Ruth 3

Revised Geneva Translation

3 Afterward, Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you; so that you may prosper?

² “Now, is Boaz (with whose maids you were) not also our kinsman? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the floor.

³ “Therefore, wash yourself and anoint yourself and put your clothes on and get down to the floor. Do not let the man know of you until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴ “And when he falls asleep, mark the place where he lays down; and go and uncover the place of his feet and lay down there. And he shall tell you what you shall do.”

⁵ And she answered her, “All that you ask of me, I will do.”

⁶ So she went down to the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law asked of her.

⁷ And when Boaz had finished eating and drinking, and cheered his heart, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. And she came, softly, and uncovered the place of his feet and lay down.

⁸ And at midnight, the man was afraid and woke up. And lo, a woman lay at his feet.

⁹ Then he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your handmaid. Spread the wing of your garment over your handmaid. For you are the kinsman.”

¹⁰ Then he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. For you have shown more goodness in the end than at the beginning. Inasmuch as you did not follow young men, were they poor or rich.”

¹¹ “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do to you all that you require. For all the city of my people knows that you are a virtuous woman.

¹² “And now, it is true that I am your kinsman. Although, there is a kinsman nearer than me.

¹³ “Stay here tonight. And when morning has come, if he will do the duty of a kinsman to you, well, let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the kinsman’s part, then will I do the duty of a kinsman, as the LORD lives. Sleep until the morning.”

¹⁴ And she lay at his feet until the morning. And she arose before dawn. For he said, “Let no man know that a woman came into the floor.”

¹⁵ Also, he said, “Bring the cloak that you have on and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley and laid them on her. And she went into the city.

¹⁶ And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “What happened, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done to her, and said, “He gave me these six measures of barley. For he said to me, ‘You shall not come empty to your mother-in-law.’”

¹⁷ Then she said, “My daughter, sit still until you know how things will go; for the man will not rest until he has finished the matter this same day.”