Ruth 3
Lexham English Bible
Ruth Meets Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 Now Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek for you security that things may be good for you? 2 So then, is not Boaz our kinsman whose maidservants you were with? Look, he is winnowing the barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 Wash, 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. 4 And 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.” 5 And she said to her, “I will do all that you say.”
6 And she went down to the threshing floor and did all that her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 And 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. 8 And 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. 9 And 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.” 10 And 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. 11 And 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. 12 Now truly I am a redeemer, but there is also a redeemer of a closer relationship than me. 13 Stay 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.”
14 So 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.” 15 And 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. 16 And 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. 17 And 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.’” 18 And 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.”
Footnotes
- Ruth 3:4 Literally “open”
- Ruth 3:7 Literally “good”
- Ruth 3:7 Literally “opened”
- Ruth 3:9 Literally “your wing”
- Ruth 3:13 Literally “Spend the night tonight”
- Ruth 3:13 Literally “the life of Yahweh”
- Ruth 3:14 Literally “a man could recognize his friend”
- Ruth 3:14 Literally “the woman”
- Ruth 3:15 Literally “hold on her”
- Ruth 3:16 Literally “who are you?”
Ruth 3
New Living Translation
Ruth at the Threshing Floor
3 One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. 2 Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.
7 After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. 12 But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”
14 So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops[a] of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he[b] returned to the town.
16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, 17 and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”
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