Ruth Chapter 3

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

¹ Then Naomi told her,

“Let me find a permanent home for you so things will go well for you. ² Isn’t Boaz our relative the one whose maids you were with? ³ Take a bath, anoint yourself, put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor. Don’t make yourself known to him till he’s finished eating. ⁴ Notice where he lies down and go uncover his feet and lie down. He’ll tell you what to do.” [ ⁵ ]

⁶ She went down to the threshing floor and did that. ⁷ When Boaz had eaten and drunk and was enjoying himself, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of grain. She came secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night, he was startled and bent forward, and a woman was lying at his feet.                                                                                              

Ruth 3:1-8

⁹ He said, “Who are you?”

“I’m Ruth. Spread your covering over me. You’re a close relative.”

¹⁰ “The LORD bless you, my daughter. You’ve shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after younger men, rich or poor. ¹¹ Don’t worry. I’ll do what you ask, because my people in town know you’re an excellent woman. ¹² I am a close relative, but there’s one closer. ¹³ Stay tonight; in the morning, if he’ll redeem you, all right. If he doesn’t want to, I will, as sure as the LORD lives. Lie down till morning.”

¹⁴ She lay at his feet till morning and got up before people could recognize one another. He said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor. ¹⁵ Hold out the cloak you’re wearing.” She held it out, and he laid six measures of barley on her, and she went into town.

¹⁶ When she got to her mother-in-law, she asked her what happened.

 She told her what he’d done, ¹⁷ “He gave me these six measures of barley and said not to go to my mother-in-law empty-handed.”

¹⁸ “Wait till you find out how the matter goes. He won’t rest till he’s settled it today.”