路得麦场见波阿斯

一天,路得的婆婆拿俄米对她说:“我的女儿啊,我实在应该为你找个好归宿,使你生活幸福。 波阿斯不是我们的亲戚吗?而且你又常与他的女工在一起。今天晚上他会在麦场簸大麦。 你要梳洗打扮、抹上香膏、换件衣服,然后去麦场,但不要让他认出你是谁。等他吃饱喝足, 躺下睡觉的时候,你看准他躺卧的地方,去掀开盖在他脚上的被,躺在那里,到时他必定会告诉你该怎样做。” 路得说:“好,我一定照你的吩咐去做。”

于是,路得就到麦场去,照她婆婆吩咐的去做。 波阿斯吃过晚饭,心里舒畅,便躺在麦堆旁边睡着了。路得悄悄过去掀起盖在他脚上的被,躺在他脚旁。 到了半夜,波阿斯忽然惊醒,翻过身来,发现一个女子躺在他的脚旁, 便问道:“你是谁?”她答道:“我是你的婢女路得,请用你的衣襟遮盖我,因为你是我的近亲。” 10 波阿斯说:“姑娘,愿耶和华赐福给你,因为你一直对婆家情深义重,现在更是如此。你本来可以找一个或穷或富的年轻丈夫,然而你却没有这样做。 11 姑娘,不要怕,你所说的一切,我都会去为你安排,城里所有的人都知道你是个贤德的女子。 12 不错,我是你的近亲,可是有一个人比我更近。 13 你今晚就留在这里,明天早上,如果他答应尽亲属的义务,就由他照顾你;如果他不肯,我凭永活的耶和华起誓,我会尽我的本分。现在你只管安心睡觉吧。”

14 路得就躺在波阿斯的脚旁。天未亮,还看不清人的时候,路得就起来了。因为波阿斯曾对她说:“不可让别人知道有女人来过这里。” 15 离开的时候,波阿斯对她说:“把你的外衣拿来铺开。”路得就照做了。他用路得的外衣包了六簸箕大麦,帮她扛在肩上,她便回城了。 16 回到家中,婆婆问她:“女儿啊,怎么样了?”路得便将事情的经过都告诉了婆婆。 17 她又说:“那个人给了我六簸箕大麦,对我说,‘不要空手回去见你婆婆。’” 18 拿俄米说:“女儿啊!你只管安静等候,看这事怎样发展,因为那人今天不把事情办妥,是绝不会休息的。”

Afterward, Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you; so that you may prosper?

“Now, is Boaz (with whose maids you were) not also our kinsman? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the floor.

“Therefore, wash yourself and anoint yourself and put your clothes on and get down to the floor. Do not let the man know of you until he has finished eating and drinking.

“And when he falls asleep, mark the place where he lays down; and go and uncover the place of his feet and lay down there. And he shall tell you what you shall do.”

And she answered her, “All that you ask of me, I will do.”

So she went down to the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law asked of her.

And when Boaz had finished eating and drinking, and cheered his heart, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. And she came, softly, and uncovered the place of his feet and lay down.

And at midnight, the man was afraid and woke up. And lo, a woman lay at his feet.

Then he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your handmaid. Spread the wing of your garment over your handmaid. For you are the kinsman.”

10 Then he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. For you have shown more goodness in the end than at the beginning. Inasmuch as you did not follow young men, were they poor or rich.”

11 “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do to you all that you require. For all the city of my people knows that you are a virtuous woman.

12 “And now, it is true that I am your kinsman. Although, there is a kinsman nearer than me.

13 “Stay here tonight. And when morning has come, if he will do the duty of a kinsman to you, well, let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the kinsman’s part, then will I do the duty of a kinsman, as the LORD lives. Sleep until the morning.”

14 And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she arose before dawn. For he said, “Let no man know that a woman came into the floor.”

15 Also, he said, “Bring the cloak that you have on and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid them on her. And she went into the city.

16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “What happened, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done to her, and said, “He gave me these six measures of barley. For he said to me, ‘You shall not come empty to your mother-in-law.’”

17 Then she said, “My daughter, sit still until you know how things will go; for the man will not rest until he has finished the matter this same day.”