3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law No’omi (Naomi) said to her, “My daughter, I think I need to be finding a secure living situation for you? 2 Now, Boaz whose servant girls you’ve been working with, he’s a relative of ours. In fact, he’ll be on the threshing floor winnowing barley tonight. 3 So wash yourself and put on some perfume. Wear your cloak and go out to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you’re there until he’s finished eating and drinking. 4 Then when he lies down to sleep, pay attention to where he lies down. Once he’s asleep, go and lift the blanket near his feet and lie down. Then he’ll tell you what to do next.”

5 “I’ll do everything you say,” Ruth answered, 6 then she went out to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was feeling cheery, he went off to lie down at the end of the pile of grain. Then Ruth quietly followed him, and uncovered his feet and lay down there. 8 But Boaz was startled in the middle of the night, and when he turned over he was stunned to find a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.

“I’m your servant Ruth,” she replied, “Spread your cloak over me[fn] because you have a responsibility as our close relative.”

10 “My dear girl, may Yahweh bless you.” Boaz replied, “You have shown more kindness now that before,[fn] because you haven’t chased after the young men, whether rich or poor. 11 So now dear girl, don’t be afraid. I’ll do what you’ve asked for, because the whole town knows that you’re an honourable woman. 12 It is true that I have a responsibility towards your family,[ref] but there’s another man who’s more closely related to you all than me. 13 Stay here for the rest of the night, and then in the morning, if he’ll accept then he can marry you. But if he’s not willing to take care of you, then as Yahweh lives, I’ll do it myself. Now lie down here until morning.”

14 So Ruth lay there near his feet until morning, but she got up before it was light enough to be recognised as Boaz had said, “It’s best if no one knows that a woman visited the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said, “Bring your cloak here and hold it out.” So she held it while he poured a generous amount of barley into it, and lifted it onto her shoulder. Then he or she[fn] went into the town. 16 When Ruth got home, her mother-in-law asked her, “My daughter, how did everything go?”

So Ruth told her everything that Boaz had said and done for her 17 and she also said, “He gave me all this barley because he told me that he didn’t want me to return to my mother-in-law empty-handed.”

18 “Okay my daughter,” No’omi (Naomi) responded. “Wait now until we see what happens, because that man won’t rest today until the matter gets settled.”