1 T hen Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not look for a home for you, so all will be well with you?

¶ 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 I s not Boaz of our family, with whose women servants you were? See, he is dividing the grain from the waste at his grain-floor tonight.

And now is not Boaz of our kindred with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnows barley tonight in the threshing floor.

3 S o wash yourself. Pour oil on yourself and wear your best clothes. Then go down to the grain-floor. But do not let the man know who you are until he has finished eating and drinking.

Therefore, thou shalt wash thyself and anoint thyself and put thy raiment upon thee and go down to the threshingfloor, but do not make thyself known unto the man until he shall have finished eating and drinking.

4 W hen he lies down, watch where he lies. Go in and take the covers off his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

And it shall be when he lies down that thou shalt perceive the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet and lie down there, and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

5 R uth said to her, “I will do all that you say.”

And she said unto her, All that thou dost command me I will do.

6 S o Ruth went down to the grain-floor and did all her mother-in-law had told her to do.

¶ And she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

7 W hen Boaz had finished eating and drinking and his heart was happy, he went to lie down beside the grain. Then Ruth came in secret. She took the covers off his feet and lay down.

And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap, and she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

8 T he man was surprised late in the night. He turned and saw that a woman was lying at his feet.

And it came to pass at midnight that the man was startled and took hold, and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

9 H e said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth, your woman servant. Spread your covering over me. For you are of our family.”

Then he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thy handmaid; spread therefore the edge of thy mantle over thy handmaid; for thou art a redeemer.

10 A nd Boaz said, “May the Lord bring good to you, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than your first by not going after young men, with or without riches.

And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter, for thou hast shown more mercy in the end than at the first, not going after the young men, whether poor or rich.

11 N ow my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do for you whatever you ask. For all my people in the city know that you are a good woman.

And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do unto thee all that thou hast said, for all the city of my people know that thou art a valiant woman.

12 I t is true that I am of your family. But there is one closer than I.

And now it is true that I am thy redeemer; however, there is another redeemer nearer than I (in kinship).

13 S tay this night. In the morning, if he will have you for his own, let him take you. But if he does not want to have you, then I will take you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”

Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning that if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem thee, but if he does not wish to redeem, then I will redeem thee, as the LORD lives; lie down until the morning.

14 S o Ruth lay at his feet until morning. She got up before the people could see each other. For Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the grain-floor.”

¶ 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 the woman has come to the threshing floor.

15 A nd he said, “Bring the coat you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he loaded her with six jars full of grain. Then she went into the city.

Also he said, Bring the veil 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 W hen she came to her mother-in-law, Naomi said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And Ruth told her all that the man had done for her.

And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, What now, my daughter? And she told her all that had happened to her with the man.

17 S he said, “He gave me these six jars full of grain. For he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law with empty hands.’”

And she said, He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, Do not go empty unto thy mother-in-law.

18 N aomi said, “Wait until you know what is going to happen, my daughter. For the man will not rest until the thing is decided upon today.”

Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou shall know how the matter will fall, for that man will not rest until he has concluded the thing today.