Ruth — 3

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

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

2 Buaz 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. 

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 do not let Buaz see you 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.”

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

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

7 After Buaz 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. 

8 Around midnight Buaz suddenly woke up and turned over, he was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 

9 “And Buaz asked, who are you?” Ruth replied him; “I am your servant Ruth, “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”

10 Let 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH barak you, my daughter!” Buaz 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. 

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

12 I know it is true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. 

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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”

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

15 Then Buaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.

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

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

18 Then Naumi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens, the man will not rest until he has settled things today.”