Ruth 3
EasyEnglish Bible
Ruth and Boaz
3 One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you. There you will have everything that you need. 2 You have worked with Boaz's women workers, and he is our relative. Tonight, he will be at the threshing floor where he prepares the barley seeds.[a] 3 So wash yourself carefully. Put some perfume on yourself. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor. Do not let Boaz know that you are there. Wait quietly until he has finished his food and drink. 4 After that, he will lie down to sleep. Then you will see where he is lying. Go and lift the cloth from over his feet. Lie down there. Then he will tell you what you should do.’
5 Ruth said, ‘I will do what you have said to me.’ 6 So she went down to the threshing floor. She did everything that Naomi had told her to do.
7 Boaz felt very happy when he had finished his food and drink. He lay down next to the heap of barley seeds. Ruth went to him very quietly. She lifted the cloth that covered his feet. Then she lay down there. 8 In the middle of the night, something caused Boaz to wake up suddenly. When he turned over, he saw a woman who was lying there at his feet!
9 He asked, ‘Who are you?’ Ruth replied, ‘I am your servant, Ruth. You are our family-redeemer, so please cover me with the corner of your cloth.’[b]
10 Boaz replied, ‘Young woman, I pray that the Lord will bless you. You have already been very kind to Naomi. Now you have been even more kind to me. You have not tried to marry a man who is younger than me, whether he is rich or poor. 11 So, young woman, do not be afraid. All the people in this town know that you are a good woman. I will do everything for you that you have asked me to do. 12 It is true that I am a family-redeemer for your family. But there is another relative who is nearer to your family than I am. 13 Stay here for this night. In the morning, we will see what to do. If this relative wants to take care of you, let him do it. If he does not agree, then I will do it. As surely as the Lord lives, I will do it. So just lie here until the morning.’
14 So Ruth lay beside Boaz's feet until morning arrived. Then she got up before anyone could see her. Boaz said to her, ‘Nobody must know that a woman came here to the threshing floor.’
15 He said to Ruth, ‘Bring me the coat that you are wearing.’ She brought the coat to him. Then Boaz poured six bowls of barley seeds onto it. He tied it together and put it on her shoulder. Later, he returned to the town.
16 When Ruth returned home to Naomi, Naomi asked her, ‘My daughter, what happened last night?’ Then Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her. 17 She said to Naomi, ‘He also gave me all this barley. He said, “Do not return to Naomi with nothing to give to her.” ’
18 Naomi said, ‘My daughter, you must be patient. We must wait to see what will happen. Boaz will surely do what he needs to do today.’
Footnotes
- 3:2 Boaz had brought all his barley from his fields to a place called the threshing floor. The grains of barley had two parts called the seed and the chaff. People used the seeds to make food. So they had to make the seed separate from the chaff. Boaz would take all the good seed from the barley. Then he would keep it safe to eat later that year.
- 3:9 This was a way that a woman could ask a man to marry her. Naomi wanted Boaz to marry Ruth. So she had told Ruth to do this.
Ruth 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Then Naomi her chamot said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek manoach (a resting place) for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 And now is not Boaz our relative, with whose ne’arot thou wast? Hinei, he winnoweth haseorim halailah in the threshing floor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing floor; but make not thyself known unto the Ish, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the makom (place) where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 And she said unto her, Kol that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the threshing floor, and did according to kol that her chamot bade her.
7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his lev was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
8 And it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, hinei, an isha lay at his feet!
9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid; spread therefore thy robe over thine amah (handmaid); for thou art a Go’el (Redeemer).
10 And he said, Berukhah at laHashem, my daughter; for thou hast showed more chesed in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not the bochurim, whether poor or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest; for kol sha’ar ami doth have da’as that thou art an aishes chayil (virtuous woman, Prov 31).
12 And now it is true that I am thy Go’el; howbeit there is a Go’el karov mimeini (Redeemer nearer than I).
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the boker, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a Go’el, well; let him do the Go’el’s part; let him redeem you. But if he will not do the part of a Go’el to thee, then will I do the part of a Go’el to thee, as Hashem liveth. Lie down until HaBoker.
14 And she lay at his feet until HaBoker; and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that an isha came into the threshing floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the mitpachat (shawl) that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of seorim (barley) and laid it on her; and she went into the town.
16 And when she came to her chamot, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that HaIsh had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measures of seorim gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty-handed unto thy chamot (mother-in-law).
18 Then said she, Wait, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for HaIsh will not rest until the matter is settled HaYom.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International