Ruth 3

Ruth’s Appeal to Boaz

3Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of? ²Now isn’t Boaz our relative? ^aHaven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

⁵So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.” ^b6She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her. ⁷After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, ^che went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley. Then she went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

⁸At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! ⁹So he asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Ruth, your slave,” she replied. “Spread your cloak ^dover me, ^efor you are a family redeemer.” ^f

¹⁰Then he said, “May the Lord bless you, ^gmy daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, ^hbecause you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, ⁱsince all the people in my town ^jknow that you are a woman of noble character. ^k12Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. ¹³Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. ^lLet him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, ^mI will. Now lie down until morning.”

¹⁴So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. ⁿThen Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a ^owoman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she ^pwent into the town.

¹⁶She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “How did it go, ^qmy daughter?”

Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. ¹⁷She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, ^r‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”

¹⁸Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”