Ruth 3–4

3RD CHAPTER

Naomi’s Plan for Ruth’s Marriage

¹Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I try to look for a home that would be good for you? ²Isn’t Boaz, whose young women you’ve been working with, our relative? He will be separating the barley from its husks on the threshing floor^atonight. ³Freshen up, put on some perfume, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. Don’t let him know that you’re there until he’s finished eating and drinking. ⁴When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will make it clear what you must do.” 

⁵Ruth answered her, “I will do whatever you say.” 

Ruth at the Feet of Boaz

⁶Ruth went to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother-in-law had directed her. ⁷Boaz had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain. Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 

⁸At midnight the man was shivering. When he turned over, he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet. ⁹“Who are you?” he asked. 

She answered, “I am Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative who can take care of me.” 

¹⁰Boaz replied, “May the Lord bless you, my daughter. This last kindness—that you didn’t go after the younger men, whether rich or poor—is better than the first. ¹¹Don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do whatever you say. The whole town knows that you are a woman who has strength of character. ¹²It is true that I am a close relative of yours, but there is a relative closer than I. ¹³Stay here tonight. In the morning if he will agree to take care of you, that is good. He can take care of you. But if he does not wish to take care of you, then, I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will take care of you myself. Lie down until morning.” 

Ruth Returns to Bethlehem

¹⁴So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up early before anyone could be recognized. At that moment Boaz thought to himself, “I hope that no one will ever know that this woman came to the threshing floor.” 

¹⁵Then Boaz told Ruth, “Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight.” So she held it tight while he measured out six measures of barley. Then he placed it on her ⸤back⸥ and went into the town. 

¹⁶When Ruth returned, her mother-in-law Naomi asked, “How did things go, my daughter?” 

Ruth told Naomi everything the man had done for her. ¹⁷She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley and told me not to come back to you empty-handed.” 

¹⁸Naomi replied, “Stay here, my daughter, until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest unless he settles this matter today.” 

4TH CHAPTER

Boaz Assumes Responsibility for Ruth

¹Boaz went to the city gate and sat there. Just then, the relative about whom he had spoken was passing by. Boaz said, “Please come over here and sit, my friend.” So the man came over and sat down. 

²Then Boaz chose ten men who were leaders of that city and said, “Sit here.” So they also sat down. 

³Boaz said to the man, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴So I said that I would inform you. Buy it in the presence of these men sitting here and in the presence of the leaders of our people. If you wish to buy back the property, you can buy back the property. But if you do not wish to buy back the property, tell me. Then I will know that I am next in line because there is no other relative except me.” 

The man said, “I’ll buy back the property.” 

⁵Boaz continued, “When you buy the field from Naomi, you will also assume responsibility for the Moabite Ruth, the dead man’s widow. This keeps the inheritance in the dead man’s name.” 

⁶The man replied, “In that case I cannot assume responsibility for her. If I did, I would ruin my inheritance. Take all my rights to buy back the property for yourself, because I cannot assume that responsibility.” 

⁷(This is the way it used to be in Israel concerning buying back property and exchanging goods: In order to make every matter legal, a man would take off his sandal and give it to the other man. This was the way a contract was publicly approved in Israel.) ⁸So when the man said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. 

⁹Then Boaz said to the leaders and to all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰In addition, I have bought as my wife the Moabite Ruth, Mahlon’s widow, to keep the inheritance in the dead man’s name. In this way the dead man’s name will not be cut off from his relatives or from the public records. Today you are witnesses.” 

¹¹All the people who were at the gate, including the leaders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this wife, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built our family of Israel. So show your strength of character in Ephrathah and make a name for yourself in Bethlehem. ¹²Also, from the descendant whom the Lord will give you from this young woman, may your family become like the family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave birth to for Judah.” 

Ruth Gives Birth to David’s Ancestor

¹³Then Boaz took Ruth home, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord gave her the ability to become pregnant. So she gave birth to a son. 

¹⁴The women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has remembered today to give you someone who will take care of you. The child’s name will be famous in Israel. ¹⁵He will bring you a new life and support you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you is better to you than seven sons, because she has given birth.” 

¹⁶Naomi took the child, held him on her lap, and became his guardian. 

¹⁷The women in the neighborhood said, “Naomi has a son.” So they gave him the name Obed. 

He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. 

The Ancestry of David

¹⁸This is the account of Perez and his family. 

Perez was the father of Hezron. 

¹⁹Hezron was the father of Ram. 

Ram was the father of Amminadab. 

²⁰Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. 

Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 

²¹Salmon was the father of Boaz. 

Boaz was the father of Obed. 

²²Obed was the father of Jesse. 

Jesse was the father of David.