1One 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.2You 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.3So 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.4Notice 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.6So she went down to the threshing-floor. She did everything her mother-in-law had told her to do.7When 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.8In 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.11Dear 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.12It’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.13So 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.’14So 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.’15He 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.16Ruth came to her mother-in-law. Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had done for her.17She said, ‘He gave me all this barley. He said, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law with your hands empty.” ’18Naomi said, ‘My daughter, sit down until you find out what happens. The man won’t rest until he settles the whole matter today.’
1One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home[1] for you, where you will be well provided for.2Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor.3Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing-floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.4When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.’5‘I will do whatever you say,’ Ruth answered.6So she went down to the threshing-floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.7When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.8In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned – and there was a woman lying at his feet!9‘Who are you?’ he asked. ‘I am your servant Ruth,’ she said. ‘Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer[2] of our family.’ (Le 25:25)10‘The Lord bless you, my daughter,’ he replied. ‘This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.11And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.12Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I.13Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.’14So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognised; and he said, ‘No-one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’15He also said, ‘Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.’ When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he[3] went back to town.16When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’ Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her17and added, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.” ’18Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’