Ruth’s Redemption Assured

1  וַתֹּ֥אמֶר (And said) לָ֖הּ (to her) נָעֳמִ֣י (Naomi) חֲמוֹתָ֑הּ (her mother-in-law) בִּתִּ֞י (My daughter), הֲלֹ֧א (shall not) אֲבַקֶּשׁ־ (I seek) לָ֛ךְ (for you) מָנ֖וֹחַ (a resting place), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) יִֽיטַב־ (it may be well) לָֽךְ׃ (with you). 2  וְעַתָּ֗ה (And) הֲלֹ֥א (is not) בֹ֙עַז֙ (Boaz) מֹֽדַעְתָּ֔נוּ (our relative), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (whose) הָיִ֖ית (you were) אֶת־ (with) נַעֲרוֹתָ֑יו (young women)? הִנֵּה־ (Behold), ה֗וּא (he) זֹרֶ֛ה (is winnowing) אֶת־ (-) גֹּ֥רֶן (on the threshing floor) הַשְּׂעֹרִ֖ים (of barley) הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ (tonight). 3  וְרָחַ֣צְתְּ׀ (And wash yourself) וָסַ֗כְתְּ (and anoint yourself) וְשַׂ֧מְתְּ (and put) שִׂמְלֹתֵךְ (your garments) עָלַ֖יִךְ (on you), וְיָרַדְתִּי (and you shall go down) הַגֹּ֑רֶן (to the threshing floor). אַל־ (Not) תִּוָּדְעִ֣י (do make yourself known) לָאִ֔ישׁ (to the man) עַ֥ד (until) כַּלֹּת֖וֹ (he finishes) לֶאֱכֹ֥ל (eating) וְלִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ (and drinking). 4  וִיהִ֣י (And it shall come to pass), בְשָׁכְב֗וֹ (when he lies down), וְיָדַ֙עַתְּ֙ (that you shall know) אֶת־ (-) הַמָּקוֹם֙ (the place) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (where) יִשְׁכַּב־ (he lies) שָׁ֔ם (there), וּבָ֛את (and you shall go in) וְגִלִּ֥ית (and you shall uncover) מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖יו (his feet) וְשָׁכָבְתִּי (and lie down), וְהוּא֙ (and he) יַגִּ֣יד (he will tell) לָ֔ךְ (you) אֵ֖ת (-) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (what) תַּעַשִֽׂין׃ (you shall do).

5  וַתֹּ֖אמֶר (And she said) אֵלֶ֑יהָ (to her), כֹּ֛ל (All) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) תֹּאמְרִ֥יֵַ֖ (you say to me), אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃ (I will do). 6  וַתֵּ֖רֶד (And she went down) הַגֹּ֑רֶן (to the threshing floor) וַתַּ֕עַשׂ (and she did) כְּכֹ֥ל (according to all) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) צִוַּ֖תָּה (had commanded her) חֲמוֹתָֽהּ׃ (her mother-in-law).

7  וַיֹּ֨אכַל (Ate) בֹּ֤עַז (Boaz) וַיֵּשְׁתְּ֙ (and drank), וַיִּיטַ֣ב (and was good) לִבּ֔וֹ (his heart), וַיָּבֹ֕א (and he went) לִשְׁכַּ֖ב (to lie down) בִּקְצֵ֣ה (at the end) הָעֲרֵמָ֑ה (of the heap). וַתָּבֹ֣א (And she came) בַלָּ֔ט (in secrecy) וַתְּגַ֥ל (and uncovered) מַרְגְּלֹתָ֖יו (his feet) וַתִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ (and lay down).

8  וַיְהִי֙ (And it came to pass) בַּחֲצִ֣י (in the middle) הַלַּ֔יְלָה (of the night) וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד (that trembled) הָאִ֖ישׁ (the man), וַיִּלָּפֵ֑ת (and turned himself), וְהִנֵּ֣ה (and behold) אִשָּׁ֔ה (a woman) שֹׁכֶ֖בֶת (was lying) מַרְגְּלֹתָֽיו׃ (at his feet).

9  וַיֹּ֖אמֶר (And he said), מִי־ (Who are) אָ֑תּ (you)?

וַתֹּ֗אמֶר (And she said), אָנֹכִי֙ (I am) ר֣וּת (Ruth) אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ (your maidservant). וּפָרַשְׂתָּ֤ (And you shall spread) כְנָפֶ֙ךָ֙ (your wing) עַל־ (over) אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ (your maidservant), כִּ֥י (for) גֹאֵ֖ל (a kinsman-redeemer) אָֽתָּה׃ (you are).

