New Living Translation

New King James Version

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for.

1

Ruth’s Redemption Assured

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security[a] for you, that it may be well with you?

2

Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.

2

Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

3

Now do as I tell you — take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.

3

Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

4

Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”

4

Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

5

“I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.

5

And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

6

So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.

6

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her.

7

After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

7

And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8

Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet!

8

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.

9

“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”

9

And he said, “Who are you?”
So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take[b] your maidservant under your wing, for you are a [c]close relative.”

10

“The LORD bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor.

10

Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.

11

Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.

11

And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.

12

But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am.

12

Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.

13

Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”

13

Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you — good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

14

So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.”

14

So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

15

Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoopsa of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then heb returned to the town.

15

Also he said, “Bring the [d]shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then [e]she went into the city.

16

When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?”
Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her,

16

When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, [f]“Is that you, my daughter?”
Then she told her all that the man had done for her.

17

and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

17

And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

18

Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”

18

Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

Parallel

New Living Translation

New King James Version

Ruth 3

Ruth 3