Ruth 2:20-3:5

Common English Bible

²⁰ Naomi replied to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, who hasn’t abandoned his faithfulness with the living or with the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is one of our close relatives; he’s one of our redeemers.”

²¹ Ruth the Moabite replied, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they’ve finished all of my harvest.’”

²² Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It’s good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, so that men don’t assault you in another field.”

²³ Thus she stayed with Boaz’s young women, gleaning until the completion of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Encounter at the threshing floor

3 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I seek security for you, so that things might go well for you? ² Now isn’t Boaz, whose young women you were with, our relative? Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. ³ You should bathe, put on some perfume, wear nice clothes, and then go down to the threshing floor. Don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down. And he will tell you what to do.”

⁵ Ruth replied to her, “I’ll do everything you are telling me.”