Ruth 3

¹Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

²And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

³Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

⁴And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

⁵And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

⁶And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

⁷And 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.

⁸And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

⁹And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

¹⁰And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

¹¹And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

¹²And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

¹³Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee 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 thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning.

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, 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.

¹⁶And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

¹⁷And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

¹⁸Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

Ruth 3

¹And Naomi her mother-in-law saith to her, `My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest, that it may be well with thee?

²and now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women thou hast been? lo, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley to-night,

³and thou hast bathed, and anointed thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and gone down to the threshing-floor; let not thyself be known to the man till he complete to eat and to drink;

⁴and it cometh to pass when he lieth down, that thou hast known the place where he lieth down, and hast gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down, and he doth declare to thee that which thou dost do.'

⁵And she saith unto her, `All that thou sayestI do.'

⁶And she goeth down to the threshing-floor, and doth according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her

⁷And Boaz eateth and drinketh, and his heart is glad; and he goeth in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she cometh in gently, and uncovereth his feet, and lieth down.

⁸And it cometh to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembleth, and turneth himself, and lo, a woman is lying at his feet.

⁹And he saith, `Who art thou?' and she saith, `I am Ruth thy handmaid, and thou hast spread thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou art a redeemer.'

¹⁰And he saith, `Blessed art thou of Jehovah, my daughter; thou hast dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginningnot to go after the young men, either poor or rich.

¹¹And now, my daughter, fear not, all that thou sayest I do to thee, for all the gate of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

¹²And now, surely, true, that I am a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.

¹³Lodge to night, and it hath been in the morning, if he doth redeem thee, well: he redeemeth; and if he delight not to redeem thee, then I have redeemed theeI; Jehovah liveth! lie down till the morning.'

¹⁴And she lieth down at his feet till the morning, and riseth before one doth discern another; and he saith, `Let it not be known that the woman hath come into the floor.'

¹⁵And he saith, `Give the covering which is on thee, and keep hold on it;' and she keepeth hold on it, and he measureth six measures of barley, and layeth it on her; and he goeth into the city.

¹⁶And she cometh in unto her mother-in-law, and she saith, `Who art thou, my daughter?' and she declareth to her all that the man hath done to her.

¹⁷And she saith, `These six measures of barley he hath given to me, for he said, Thou dost not go in empty unto thy mother-in-law.'

¹⁸And she saith, `Sit still, my daughter, till thou dost know how the matter falleth, for the man doth not rest except he hath completed the matter to-day.'