Ruth 3

¹ Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I seek a place of rest for you, where things will go well for you?

² Now, isn’t Boaz, whose servant women you were with, our relative? Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.

³ Wash, apply perfume, put on your clothes, and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let the man recognize you until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴ When he lies down, take note of where he lies down. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”

⁵ She replied, “I will do everything you tell me.”

⁶ She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

⁷ Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was content. Then he went to lie down at the end of the pile of grain. She came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

⁸ In the middle of the night, the man was startled and turned over. There was a woman lying at his feet.

⁹ He asked, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread the edge of your cloak over your servant, because you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

¹⁰ He said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. This last act of your loyal love is greater than the first, because you have not gone after the young men, whether poor or rich.

¹¹ Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you everything you say, because everyone at the gate of my people knows that you are a woman of worth.

¹² It is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is another kinsman-redeemer closer than I am.

¹³ Stay here tonight. In the morning, if he is willing to redeem you, good—let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, I will redeem you myself, as surely as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning.”

¹⁴ She lay at his feet until morning and got up before one person could recognize another. He said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

¹⁵ Then he said, “Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out.” She held it out, and he measured six measures of barley and placed them on her. Then he went into the city.

¹⁶ She went to her mother-in-law, who asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” She told her everything the man had done for her.

¹⁷ And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he told me, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸ Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how things turn out, because the man will not rest until he settles the matter today.”

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