3One 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.H5281H2545H559H1323H1245H4494H31902Boaz 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.H1162H4130H5291H2219H8184H3915H16373Now 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 don't let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.H7364H5480H7760H8071H3381H1637H3045H376H3615H398H83544Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do."H7901H3045H4725H7901H935H1540H4772H7901H5046H62135"I will do everything you say," Ruth replied.H559H559H62136So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.H3381H1637H6213H2545H66807After Boaz 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.H1162H398H8354H3820H3190H935H7901H7097H6194H935H3909H1540H4772H79018Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet!H2677H3915H376H2729H3943H802H7901H47729"Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she replied. "Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer."H559H559H7327H519H6566H3671H519H135010"The LORD bless you, my daughter!" Boaz 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.H559H1288H3068H1323H3190H2617H314H7223H3212H310H1115H970H1800H622311Now don't worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.H1323H3372H6213H559H8179H5971H3045H2428H80212But while it's true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am.H551H1350H3426H1350H713813Stay 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 the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning."H3885H3915H1242H1350H2896H1350H2654H1350H1350H3068H2416H7901H124214So Ruth lay at Boaz's feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, "No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor."H7901H4772H1242H6965H2958H376H5234H7453H559H3045H802H935H163715Then Boaz 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.H559H3051H4304H270H270H4058H8337H8184H7896H935H589216When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "What happened, my daughter?" Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her,H935H2545H559H1323H5046H376H621317and she added, "He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"H559H8337H8184H5414H559H935H7387H254518Then Naomi said to her, "Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won't rest until he has settled things today."H559H3427H1323H3045H1697H5307H376H8252H518H3615H1697H3117
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of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.H559
