Ruth 3
1 And she lodged with her
mother-in-law: and Noemin her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I
not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 And now
is not Booz our kinsman, with whose damsels thou
wast? behold, he winnows barley this night in the floor.
3 But do thou wash, and anoint
thyself, and put thy raiment upon thee, and go up to the threshing-floor: do
not discover thyself to the man until he has done eating and drinking.
4 And it shall come to pass when he
lies down, that thou shalt mark the place where he lies down, and shalt come
and lift up the covering of his feet, and shalt lie down; and he shall tell
thee what thou shalt do. 5 And Ruth
said to her, All that thou shalt say, I will do.
6 And she went down to the
threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her.
7 And Booz ate and drank, and his
heart was glad, and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of corn; and
she came secretly, and lifted up the covering of his feet.
8 And it came to pass at midnight that
the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 And he said, Who art thou? and she
said, I am thine handmaid Ruth; spread therefore thy skirt over thine
handmaid, for thou art a near relation.
10 And Booz said, Blessed
be thou of the Lord God,
my daughter, for thou hast made thy latter kindness
greater than the former, in that thou followest not after young men, whether
any be poor or rich.
11 And now fear not, my daughter,
whatever thou shalt say I will do to thee; for all the tribe of my people
knows that thou art a virtuous woman.
12 And now I am truly akin to thee;
nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Lodge
here for the night, and it shall be in the morning,
if he will do the part of a kinsman to thee, well—let him do it: but if he
will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, I will do the kinsman's part to
thee, as the Lord lives; lie down till the morning.
14 And she lay at his feet until the
morning; and she rose up before a man could know his neighbour; and Booz said,
Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15 And he said to her, Bring the
apron that is upon thee: and she held it, and he measured six measures of
barley, and put them upon her, and she went into the city.
16 And Ruth went in to her
mother-in-law, and she said to her, My daughter! and
Ruth told her all that the man had done to her.
17 And she said to her, He gave me
these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Go not empty to thy
mother-in-law. 18 And she said, Sit
still, my daughter, until thou shalt know how the
matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until the matter be
accomplished this day.