Boaz Will Redeem Ruth

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek [a]security for you, that it may be well with you? Now is not Boaz (A)our [b]kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. It shall be when he lies down, that you shall [c]notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” She said to her, “(B)All that you say I will do.”

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and (C)his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and [d]bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a [e]close relative.” 10 Then he said, “(D)May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you [f]ask, for all my people in the [g]city know that you are (E)a woman of excellence. 12 Now it is true I am a [h]close relative; however, there is a [i]relative closer than I. 13 Remain this night, and when morning comes, (F)if he will [j]redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to [k]redeem you, then I will redeem you, (G)as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “(H)Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then [l]she went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “[m]How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter [n]turns out; for the man will not rest until he has [o]settled it today.”

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 3:1 Lit rest
  2. Ruth 3:2 Or acquaintance
  3. Ruth 3:4 Lit know
  4. Ruth 3:8 Lit twisted himself
  5. Ruth 3:9 Or redeemer
  6. Ruth 3:11 Lit say
  7. Ruth 3:11 Lit gate
  8. Ruth 3:12 Or redeemer
  9. Ruth 3:12 Or redeemer
  10. Ruth 3:13 Or act as close relative to
  11. Ruth 3:13 Or act as close relative to
  12. Ruth 3:15 So with many mss; M.T. he
  13. Ruth 3:16 Lit Who are you?
  14. Ruth 3:18 Lit falls
  15. Ruth 3:18 Lit finished the matter

30 I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man (A)lacking [a]sense,
31 And behold, it was completely (B)overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with [b](C)nettles,
And its stone (D)wall was broken down.
32 When I saw, I [c]reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
33 (E)A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
34 Then your poverty will come as [d]a robber
And your want like [e]an armed man.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:30 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 24:31 I.e. a kind of weed
  3. Proverbs 24:32 Lit set my heart
  4. Proverbs 24:34 Or a vagabond; lit one who walks
  5. Proverbs 24:34 Lit a man with a shield

The Excellence of Love

13 If I speak with the (A)tongues of men and of (B)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a (C)clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of (D)prophecy, and know all (E)mysteries and all (F)knowledge; and if I have (G)all faith, so as to (H)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I (I)give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I (J)surrender my body [a]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Love (K)is patient, love is kind and (L)is not jealous; love does not brag and is not (M)arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it (N)does not seek its own, is not provoked, (O)does not take into account a wrong suffered, (P)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but (Q)rejoices with the truth; [b](R)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of [c](S)prophecy, they will be done away; if there are (T)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we (U)know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [d]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we (V)see in a mirror [e]dimly, but then (W)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also (X)have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the [f]greatest of these is (Y)love.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 13:3 Early mss read that I may boast
  2. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Or covers
  3. 1 Corinthians 13:8 Lit prophecies
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:11 Lit have become...have done away with
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:12 Lit in a riddle
  6. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Lit greater