¹ Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her,—My daughter! shall I not seek for thee a place of rest, in which it may be well with thee?

² Now, therefore, is not, Boaz, of our kindred, with whose maidens thou hast been? Lo! he is winnowing the barley threshing-floor, to-night!

³ Thou wilt, therefore, bathe thee, and anoint thee, and put thine apparel upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor,—do not make thyself known to the man, until he have done eating and drinking.

⁴ And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he doth lie, and shalt go in and turn aside the covering of his feet, and lay thee down,—and, he, will tell thee what thou shalt do.

⁵ And she said unto her,—All that thou sayest, will I do.

⁶ So she went down to the threshing-floor,—and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

⁷ And, when Boaz had eaten, and drunk, and his heart was glad, he went in to lie down at the end of the heap of corn. Then came she in softly, and turned aside the covering of his feet, and laid her down.

⁸ And it came to pass, in the middle of the night, that the man started up, and turned,—and lo! a woman, lying at his feet.

⁹ And he said, Who art, thou? And she said, I, am Ruth, thy handmaid, spread, therefore, thy wing over thy handmaid, for, a kinsman, thou art.

¹⁰ And he said—Blessed, be thou of Yahweh, my daughter, for thou hast made thy last lovingkindness better than the first,—in not following after young men, whether poor, or rich.

¹¹ Now, therefore, my daughter, do not fear, whatsoever thou shalt say, I will do for thee,—for all the gate of my people doth know, that, a virtuous woman, thou art.

¹² And, now, although it is true that, a kinsman, am I, yet is there a kinsman nearer than I.

¹³ Tarry the night, and it shall be, in the morning, if he will act as kinsman to thee, well, let him so act, but, if he inclineth not to act as kinsman to thee, then will, I, so act to thee—by the life of Yahweh,—Lie still, until the morning.

¹⁴ So she lay at his feet, until the morning, and rose up before one could know his neighbour. And he said—Do not let it be known that a woman came into the threshing-floor.

¹⁵ And he said—Bring the cloak that is upon thee, and hold it. So she held it,—and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it upon her, and he went into the city.

¹⁶ And, when she came unto her mother-in- law, she said—Who art, thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done for her.

¹⁷ And she said—These six measures of barley, gave he unto me,—for he said, Do not go in empty, unto thy mother-in- law.

¹⁸ And she said—Abide, my daughter, until that thou get to know, how the matter will fall out,—for the man will not rest, except he have finished the thing to-day.