Ruth 3
New Century Version
Naomi’s Plan
3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a suitable home for you, one that will be good for you. 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you worked with, is our close relative.[a] Tonight he will be working at the threshing floor. 3 Wash yourself, put on perfume, change your clothes, and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished his dinner. 4 Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and lift the cover off his feet[b] 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 her to do. 7 After his evening meal, Boaz felt good and went to sleep lying beside 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 and rolled over. 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 over me, because you are a relative who is supposed to take care of me.”[c]
10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This act of kindness is greater than the kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning. 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 woman. 12 It is true that I am a relative who is to take care of you, 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 you. If he decides to take care of you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will take care of you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So stay here 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.” 15 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring me your shawl and hold it open.”
So Ruth held her shawl open, and Boaz poured six portions of barley into it. Boaz then put it on her head and went back to the city.
16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did you do, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything that Boaz did for her. 17 She said, “Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, saying, ‘You must not go home without a gift for your mother-in-law.’”
18 Naomi answered, “Ruth, my daughter, wait here until you see what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today.”
Footnotes
- 3:2 close relatives In Bible times the closest relative could marry a widow without children so she could have children. He would care for this family, but they and their property would not belong to him. They would belong to the dead husband.
- 3:4 lift . . . feet This showed Ruth was asking him to be her husband.
- 3:9 Spread . . . me By this, Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her.
Ruth 3
Modern English Version
Ruth’s Redemption
3 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, why should I not find a home that will be good for you? 2 Now is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you have been working? Tonight he winnows barley on the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Go in and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what you will do.”
5 She said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did all that her mother-in-law had instructed.
7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight, the man was startled and rolled over; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.
9 He said, “Who are you?”
And she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Spread your cloak over me, for you are a redeeming kinsman.”
10 He said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last act of kindness to be greater than the first, because you have not pursued young men, whether poor or rich. 11 So now, my daughter, do not worry. All that you ask me, I will do for you. All of my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Now it is true that I am a redeeming kinsman. Yet there is another redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, very well. Let him do so. Yet if he does not want to redeem you, then I will redeem you. I will, as the Lord lives! Sleep here until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “It must not be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 He said, “Bring me the shawl you have on you, and hold it.” So she held it, and he poured six measures of barley into it and placed it on her. Then she went into the city.
16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi said, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her all that Boaz had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six ephahs of barley, for he said to me, ‘Do not return to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
18 Then Naomi said, “Wait here, my daughter, until you learn what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.