Ruth 3 — FBV

3Verse 1A little later Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, don't you think I should find you a husband and a good home?^{+Verse 2}Don't ignore the fact that Boaz, whose women you worked with, is closely related to us. Now tonight he will be busy winnowing grain on the threshing floor.^{+Verse 3}Have a bath, put on some perfume, wear your best⁺clothes, and go down to the threshing floor—but don't let him recognize you. Once he's finished eating and drinking,^{Verse 4}watch where he goes to lie down. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”^{+Verse 5}“I'll do everything you told me,” said Ruth.^{Verse 6}She went down to the threshing floor and did what her mother-in-law had told her to do.^{Verse 7}After Boaz had finished eating and drinking, and was feeling contented, he went and lay down beside the grain pile. Ruth quietly approached him, uncovered his feet, and lay down.^{Verse 8}Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up. Bending forward he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet.^{Verse 9}“Who are you?” he asked. “I'm Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Please spread the corner of your cloak over me, for you are my family redeemer.”^{+Verse 10}“May the Lord bless you, my daughter,” he said. “You are showing even more loyalty and love to the family than before. You haven't gone looking for a younger man, of whatever social status.^{+Verse 11}So don't worry, my daughter. I will do everything you ask—everyone in town knows you are a woman of good character.^{Verse 12}However, even though I'm one of your family redeemers, there's one who is more closely related than I am.^{Verse 13}Stay here tonight, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, then fine, let him do it. But if he doesn't, then I promise you in the name of the living Lord, I will redeem you. Lie down here until morning.”^{Verse 14}So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up before it was light enough to recognize anyone because Boaz had told her, “No one must know that a woman came here to the threshing floor.”^{+Verse 15}He also told her, “Bring me the cloak you're wearing and hold it out.” So she held it out and he poured out six measures⁺of barley into it. He helped her put it on her back and she⁺went back to town.^{Verse 16}Ruth went to her mother-in-law, who asked her, “How did it go for you, my daughter?”⁺So Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her.^{Verse 17}“And he also gave me these six measures of barley,” she added. “He told me, ‘You mustn't go home to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”^{Verse 18}Naomi said to Ruth, “Wait patiently, my daughter, until you find out how it all works out. Boaz won't rest until he has it settled today.”