1 Tad Naomija, viņas vīramāte, viņai sacīja: "Mana meita, vai lai es nemeklēju tev vietu, kur tev labi klāsies? 2 Un vai Boāss, pie kura kalpiem tu esi bijusi, nav mūsu radinieks? Lūk, šonakt viņš vētīs miežus piedarbā. 3 Tādēļ mazgājies un svaidies, uzvelc savas jaunās drēbes un noej uz piedarbu, bet nerādies tam vīram, pirms viņš nav pabeidzis ēst un dzert. 4 Bet, kad viņš apgulsies, ievēro to vietu, kur viņš guļ, tad ej, pacel segu no viņa kāju galiem, noklāj to tiem līdzās un apgulsties uz tās; tad viņš tev teiks, kas tev jādara." 5 Un viņa tai atbildēja: "Visu, ko tu saki, es darīšu." 6 Tā viņa nogāja uz piedarbu un darīja visu taisni tā, kā viņas vīramāte bija likusi. 7 Un, kad Boāss bija paēdis un padzēris un viņa sirds bija jautra, viņš gāja gulēt labības kaudzes galā. Tad viņa klusi nāca un atsedza viņa kājas, un apgūlās. 8 Ap pusnakti tas vīrs uztrūkās un palocījies ieraudzīja, ka kāda sieva gulēja pie viņa kājām. 9 Viņš jautāja: "Kas tu esi?" Un viņa atbildēja: "Esmu Rute, tava kalpone; izplet savus spārnus pāri savai kalponei, jo tu esi mans tuvākais radinieks." 10 Un viņš sacīja: "Esi Tā Kunga svētīta, mana meita; tu esi izdarījusi šo pēdējo mīlestības darbu labāk kā pirmo, neskriedama pakaļ jauniem puišiem, vai tie būtu nabagi vai bagāti. 11 Un tagad, mana meita, nebīsties: es darīšu tavā labā visu, ko vien tu prasīsi, jo visos vārtos mani ļaudis zina, ka tu esi godīga sieva. 12 Ir taisnība, ka es esmu tavs radinieks, tomēr vēl ir kāds tuvāks radinieks par mani. 13 Paliec šonakt še, un, ja rīt viņš gribēs tevi ņemt, labi, lai viņš tevi ņem, bet, ja viņš negribēs tevi ņemt, tad es tevi ņemšu; tik tiešām, ka Tas Kungs ir dzīvs! Guli līdz rītam." 14 Tā viņa gulēja pie viņa kājām līdz rītam. Bet viņa piecēlās, pirms viens otru varēja pazīt, jo viņa sprieda: "Lai tas nekļūst zināms, ka sieva ir nākusi uz piedarbu." 15 Un viņš sacīja: "Dod šurp lakatu, kas tev ir, un paturi to." Tā viņa turēja to, un viņš iemērīja sešus mērus miežu un uzlika viņai tos mugurā, un viņa gāja uz pilsētu. 16 Un, kad viņa atnāca pie savas vīramātes, tā jautāja: "Kā tev ir klājies, mana meita?" Tad viņa stāstīja tai visu, ko tas vīrs bija darījis viņas labā: 17 "Šos sešus mērus miežu viņš man deva, jo viņš sacīja: tev nebūs tukšā iet pie savas vīramātes." 18 Viņa sacīja: "Pagaidi, mana meita, līdz kamēr tu dabūsi zināt, kāds būs iznākums, jo tas vīrs nepaliks mierā, bet nokārtos šo lietu drīz."
Ruth Finds a Husband
1 Some time later Naomi said to Ruth, “I must find a husband for you, so that you will have a home of your own. 2 Remember that this man Boaz, whose women you have been working with, is our relative. Now listen. This evening he will be threshing the barley. 3 So wash yourself, put on some perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go where he is threshing, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice where he lies down, and after he falls asleep, go and lift the covers and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.”
5 Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.”
6 So Ruth went to the threshing place and did just what her mother-in-law had told her. 7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he was in a good mood. He went to the pile of barley and lay down to sleep. Ruth slipped over quietly, lifted the covers and lay down at his feet. 8 During the night he woke up suddenly, turned over, and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“It's Ruth, sir,” she answered. “Because you are a close relative, you are responsible for taking care of me. So please marry me.”
10 “The Lord bless you,” he said. “You are showing even greater family loyalty in what you are doing now than in what you did for your mother-in-law. You might have gone looking for a young man, either rich or poor, but you haven't. 11 Now don't worry, Ruth. I will do everything you ask; as everyone in town knows, you are a fine woman. 12 It is true that I am a close relative and am responsible for you, but there is a man who is a closer relative than I am. 13 Stay here the rest of the night, and in the morning we will find out whether or not he will take responsibility for you. If so, well and good; if not, then I swear by the living Lord that I will take the responsibility. Now lie down and stay here till morning.”
14 So she lay there at his feet, but she got up before it was light enough for her to be seen, because Boaz did not want anyone to know that she had been there. 15 Boaz said to her, “Take off your cloak and spread it out here.” She did, and he poured out almost fifty pounds of barley and helped her lift it to her shoulder. Then she returned to town with it. 16 When she arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, “How did you get along, daughter?”
Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her. 17 She added, “He told me I must not come back to you empty-handed, so he gave me all this barley.”
18 Naomi said to her, “Now be patient, Ruth, until you see how this all turns out. Boaz will not rest today until he settles the matter.”
