The Threshing Floor

3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, maybe I should find {a husband and} a nice home for you. That would be good for you. ²{Maybe Boaz is the right man.} Boaz is our close relative.* You worked with his women servants. Tonight he will be working at the threshing floor.* ³Go wash and get dressed. Put on a nice dress, and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating supper. ⁴After he eats, he will lie down to rest. Watch him so that you will know where he lies down. Go there and lift the cover off his feet.* Then lie down there with Boaz. He will tell you what you should do {about marriage}. ⁵Then Ruth answered, “I will do the thing you say.” ⁶So Ruth went down to the threshing floor.* Ruth did everything that her mother-in-law told her to do. ⁷After eating and drinking, Boaz was very satisfied. Boaz went to lie down near the pile of grain. Then Ruth went to him very quietly and lifted the cover from his feet. Ruth lay down by his feet. ⁸About midnight, Boaz rolled over {in his sleep and woke up}. He was very surprised. There was a woman lying near his feet. ⁹Boaz said, “Who are you?” She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread your cover over me.* You are my protector.* ¹⁰Then Boaz said, “May the Lord bless you, young woman. You have been very kind to me. Your kindness to me is greater than the kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning. You could have looked for a young man to marry, rich or poor. But you did not. ¹¹Now, young woman, don’t be afraid. I will do the things you ask. All the people in our town know that you are a very good woman. ¹²And it is true, I am a close relative.* But there is a man that is a closer relative to you than I. ¹³Stay here tonight. In the morning we will see if he will help* you. If he decides to help you, then that is fine. If he refuses to help, then I promise, as the Lord lives, I will marry you and buy back Elimelech’s land for you.* So lie here until morning.” ¹⁴So Ruth lay near Boaz’s feet until morning. She got up while it was still dark, before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. Boaz said to her, “We will keep it a secret that you came here to me last night.” ¹⁵Then Boaz said, “Bring me your coat. Now, hold it open.” So Ruth held her coat open, and Boaz measured about a bushel of barley* as a gift to Naomi, her mother-in-law. Boaz then wrapped it in Ruth’s coat, and put it on her back. Then he went to the city. ¹⁶Ruth went to the home of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi {went to the door and} asked, “Who’s there?” {Ruth went in the house} telling Naomi everything that Boaz did for her. ¹⁷She said, “Boaz gave me this barley as a gift for you. Boaz said that I must not go home without bringing a gift for you.” ¹⁸Naomi said, “Daughter, be patient until we hear what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do. We will know what will happen before the day is ended.”

close relative, protector This is a close relative that could marry Ruth, so she could have children. This man would care for this family, but this family and their property would not belong to him. They would belong to Ruth’s dead husband. threshing floor The place where workers beat grain to separate the seeds of grain from the chaff. lift the cover off his feet Literally, “uncover his legs.” This showed Ruth was asking Boaz to be her Protector. help Or, “redeem.” This meant the close relative would care for and protect the dead man’s family and property, but that property would not be his. I will marry … you Literally, “I will redeem you.” bushel of barley Literally, “six {measures} of barley.”

Boaz and the Other Relative

4 Boaz went to the place where people gather near the city gates. Boaz sat there until the close relative* Boaz had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “Come here, friend! Sit here!” ²{Then Boaz gathered some witnesses.} Boaz gathered ten of the elders* of the city. He told them, “Sit here!” So they sat down. ³Then Boaz spoke to the close relative.* He said, “Naomi came back from the hill country of Moab. She is selling the land* that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴I decided to tell you about this in front of the people living here and in front of the elders* of my people. If you want to buy back the land, then buy it! If you don’t want to redeem the land, then tell me. I know that I am the next person after you that can redeem the land. If you don’t buy the land back, then I will.” ⁵Then Boaz said, “If you buy the land from Naomi, you also get the dead man’s wife, Ruth the Moabite woman. {When Ruth has a child, the child will get the land.} That way, the land will stay in the dead man’s family.” ⁶The close relative* answered, “I cannot buy back the land. That land should belong to me. But I cannot buy it. If I do, I might lose my own land. So you can buy the land.” ⁷(Long ago in Israel, when people bought or redeemed property, one person took off his shoe and gave it to the other person. This was their proof of purchase.) ⁸So the close relative said, “Buy the land.” And then the close relative took off his shoe {and gave it to Boaz}. ⁹Then Boaz said to the elders* and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. ¹⁰I am also buying Ruth to be my wife. I am doing this so the dead man’s property will stay with his family. This way, the dead man’s name will not be separated from his family and his land. You are witnesses this day.” ¹¹So all the people and elders* that were near the city gates were witnesses. They said, May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah who built the house of Israel.* Become powerful in Ephrathah!* Be famous in Bethlehem! ¹²Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez.* And his family became great. In the same way, may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. And may your family be great like his. ¹³So Boaz married Ruth. The Lord allowed Ruth to become pregnant, and she had a son. ¹⁴The women {of the town} told Naomi, Bless the Lord who gave you this child.* He will become famous in Israel. ¹⁵He will make you alive again, and care for you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law made it happen. She bore this child for you. She loves you. And she is better for you than seven sons.” ¹⁶Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared for him. ¹⁷The neighbors gave the boy his name. These women said, “Naomi has a son now!”* And they named him Obed. Obed was Jesse’s father. And Jesse was the father of {King} David.

Ruth and Boaz’s Family

¹⁸This is the family history of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron. ¹⁹Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. ²⁰Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. ²¹Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. ²²Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.

close relative This is a close relative that could marry Ruth, so she could have children. This man would care for this family, but this family and their property would not belong to him. They would belong to Ruth’s dead husband. elders Older men who were city leaders; they helped make decisions for the people. She is selling the land Or, “She has sold the land.” built the house of Israel The Hebrew word “built” is like the word meaning “gave birth to sons.” Ephrathah Another name for Bethlehem. Perez One of Boaz’s ancestors. child Literally, “Protector” or “Redeemer.” This might refer to Boaz, or the women might have used this name for the baby because he would be the one to care for Naomi and her family and to carry on the name of Elimelech. Naomi ... now Literally, “A son was born for Naomi.”