Ruth 3–4

Ruth Meets Boaz at the Threshing Floor

3Now Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek for you security that things may be good for you? ²So then, is not Boaz our kinsman whose maidservants you were with? Look, he is winnowing the barley at the threshing floor tonight. ³Wash, anoint yourself, put your clothing on, and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man until he finishes eating and drinking. ⁴And when he lies, take notice of the place where he lies. And you shall go and uncover^a his feet and lie down, and he shall tell you what to do.” ⁵And she said to her, “I will do all that you say.”

⁶And she went down to the threshing floor and did all that her mother-in-law had instructed her. ⁷And Boaz ate and drank until his heart was merry^b and then he came to lie at the end of the grain heap. And she came in quietly and uncovered^c his feet and lay down. ⁸And it happened in the middle of the night the man was startled and he reached out and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. ⁹And he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your garment^d over your servant because you are a redeemer.” ¹⁰And he said, “You are blessed by Yahweh my daughter. You did better in this last kindness than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹And so then my daughter, do not be afraid. All that you ask I will do for you, for the entire assembly of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. ¹²Now truly I am a redeemer, but there is also a redeemer of a closer relationship than me. ¹³Stay tonight,^e and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good; but if he is not willing to redeem, then as Yahweh lives,^f I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

¹⁴So she lay at his feet until morning and got up before anyone could recognize each other.^g And he said, “It must not be known that you^h came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵And he said, “Bring the cloak that is on you and hold it out.”ⁱ And she held it out and he measured six measures of barley and put it on her cloak. Then she went into the city. ¹⁶And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “How did it go for you,^j my daughter?” And she told her all that the man did for her. ¹⁷And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘You shall not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” ¹⁸And she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Boaz Redeems Ruth

4And Boaz had gone up to the city gate and sat there. And look, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. And he said, “Come over here to sit, friend.”^a And he came over and sat. ²And he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit here.” And they sat. ³And he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who returned from the countryside of Moab, is selling the tract of land which was for our brother Elimelech. ⁴And I thought I would tell you^b and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of^c those sitting and before the elders of my people,’ if you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not want to redeem, tell me so that I may know, for there is no one except you to redeem it, and I am after you.” And he said, “I want to redeem it.” ⁵And Boaz said, “On the day of your acquiring the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to raise up for the name of the dead his inheritance.” ⁶And the redeemer said, “I am not able to redeem for myself, lest I ruin my inheritance. You redeem for yourself my kinsman-redemption, for I am not able to redeem it.”

⁷(Now this was the custom in former times^d in Israel concerning the kinsman-redemption and transfer of property: to confirm the matter, a man removed his sandal and gave it to his fellow countryman. This was the manner of attesting in Israel.) ⁸So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” and he removed his sandal. ⁹And Boaz said to the elders and all of the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that was for Elimelech and that was for Kilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. ¹⁰And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired as a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his relatives and from the gate of his birth place. You are witnesses today.” ¹¹And all of the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman coming into your house as Rachel and as Leah, who together^e built the house of Israel. May you have strength in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem. ¹²And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah from the offspring that Yahweh will give to you from this young woman.”

The Lineage of King David

¹³So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and Yahweh enabled her to conceive,^f and she bore a son. ¹⁴And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh who today did not leave you without a redeemer!^g And may his name be renowned in Israel! ¹⁵He shall be for you a restorer of life and a sustainer in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better for you than seven sons, has borne him.” ¹⁶And Naomi took the child and she put him on her bosom and became his nurse. ¹⁷And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, ¹⁹and Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, ²⁰and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, ²¹and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, ²²and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.