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Ruth

The story of Ruth, a loyal woman who becomes part of the Israelite community and the great-grandmother of King David.

Chapter 3

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1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

*Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, asked her, "My daughter, shouldn't I try to find peace for you so you can be happy?"

2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

*Boaz, a relative of ours, was one of the men you were involved with. Tonight, he is cleaning barley at the place where grain is separated.

3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

*Clean yourself, put on your clothes, and go downstairs without revealing yourself until the man finishes eating and drinking.

4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

*When he lies down, note the spot, then enter and reveal his feet, lie next to him, and he'll guide you on what to do.

5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

*She replied, "I'll do everything you tell me."

6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

*She followed her mother-in-law's instructions and did everything as told.

7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

*When Boaz finished eating and drinking, and felt happy, he went to sleep at the edge of the pile of grain. Then she quietly came, uncovered his feet, and lay down next to him.

8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

*At midnight, the man became scared and turned around, only to find a woman lying at his feet.

9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

*He asked, "Who are you?" She replied, "I'm Ruth, your servant. Please protect me by marrying me, since you're a close relative."

10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

*He said, "You are blessed by God, my daughter. You have been kinder at the end than at the start. This is because you didn't follow young men, whether they were rich or poor."

11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

*Don't worry, my daughter; I'll do everything you need. Everyone in the city knows you're a good person.

12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

*Now, it's true that I am your close relative, but there is another relative who is closer than me.

13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

*Wait tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to act as a relative, that's fine; let him do it. But if he doesn't want to be a relative, I will be a relative for you, as long as the LORD is alive; then rest until morning.

14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

*She stayed at his feet all night, hidden. When morning came, she left quickly, so no one knew another person was there. He said to keep it secret that a woman had been on the floor.

15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

*He also said, "Bring the cloak you're wearing, and hold it." When she did, he measured six portions of barley and put them on her cloak. Then she went into the city.

16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

*When she arrived at her mother-in-law's place, she asked her daughter, "Who are you?" and she shared everything the man did to her.

17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

*She said, "He gave me six units of barley because he told me not to go empty to my mother-in-law."

18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

*Then she said, "Stay here, my child, until you understand what happens next; because the man won't be at peace until he finishes his task today."

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* work in progress, there will be mistakes

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