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Ruth 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ruth 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ruth’s Appeal to Boaz
3 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our relative?(A) Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”
5 So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.”[a] 6 She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits,[b] he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley. Then she went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! 9 So he asked, “Who are you?”
“I am Ruth, your slave,” she replied. “Spread your cloak[c] over me,(B) for you are a family redeemer.”(C)
10 Then he said, “May the Lord bless you,(D) my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before,[d] because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say,[e] since all the people in my town[f] know that you are a woman of noble character.(E) 12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good.(F) Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives,(G) I will. Now lie down until morning.”
14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark.[g] Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a[h] woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she[i] went into the town.
16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “How did it go,[j] my daughter?”
Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said,[k] ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”
Footnotes
- Ruth 3:5 Alt Hb tradition reads say to me
- Ruth 3:7 Lit and his heart was glad
- Ruth 3:9 Or Spread the edge of your garment; lit Spread the wing of your garment; Ru 2:12
- Ruth 3:10 Lit kindness at the last than at the first
- Ruth 3:11 Some Hb mss, Orig, Syr, Tg, Vg read say to me
- Ruth 3:11 Lit all the gate of my people
- Ruth 3:14 Lit up before a man could recognize his companion
- Ruth 3:14 LXX; MT reads the
- Ruth 3:15 Some Hb mss, Aram, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read he
- Ruth 3:16 Lit Who are you
- Ruth 3:17 Alt Hb tradition, LXX, Syr, Tg read said to me
Ruth 3
La Bible du Semeur
Ruth 3
La Bible du Semeur
La demande de Ruth
3 Noémi, la belle-mère de Ruth, lui dit un jour : Ma fille, je ne veux pas négliger de te chercher une situation qui te rende heureuse. 2 Tu sais que Booz, avec les servantes duquel tu as travaillé, est notre parent. Ce soir il doit vanner l’orge amassée dans l’aire. 3 Lave-toi donc et parfume-toi, puis mets tes plus beaux habits et rends-toi à l’aire où il bat son orge[a]. Mais ne fais pas connaître ta présence avant qu’il ait fini de manger et de boire. 4 Quand il se couchera pour dormir, note bien l’endroit où il s’installe, approche-toi, écarte la couverture pour lui découvrir les pieds et puis, couche-toi là. Il te dira alors ce que tu devras faire.
5 Ruth lui répondit : Je ferai tout ce que tu me dis.
6 Elle descendit dans l’aire et suivit toutes les instructions de sa belle-mère. 7 Booz mangea et but et il fut très content, puis il alla se coucher au bord du tas d’orge. Alors Ruth s’approcha tout doucement, elle écarta la couverture pour découvrir ses pieds et se coucha là. 8 Au milieu de la nuit, Booz eut un frisson, il se pencha en avant et s’aperçut qu’une femme était couchée à ses pieds.
9 – Qui es-tu ? lui demanda-t-il.
– Je suis Ruth, ta servante. Veuille me prendre sous ta protection[b] car, en tant que proche parent, tu es responsable de moi.
10 – Que l’Eternel te bénisse, ma fille, lui dit-il. Ce que tu viens de faire est une preuve d’amour envers ta belle-mère encore plus grande que ce que tu as déjà fait. En effet, tu aurais pu courir après les jeunes hommes, qu’ils soient pauvres ou riches. 11 Maintenant, ma fille, ne t’inquiète pas : je ferai pour toi tout ce que tu demandes, car tous les gens de l’endroit savent que tu es une femme de valeur. 12 Il est vrai que j’ai envers toi la responsabilité d’un proche parent, mais il existe un parent plus direct que moi. 13 Passe ici la fin de la nuit, et demain matin nous verrons si cet homme veut s’acquitter envers toi de sa responsabilité de proche parent. Si oui, qu’il le fasse. S’il refuse, je te promets, aussi vrai que l’Eternel est vivant[c], que je m’en acquitterai envers toi. En attendant, reste couchée jusqu’au matin !
14 Elle resta couchée à ses pieds jusqu’au matin, puis elle se leva au petit jour avant que l’on puisse se reconnaître, car Booz avait dit : Il ne faut pas que l’on sache qu’une femme est venue sur l’aire. 15 Avant qu’elle parte, il lui dit : Donne la cape que tu portes, tiens-la bien !
Elle la tint ainsi, et il y versa vingt-cinq litres d’orge et l’aida à les charger sur elle, puis elle rentra à la ville[d].
16 Quand elle arriva chez sa belle-mère, celle-ci lui demanda : Comment les choses se sont-elles passées, ma fille ?
Alors Ruth lui raconta tout ce que cet homme avait fait pour elle. 17 Elle ajouta : Il m’a même donné ces vingt-cinq litres d’orge, car il m’a dit : « Tu ne retourneras pas les mains vides auprès de ta belle-mère. »
18 Noémi lui dit : Maintenant, ma fille, reste là jusqu’à ce que tu saches comment les choses tourneront, car cet homme ne se donnera aucun répit avant d’avoir réglé cette affaire aujourd’hui.
Footnotes
- 3.3 L’orge était battue par les animaux durant la journée. On profitait de la brise du soir pour la vanner : on jetait en l’air des pelletées de grains mélangés à la paille et à la bale. Le vent emportait ces dernières, le grain, plus lourd, retombait sur l’aire.
- 3.9 Voir 2.12. Littéralement : Etends sur moi ton aile ou le pan de ton manteau (même mot) : en signe de protection matrimoniale. Lors du mariage, le marié étendait un pan de son manteau au-dessus de sa fiancée pour symboliser cette protection.
- 3.13 Formule de serment : puisque l’Eternel est vivant, il veillera à l’exécution de la promesse.
- 3.15 D’après certains manuscrits hébreux, la version syriaque et la Vulgate. Le texte hébreu traditionnel a : il rentra…
Ruth 3
King James Version
Ruth 3
King James Version
3 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the 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, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning.
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
Ruth 3
New International Version
Ruth 3
New International Version
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi(A) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a](B) for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative(C) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.(D) 3 Wash,(E) put on perfume,(F) and get dressed in your best clothes.(G) Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.(H) 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do whatever you say,”(I) Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor(J) and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits,(K) he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile.(L) Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment(M) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer[b](N) of our family.”
10 “The Lord bless you,(O) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:(P) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.(Q) 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family,(R) there is another who is more closely related than(S) I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer,(T) good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives(U) I will do it.(V) Lie here until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.(W)”(X)
15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl(Y) you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he[c] went back to town.
16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”(Z)
Footnotes
- Ruth 3:1 Hebrew find rest (see 1:9)
- Ruth 3:9 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 12 and 13.
- Ruth 3:15 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac she
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
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New International Version (NIV) 
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