¹⁰ When they came to ·the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or the threshing floor of the bramble], near the Jordan River, they ·cried loudly and bitterly for his father [^Llamented there with a great and exceedingly strong lament]. Joseph’s time of ·sorrow [mourning] continued for seven days.

¹¹ The people that lived in Canaan saw the ·sadness [mourning] at the threshing floor of Atad [or Goren-ha-atad; or threshing floor of the bramble] and said, “Those Egyptians are ·showing great sorrow [intense in their mourning]!” So now that place is named ·Sorrow of the Egyptians [or Abel-mizraim].

³⁷ [^LLook; ^TBehold] I will put ·some wool [a wool fleece] on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the ·wool [fleece] but all of the ground is dry, then I will know that you will ·use me to save Israel [^Lsave Israel by my hand], as you said.”

² Now Boaz, whose ·young women [female servants] you worked with, is our close relative [^Cand so an appropriate guardian/kinsman-redeemer to marry Ruth; 2:20]. [^LLook; ^TBehold] Tonight he will be ·working [^Lwinnowing barley] at the threshing floor. ³ Wash yourself, put on perfume, ·change your clothes [or get dressed up; or put on your cloak], and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished ·his dinner [^Leating and drinking]. ⁴ Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and ·lift the cover off [uncover] his ·feet [or legs; ^Cevidently an appeal for marriage] and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”

⁵ Then Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”

⁶ So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law ·told [instructed; commanded] her to do. ⁷ After ·his evening meal [^Lhe had eaten and drunk], ·Boaz felt good [^Lhis heart was good/pleased] and went to sleep lying ·beside [at the end of] the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.

⁸ About midnight Boaz ·was startled [or shuddered] and rolled over. [^LAnd look/^Tbehold] There was a woman lying near his feet! ⁹ Boaz asked, “Who are you?”

She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread ·your cover [or the corner of your garment; or your wings; 2:12] over me [^Ca request for the provision and protection of marriage], because you are a ·relative who is supposed to take care of me [guardian; kinsman-redeemer; 2:20].”

¹⁰ Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This [second; ^Llast] act of kindness is greater than the ·kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning [^Lfirst]. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. ¹¹ Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a ·good [worthy; noble] woman [Prov. 31:10]. ¹² It is true that I am a ·relative who is to take care of you [guardian; kinsmen-redeemer; 2:20], but you have a closer relative than I. ¹³ Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if he will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you. If he decides to ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will ·take care of [be a guardian for; redeem] you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So ·stay here [^Llie down] until morning.”

¹⁴ So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, “People in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing floor.”

David Saves the People of Keilah

23 ·Someone told [News came to; ^LThey told] David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting ·against [at] Keilah and ·stealing grain from [^Lrobbing; plundering; looting] the threshing floors.”

The Ark Is Brought to Jerusalem^(A)

6 David again gathered all the ·chosen men [elite troops] of Israel—thirty thousand of them. ² Then he and all his people went to Baalah in Judah [^Canother name for Kiriath Jearim] to bring back the Ark of God [Ex. 25:10; 1 Sam. 7:2–3]. The Ark is called by the Name, the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts], ·whose throne is [^Lwho is enthroned] ·between [or above; or on] the ·gold creatures with wings [^Lcherubim; Ex. 25:18–22]. ³ They put the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of Abinadab’s house on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, ·led [guided; drove] the new cart ⁴ which had the Ark of God on it. Ahio was walking in front of it. ⁵ David and all the Israelites were celebrating in the presence of the Lord. They were playing wooden instruments: lyres, harps, tambourines, ·rattles [castanets], and cymbals.

⁶ When David’s men came to the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen ·stumbled [or made it tilt]. So Uzzah reached out ·to steady [^Land took hold of] the Ark of God. ⁷ The ·Lord was angry with [^LLord’s anger burned against] Uzzah and [^Lhe] ·killed him [^Lstruck him down there] because of what he did. So Uzzah died there beside the Ark of God. ⁸ David ·was angry because the Lord had killed [^Lresented the Lord’s outburst of anger against] Uzzah. ·Now [^LTo this day] that place is called ·the Punishment of Uzzah [Outburst upon/against Uzzah; ^LPerez-uzzah].

⁹ David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the Ark of the Lord come ·to me [into my care] now?” ¹⁰ So David ·would not [^Lwas unwilling to] move the Ark of the Lord to be with him in ·Jerusalem [^Lthe City of David]. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom, ·a man from Gath [the Gittite]. ¹¹ The Ark of the Lord stayed in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his ·family [household].

¹² The people told David, “The Lord has blessed the ·family [household] of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because the Ark of God is there.” So David went and brought it up from Obed-Edom’s house to Jerusalem with ·joy [gladness; a great celebration]. ¹³ When the men carrying the Ark of the Lord had walked six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a ·fat calf [fat sheep; ^Lfatling]. ¹⁴ Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen ·vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. ¹⁵ David and all the Israelites shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

¹⁶ As the Ark of the Lord came into the city [^Lof David], Saul’s daughter Michal looked out the window. When she saw David ·jumping [leaping] and ·dancing [whirling] in the presence of the Lord, she ·hated him [^Ldespised/had contempt for him in her heart].

¹⁷ David put up a tent for the Ark of the Lord, and then the Israelites put it in its place inside the tent. David offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] before the Lord. ¹⁸ When David finished offering the whole burnt offerings and the ·fellowship [peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1], he blessed the people in the name of the Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ¹⁹ David gave a loaf of bread, a ·cake [cluster] of dates, and a ·cake [cluster] of raisins to ·every Israelite [^Lthe whole multitude/crowd of Israel], both men and women. Then all the people went home.

²⁰ David went back to bless ·the people in his home [his household/family], but Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. She said, “·With what honor [How] the king of Israel ·acted [distinguished himself] today! You ·took off your clothes [exposed/uncovered/displayed yourself] in front of the servant girls of your officers like ·one who takes off his clothes without shame [any vulgar/foolish/shameless fellow might do]!”

²¹ Then David said to Michal, “I did it ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. The Lord chose me, ·not [over; above] your father ·or anyone from Saul’s family [and all his house]. The Lord appointed me ·to be [ruler; leader; prince] over Israel. So I will celebrate ·in the presence of [before] the Lord. ²² Maybe I will ·lose even more honor [become even more lightly esteemed/contemptible/undignified], and maybe I will be ·brought down in my own opinion [humbled in my own eyes], but the ·girls [maids; servant girls] you talk about will honor me!”

²³ And Saul’s daughter Michal had no children to the day she died.