1 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.
