Chapter 3 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?
And now, is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast?
Behold, he went with barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
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.
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.
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me, I will do.
And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her
mother-in-law bade her.
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.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned
himself.
And behold, a woman lay at his feet.
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.
And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, for thou hast showed more
kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followest not
young men, whether poor or rich.
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.
And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman, howbeit there is a kinsman nearer
than I.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me, for he said to me,
Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.
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.