וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ נָעֳמִי חֲמוֹתָהּ בִּתִּי הֲלֹא אֲבַקֶּשׁ־לָךְ מָנוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר יִיטַב־לָךְ

Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her: My daughter, do I not seek repose for you, so that it may be well for you? You are currently living in a temporary manner; I wish to find a more permanent arrangement for you. Naomi had expressed a similar wish while they were still in Moav (see 1:9).

וְעַתָּה הֲלֹא בֹעַז מֹדַעְתָּנוּ אֲשֶׁר הָיִית אֶת נַעֲרוֹתָיו הִנֵּה־הוּא זֹרֶה אֶת־גֹּרֶן הַשְּׂעֹרִים הַלָּיְלָה

Now, isn’t Boaz our acquaintance and friend, that you were with his young women? Behold, he is winnowing the barley threshing floor tonight. Boaz was not married at that time; some maintain that he was a widower. Naomi sought to arrange a match between him and Ruth.

וְרָחַצְתְּ וָסַכְתְּ וְשַׂמְתְּ שִׂמְלֹתַיִךְ עָלַיִךְ וְיָרַדְתְּ הַגֹּרֶן אַל־תִּוָּדְעִי לָאִישׁ עַד כַּלֹּתוֹ לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת

Bathe, anoint yourself with oil in order to enhance your appearance, place your most attractive garment upon you, and descend to the threshing floor; do not make yourself known to the man. Hide in the threshing floor so that Boaz will not discover you until he finishes eating and drinking.

וִיהִי בְשָׁכְבוֹ וְיָדַעַתְּ אֶת־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב־שָׁם וּבָאת וְגִלִּית מַרְגְּלֹתָיו וְשָׁכָבְתְּ וְהוּא יַגִּיד לָךְ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשִׂין

It shall be that when he lies down to sleep on the threshing floor that night, in order to guard the grain, or perhaps because he wishes to resume work early in the morning, you shall know the place where he lies, and you shall come and uncover his feet. Even in the summer the evenings in the Judean hills are not particularly hot, and therefore Boaz’s feet would be covered. And lie down near his feet. He will tell you what you shall do. Allow him to proceed in whatever manner he sees fit. Through this unusual act, which is direct and authentic, but at the same time discreet and non-binding, Ruth will issue an unconventional proposition: A request for Boaz’s full protection, which means that in essence she is asking him to marry her.

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִי אֵלַי אֶעֱשֶׂה

She, Ruth, said to her: Everything that you say to me, I will do. Ruth could have hesitated to follow such a strange suggestion, which was not in keeping with conventional norms of decency and modesty. Nevertheless, she accepted her mother-in-law’s plan without hesitation.

וַתֵּרֶד הַגֹּרֶן וַתַּעַשׂ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוַּתָּה חֲמוֹתָהּ

She went down to the threshing floor, and acted in accordance with everything that her mother-in-law had commanded her.

וַיֹּאכַל בֹּעַז וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיִּיטַב לִבּוֹ וַיָּבֹא לִשְׁכַּב בִּקְצֵה הָעֲרֵמָה וַתָּבֹא בַלָּט וַתְּגַל מַרְגְּלֹתָיו וַתִּשְׁכָּב

When the workday was concluded, Boaz ate and drank wine, and his heart was merry, and he came to lie at the end of the pile of grain, the mound of grain stalks, where there is grain on the ground that is comfortable to lie on and where he could also watch over the harvested grain. She came surreptitiously, and she uncovered his feet, and she lay down at his feet, per Naomi’s instruction.

וַיְהִי בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה וַיֶּחֱרַד הָאִישׁ וַיִּלָּפֵת וְהִנֵּה אִשָּׁה שֹׁכֶבֶת מַרְגְּלֹתָיו

It was midnight, and the man was startled and recoiled in confusion, as he had gone to sleep alone, and now he suddenly discerned the presence of another person; behold, a woman was lying at his feet.

וַיֹּאמֶר מִי־אָתְּ וַתֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי רוּת אֲמָתֶךָ וּפָרַשְׂתָּ כְנָפֶךָ עַל־אֲמָתְךָ כִּי גֹאֵל אָתָּה

He said in complete surprise: Who are you? She said: I am Ruth, your maidservant, whom you know; spread the corner of your garment, your patronage, over your maidservant, and take me as your wife, for you are a redeemer. Owing to your familial ties to Naomi, you are also related to me, as I am her son’s widow. Naomi had presumably explained to Ruth the significance of this type of redemption as practiced among the Israelites.

