And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her
mother in law bade her. 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. And it
came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself:
and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 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. 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. 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. And now it is true that I am
thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. 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.
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. 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. 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. And she said, These six measures
of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother
in law. 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 went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold,
the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a
one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And
he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here.
And they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come
again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was
our brother Elimelech's: and I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy
it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou
wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell
me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee: and
I am after thee. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself,
lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I
cannot redeem it.
[Sidenote: Ruth 4]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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