 22:30; Ru 2:20; Eze 16:8) 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ru 1:8; Ru 2:20) 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. (Pr 12:4; Pr 31:10) 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. (Ru 4:1) 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” (De 25:5; Jud 8:19; Ru 4:5; 1Sa 14:39; 2Sa 4:9; 2Sa 12:5; 2Ki 2:2; 2Ki 2:6)

De 25:5Jud 8:19Ru 4:51Sa 14:392Sa 4:92Sa 12:52Ki 2:22Ki 2:6

14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”