Session 5 · While you wait

¹At that time, Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you so you will be secure.

²Now Boaz, with whose female servants you worked, is our close relative. Look, tonight he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor.

³So bathe yourself, rub on some perfumed oil, and get dressed up. Then go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let the man know you’re there until he finishes his meal.

⁴When he gets ready to go to sleep, take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs, and lie down beside him. He will tell you what you should do.”

⁵Ruth replied to Naomi, “I will do everything you have told me to do.”

⁶So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

⁷When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap. Then Ruth crept up quietly, uncovered his legs, and lay down beside him.

⁸In the middle of the night he was startled and turned over. Now he saw a woman lying beside him!

⁹He said, “Who are you?” She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant. Marry your servant, for you are a guardian of the family interests.”

¹⁰He said, “May you be rewarded by the Lord, my dear! This act of devotion is greater than what you did before. For you have not sought to marry one of the young men, whether rich or poor.

¹¹Now, my dear, don’t worry! I intend to do for you everything you propose, for everyone in the village knows that you are a worthy woman.

¹²Now yes, it is true that I am a guardian, but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am.

¹³Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you, fine, let him do so. But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you. Sleep here until morning.”

¹⁴So she slept beside him until morning. She woke up while it was still dark. Boaz thought, “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.”

¹⁵Then he said, “Hold out the shawl you are wearing and grip it tightly.” As she held it tightly, he measured out about 60 pounds of barley into the shawl and put it on her shoulders. Then he went into town,

¹⁶and she returned to her mother-in-law. When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did things turn out for you, my daughter?” Ruth told her about all the man had done for her.

¹⁷She said, “He gave me these 60 pounds of barley, for he said to me, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

¹⁸Then Naomi said, “Stay put, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”

¹Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

²Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor.

³Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor, but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

⁴It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lay down. Then he will tell you what to do.”

⁵She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.”

⁶She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her.

⁷When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and laid down.

⁸At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet.

⁹He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.”

¹⁰He said, “You are blessed by Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich.

¹¹Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman.

¹²Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I.

¹³Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until the morning.”

¹⁴She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

¹⁵He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city.

¹⁶When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” She told her all that the man had done for her.

¹⁷She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’”

¹⁸Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”