Ruth 3 - New Century Version (NCV)

Naomi’s Plan

3 Then Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a suitable home for you, one that will be good for you. 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you worked with, is our close relative.[a] Tonight he will be working at the threshing floor. 3 Wash yourself, put on perfume, change your clothes, and go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let him know you’re there until he has finished his dinner. 4 Watch him so you will know where he lies down to sleep. When he lies down, go and lift the cover off his feet[b] and lie down. He will tell you what you should do.”

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

6 So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all her mother-in-law told her to do. 7 After his evening meal, Boaz felt good and went to sleep lying beside the pile of grain. Ruth went to him quietly and lifted the cover from his feet and lay down.

8 About midnight Boaz was startled and rolled over. There was a woman lying near his feet! 9 Boaz asked, “Who are you?”

She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread your cover over me, because you are a relative who is supposed to take care of me.”[c]

10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. This act of kindness is greater than the kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask, because all the people in our town know you are a good woman. 12 It is true that I am a relative who is to take care of you, but you have a closer relative than I. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning we will see if he will take care of you. If he decides to take care of you, that is fine. But if he refuses, I will take care of you myself, as surely as the Lord lives. So stay here until morning.”

14 So Ruth stayed near his feet until morning but got up while it was still too dark to recognize anyone. Boaz thought, “People in town must not know that the woman came here to the threshing floor.” 15 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring me your shawl and hold it open.”

So Ruth held her shawl open, and Boaz poured six portions of barley into it. Boaz then put it on her head and went back to the city.

16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did you do, my daughter?”

Ruth told Naomi everything that Boaz did for her. 17 She said, “Boaz gave me these six portions of barley, saying, ‘You must not go home without a gift for your mother-in-law.’”

18 Naomi answered, “Ruth, my daughter, wait here until you see what happens. Boaz will not rest until he has finished doing what he should do today.”

Footnotes

  1. 3:2 close relatives In Bible times the closest relative could marry a widow without children so she could have children. He would care for this family, but they and their property would not belong to him. They would belong to the dead husband.
  2. 3:4 lift . . . feet This showed Ruth was asking him to be her husband.
  3. 3:9 Spread . . . me By this, Ruth was asking Boaz to marry her.

You Might Also Like:

Ruth 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 And Naomi her mother-in-law saith to her, `My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest, that it may be well with thee? 2 and now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women thou hast been? lo, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley to-night, 3 and thou hast bathed, and anointed th...
Read More

Ruth 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 And after that Ruth had turned (again) to her mother-in-law, she heard of her, My daughter, I shall seek rest to thee, and I shall purvey that it be well to thee. (And sometime later, when Ruth had returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi said to her, My daughter, I shall seek rest for thee, and I sha...
Read More

Ruth 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, ...
Read More

Ruth 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Naomi (to Ruth): My child, it is my responsibility to find a husband and place of rest for you—a place where you will find rest and contentment. 2 You have been working alongside the young women who serve Boaz. Is he not a part of our family? Early this evening, during the late afternoon wind, he...
Read More

Ruth 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Naomi the Matchmaker3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her “My daughter, should I not be seeking a resting place for you, so it may go well for you? 2 Now, is Boaz, with whose female workers you have been, not our relative? Look, he will be winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 So bath...
Read More

Ruth 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 Then Na′omi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a home for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now is not Bo′az our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore a...
Read More

Ruth 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 Then Na′omi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a home for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now is not Bo′az our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore a...
Read More

Ruth 3 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

3 Then Naomi her chamot said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek manoach (a resting place) for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz our relative, with whose ne’arot thou wast? Hinei, he winnoweth haseorim halailah in the threshing floor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. ...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing-Floor3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing-floor. ...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.(A)2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.(...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Ruth at the Threshing Floor3 One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. 2 Boaz 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 ...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

Ruth and Boaz at the Grain-Floor3 Then Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not look for a home for you, so all will be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz of our family, with whose women servants you were? See, he is dividing the grain from the waste at his grain-floor tonight. ...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Ruth’s Redemption Assured3 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, (A)shall I not seek (B)security[a] for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, (C)whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 The...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Ruth and Boaz at the threshing-floor3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor. 3...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New International Version (NIV)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi(A) said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a](B) for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative(C) of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing f...
Read More

Ruth 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi spoke to her. She said, “My daughter, I must find a home for you. It should be a place where you will be provided for. 2 You have been working with the women who work for Boaz. He’s a relative of ours. Tonight he’ll be separat...
Read More