1 ARST One day, Naomi said to Ruth,“My daughter, I want to arrange for you to have a secure home with a good husband. BSB BSB: One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?
2 ARST Now, you have been working with Boaz’ s servant girls. As you know, he is a close relative of ours. So listen carefully. Tonight he will be at the place where they thresh the barley. He will be separating the grain from the chaff. BSB BSB: Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3 ARST Bathe yourself and put on some perfume. Put on your full outer cloak. Then go down to the place where they thresh the grain. But do not let him know that you are there until he has finished his{ evening} meal. BSB BSB: Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 ARST When he lies down{ to sleep}, pay attention to where he lies down. Then go{ over to him}, uncover his feet, and lie down{ there}.{ When he wakes up,} he will be the one to tell you what to do{ next}.” BSB BSB: When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”
5 ARST Ruth replied,“I will do everything that you have told me to do.” BSB BSB: “I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered.
6 ARST So she went down to the place where people thresh the grain. There she did everything that her mother- in- law had told her to do. BSB BSB: So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.
7 ARST { This is what happened:} When Boaz finished eating and drinking, he was feeling good. He went over to the far end of the grain pile, lay down there{, and went to sleep}. Then Ruth stealthily approached him. She took the covering off his feet and lay down{ there}. BSB BSB: After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 ARST In the middle of the night, he woke up suddenly. He sat up and was amazed to find a woman lying at his feet! BSB BSB: At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!
9 ARST He asked her,“Who are you?” She replied,“I am your servant, Ruth. Since you are the one responsible for my dead husband’ s family, please make me secure by marrying me.” BSB BSB: “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
10 ARST Boaz replied,“May Yahweh bless you, my dear! Previously, you were very faithful to your mother- in- law, but you are acting even more faithfully now by not chasing after a young man to marry, whether rich or poor. BSB BSB: Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11 ARST Now, my dear, I will do everything that you asked. Do not be afraid, because everyone in this town knows that you are an honorable woman. BSB BSB: And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.
12 ARST However, while it is true that I am one of Elimelek' s close relatives and, therefore, could be responsible{ for you and Naomi}, there is another man who is a closer relative than I am.{ He is the one who is actually responsible for you.} BSB BSB: Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.
13 ARST You stay here for the rest of the night. Tomorrow morning I will tell this man about you. If he says that he will take care of you, fine, he can marry you. But if he is unwilling to take care of you, I solemnly promise that, as surely as Yahweh lives, I will marry you and take care of you myself. So stay here until it is morning.” BSB BSB: Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie here until morning.”
14 ARST Then Boaz added,“It would be best if no one knew that a woman came here.” So she lay at his feet until early morning and got up{ to leave} before{ it was light enough that} people would be able to recognize her. BSB BSB: So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her. Then Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 ARST Then Boaz said to her,“Bring your shawl over here and hold it out.” When she did that, he poured a generous amount of barley into it and put it on her back. Then he went into town. BSB BSB: And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured in six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then he went into the city.
16 ARST When Ruth arrived home, her mother- in- law asked her,“How did things turn out for you, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had said and done for her. BSB BSB: When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her.
17 ARST She also said to Naomi,“He gave me all this barley, saying,‘I do not want you to return to your mother- in- law with nothing.’” BSB BSB: And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 ARST Then Naomi said,“My daughter, just wait here until we see what happens. That man will work hard on this matter until he has resolved it today.” BSB BSB: “Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go, for he will not rest unless he has resolved the matter today.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.