וַיֹּאמֶר בְּרוּכָה אַתְּ לַה' בִּתִּי הֵיטַבְתְּ חַסְדֵּךְ הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן לְבִלְתִּי־לֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי הַבַּחוּרִים אִם־דַּל וְאִם־עָשִׁיר

He said: Blessed be you to the Lord, my daughter; your latter kindness, when you chose to marry a relative of your deceased husband, is greater than the former, when you left your land and accompanied your mother-in-law, in not going after the lads, whether poor or rich. Had you sought to marry merely in order to reestablish your own life, you would have chosen a young man, closer in age to yourself. By selecting me, a man who is far older than you, because of my formal status as a redeemer, you have revealed the purity of your intentions.

וְעַתָּה בִּתִּי אַל־תִּירְאִי כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמְרִי אֶעֱשֶׂה־לָּךְ כִּי יוֹדֵעַ כָּל שַׁעַר עַמִּי כִּי אֵשֶׁת חַיִל אָתְּ

Now, my daughter, do not fear, everything that you say I will do for you, for everyone who is found at the gate of my people, the important men of the city, knows that you are a woman of valor [eshet h·], an unusual personality and an exceptional person. The term eshet ḥayil here parallels the phrase “mighty man of valor” [gibbor ḥayil] that appeared earlier in reference to Boaz (2:1). It also features as a general expression of praise in the book of Proverbs, which was written by King Solomon, a descendant of Ruth and Boaz.

וְעַתָּה כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי גֹאֵל אָנֹכִי וְגַם יֵשׁ גֹּאֵל קָרוֹב מִמֶּנִּי

Now it is true that I am a redeemer, as I am part of the family; however, there is a redeemer who is closer than I, and the proper order must be maintained with regard to these matters.

לִינִי הַלַּיְלָה וְהָיָה בַבֹּקֶר אִם־יִגְאָלֵךְ טוֹב יִגְאָל וְאִם־לֹא יַחְפֹּץ לְגָאֳלֵךְ וּגְאַלְתִּיךְ אָנֹכִי חַי־ה' שִׁכְבִי עַד־הַבֹּקֶר

Therefore, stay here tonight, and when it is morning, if he, the redeemer who has a closer relationship to you, redeems you, then it is good [tov], he will redeem, as he has the right. Alternatively, the word tov is the name of the redeemer. According to this interpretation, the verse reads: And when it is morning, if Tov performs his role as redeemer, then let him do so. But if he does not wish to redeem you, I will redeem you, as I will then be the next in line to redeem you. I swear as the Lord lives; lie down until the morning and rest; I will not touch you.

וַתִּשְׁכַּב מַרְגְּלוֹתָו עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וַתָּקָם בְּטֶרֶם יַכִּיר אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־יִוָּדַע כִּי־בָאָה הָאִשָּׁה הַגֹּרֶן

She lay at his feet until the morning, and rose before one could discern another. He, Boaz, said: Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. Since he did not want her to be identified or her actions publicized, she departed before the light of day.

וַיֹּאמֶר הָבִי הַמִּטְפַּחַת אֲשֶׁר־עָלַיִךְ וְאֶחֳזִי־בָהּ וַתֹּאחֶז בָּהּ וַיָּמָד שֵׁשׁ שְׂעֹרִים וַיָּשֶׁת עָלֶיהָ וַיָּבֹא הָעִיר

He, Boaz, said to Ruth: Hand me the large kerchief that is upon you, and hold it out; and she held it out. He measured six measures of barley, a sizable amount, and placed it, the full kerchief, on her; and he too entered the city, to take care of his business.

וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־חֲמוֹתָהּ וַתֹּאמֶר מִי־אַתְּ בִּתִּי וַתַּגֶּד־לָהּ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה־לָהּ הָאִישׁ

She came to her mother-in-law, when it was still quite early in the morning, and therefore she was unable to identify Ruth immediately. And she, Naomi, said: Who are you, my daughter? She told her everything that the man had done for her.

וַתֹּאמֶר שֵׁשׁ־הַשְּׂעֹרִים הָאֵלֶּה נָתַן לִי כִּי אָמַר אֵלַי אַל־תָּבוֹאִי רֵיקָם אֶל־חֲמוֹתֵךְ

She, Ruth, said: These six measures of barley he gave me, as he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law. This is not a payment of any sort, but a gift to bring to your mother-in-law.

וַתֹּאמֶר שְׁבִי בִתִּי עַד אֲשֶׁר תֵּדְעִין אֵיךְ יִפֹּל דָּבָר כִּי לֹא יִשְׁקֹט הָאִישׁ כִּי אִם־כִּלָּה הַדָּבָר הַיּוֹם

She said: Sit and wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter will develop; for the man will not rest until he completes the matter today. I know that he is a determined man, and I am certain that he will not delay.