Ruth 3:10-18
3:10 He said, “May you be rewarded
by the
Lord, my dear!
This act of devotion
is greater than what you did before.
For you have not sought to marry
one of the young men, whether rich or poor.
3:11 Now, my dear, don’t worry!
I intend to do for you everything you propose,
for everyone in the village
knows that you are a worthy woman.
3:12 Now yes, it is true that
I am a guardian,
but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am.
3:13 Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you,
fine,
let him do so.
But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the
Lord lives, to marry you.
Sleep here until morning.”
3:14 So she slept beside him
until morning. She woke up while it was still dark.
Boaz thought,
“No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.”
3:15 Then he said, “Hold out the shawl
you are wearing
and grip it tightly.” As she held it tightly, he measured out about sixty pounds
of barley into the shawl and put it on her shoulders. Then he
went into town,
3:16 and she returned to her mother-in-law.
Ruth Returns to Naomi
When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did things turn out for you, my daughter?” Ruth told her about all the man had done for her.
3:17 She said, “He gave me these sixty pounds of barley, for he said to me, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
3:18 Then Naomi said, “Stay put, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”