10  וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (And he said), בְּרוּכָ֨ה (Blessed) אַ֤תְּ (are you) לַֽיהוָה֙ (to YHWH), בִּתִּ֔י (my daughter). הֵיטַ֛בְתְּ (For you have shown more) חַסְדֵּ֥ךְ (kindness) הָאַחֲר֖וֹן (at the end) מִן־ (than) הָרִאשׁ֑וֹן (at the beginning), לְבִלְתִּי־ (in that not) לֶ֗כֶת (you did go) אַחֲרֵי֙ (after) הַבַּ֣חוּרִ֔ים (the young men), אִם־ (whether) דַּ֖ל (poor) וְאִם־ (or) עָשִֽׁיר׃ (rich). 11  וְעַתָּ֗ה (And now), בִּתִּי֙ (my daughter), אַל־ (not) תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י (do fear). כֹּ֥ל (All) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) תֹּאמְרִ֖י (you say), אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־ (I will do) לָּ֑ךְ (for you), כִּ֤י (for) יוֹדֵ֙עַ֙ (does know) כָּל־ (all) שַׁ֣עַר (the gate) עַמִּ֔י (of my people) כִּ֛י (that) אֵ֥שֶׁת (a woman) חַ֖יִל (of virtue) אָֽתְּ׃ (you are). 12  וְעַתָּה֙ (And) כִּ֣י (now) אָמְנָ֔ם (it is true) כִּ֥י (that) אם (-) גֹאֵ֖ל (a kinsman-redeemer) אָנֹ֑כִי (I am). וְגַ֛ם (But also) יֵ֥שׁ (there is) גֹּאֵ֖ל (a kinsman-redeemer) קָר֥וֹב (nearer) מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (than I). 13  לִ֣ינִי׀ (Lodge) הַלַּ֗יְלָה (the night), וְהָיָ֤ה (and it shall be) בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ (in the morning) אִם־ (that if) יִגְאָלֵ֥ךְ (he does redeem you), טוֹב֙ (good). יִגְאָ֔ל (Let him redeem). וְאִם־ (And if) לֹ֨א (not) יַחְפֹּ֧ץ (he does want) לְגָֽאֳלֵ֛ךְ (to redeem you), וּגְאַלְתִּ֥יךְ (then I will redeem you) אָנֹ֖כִי (myself), חַי־ (as lives) יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH). שִׁכְבִ֖י (Lie down) עַד־ (until) הַבֹּֽקֶר׃ (the morning).

14  וַתִּשְׁכַּ֤ב (And she lay) מַרְגְּלֹתָו (at his feet) עַד־ (until) הַבֹּ֔קֶר (the morning), וַתָּ֕קָם (and she arose) בִּטְרוֹם (before) יַכִּ֥יר (could recognize her) אִ֖ישׁ (a man) אֶת־ (-) רֵעֵ֑הוּ (his companion).

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (And he said), אַל־ (Not) יִוָּדַ֔ע (do let it be known) כִּי־ (that) בָ֥אָה (came) הָאִשָּׁ֖ה (the woman) הַגֹּֽרֶן׃ (to the threshing floor). 15  וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (And he said), הָ֠בִי (Give) הַמִּטְפַּ֧חַת (the cloak) אֲשֶׁר־ (that is) עָלַ֛יִךְ (on you) וְאֶֽחֳזִי־ (and hold) בָ֖הּ (it). וַתֹּ֣אחֶז (And she held) בָּ֑הּ (it), וַיָּ֤מָד (and he measured) שֵׁשׁ־ (six) שְׂעֹרִים֙ (of barley) וַיָּ֣שֶׁת (and laid it) עָלֶ֔יהָ (on her), וַיָּבֹ֖א (and he went) הָעִֽיר׃ (into the city).

16  וַתָּבוֹא֙ (And she came) אֶל־ (to) חֲמוֹתָ֔הּ (her mother-in-law), וַתֹּ֖אמֶר (and she said), מִי־ (Who are) אַ֣תְּ (you), בִּתִּ֑י (my daughter)?

וַתַּ֨גֶּד־ (And she told) לָ֔הּ (her) אֵ֛ת (-) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) עָֽשָׂה־ (had done) לָ֖הּ (for her) הָאִֽישׁ׃ (the man). 17  וַתֹּ֕אמֶר (And she said), שֵׁשׁ־ (Six measures) הַשְּׂעֹרִ֥ים (of barley) הָאֵ֖לֶּה (these) נָ֣תַן (he gave) לִ֑י (to me), כִּ֚י (for) אָמַ֣רֵַ֔ (he said), אַל־ (Not) תָּב֥וֹאִי (do go in) רֵיקָ֖ם (empty-handed) אֶל־ (to) חֲמוֹתֵֽךְ׃ (your mother-in-law).

18  וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (And she said) שְׁבִ֣י (Sit), בִתִּ֔י (my daughter), עַ֚ד (until) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) תֵּֽדְעִ֔ין (you know) אֵ֖יךְ (how) יִפֹּ֣ל (will fall) דָּבָ֑ר (the matter). כִּ֣י (For) לֹ֤א (not) יִשְׁקֹט֙ (will rest) הָאִ֔ישׁ (the man) כִּֽי־ (until) אִם־ (that) כִּלָּ֥ה (he finishes) הַדָּבָ֖ר (the matter) הַיּֽוֹם׃ (today).