Ruth3

¹Then her mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may go well for you?

²Now then, is Boaz not our relative, with whose young women you were? Behold, he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor tonight.

³Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not reveal yourself to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall take notice of the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you should do.”

⁵And she said to her, “All that you say I will do.”

⁶So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

⁷When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.

⁸And it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.

⁹So he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your slave. Now spread your garment over your slave, for you are a redeemer.”

¹⁰Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first, by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.

¹¹So now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you say, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

¹²But now, although it is true that I am a redeemer, yet there is also a redeemer more closely related than I.

¹³Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

¹⁴So she lay at his feet until morning, and got up before one person could recognize another; and he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

¹⁵Again he said, “Give me the shawl that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

¹⁶When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her.

¹⁷She also said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”