Ruth 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?

Naomi, her mother-in-law, asked her with deep concern, "My dear, shouldn't I find you a settled home, where all will be well with you?"

And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

Isn't Boaz, our relative, the one you've been working with? Look, he's separating the barley at the threshing floor tonight.

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.

Cleanse yourself, put on perfume, dress up, and head down to the threshing floor. But don't reveal yourself to the man until he's finished 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.

When he falls asleep, take note of where he's resting. Quietly approach, gently uncover his feet, and lie down. He will then guide you on what to do next.

And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

She promised her, "I'll follow all your words with my whole heart."

And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

She obediently went down to the threshing floor, faithfully following every instruction given by her mother-in-law.

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.

After Boaz enjoyed his meal and drink, feeling joyful and content, he decided to rest beside the pile of grain. She approached quietly, gently revealing his feet, and then she too settled down to rest.

And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

At the stroke of midnight, fear gripped the man. He spun around and to his surprise, found a woman lying 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.

He asked, "Who are you?" She replied, "I am Ruth, your humble servant. Please, offer me your protection, for we are closely related."

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.

He expressed, "God truly favors you, my dear. Your kindness has grown even more radiant over time. You haven't gone after the young men, whether rich or poor."

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.

Don't worry, my child, I'll do everything you ask. Everyone in our city recognizes your goodness and virtue.

And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

Indeed, I am related to you, but there's someone even closer to you than I am.

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.

Stay here tonight, and by morning, we'll know. If he chooses to fulfill his duty as your relative, that's great; let him. But if he refuses, I promise, I'll step in and take care of you, as sure as God is alive. Rest until dawn.

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.

She lay at his feet all night, leaving before dawn to avoid recognition. He urged, "Let no one know a woman was here."

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.

He gently instructed, "Bring the shawl you're wearing and hold it out." As she did, he filled it with six measures of barley, a generous gift. With the weight of his kindness in her arms, she returned to the city, heart full.

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.

When she returned to her mother-in-law, her mother-in-law asked, "How did it go, my child?" She then poured out her heart, sharing everything that the man had done for 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.

She joyfully shared, "He generously gave me six measures of barley, insisting that I should not return to my mother-in-law empty-handed."

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.

She gently told her daughter, "Stay calm, my child, until we see how things turn out. The man won't rest until he resolves this issue today."