Ruth

拿俄米替路得找归宿

1路得的婆婆拿俄米对她说：「女儿啊，我不当为你找个安身之处，使你享福吗？

2你与波阿斯的使女常在一处，波阿斯不是我们的亲族吗？他今夜在场上簸大麦；

3你要沐浴抹膏，换上衣服，下到场上，却不要使那人认出你来。你等他吃喝完了，

4到他睡的时候，你看准他睡的地方，就进去掀开他脚上的被，躺卧在那里，他必告诉你所当做的事。」

5路得说：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行。」

6路得就下到场上，照她婆婆所吩咐她的而行。

7波阿斯吃喝完了，心里欢畅，就去睡在麦堆旁边。路得便悄悄地来掀开他脚上的被，躺卧在那里。

8到了夜半，那人忽然惊醒，翻过身来，不料有女子躺在他的脚下。

9他就说：「你是谁？」回答说：「我是你的婢女路得。求你用你的衣襟遮盖我，因为你是我一个至近的亲属。」

10波阿斯说：「女儿啊，愿你蒙耶和华赐福。你末后的恩比先前更大；因为少年人无论贫富，你都没有跟从。

11女儿啊，现在不要惧怕，凡你所说的，我必照着行；我本城的人都知道你是个贤德的女子。

12我实在是你一个至近的亲属，只是还有一个人比我更近。

13你今夜在这里住宿，明早他若肯为你尽亲属的本分，就由他吧！倘若不肯，我指着永生的耶和华起誓，我必为你尽了本分，你只管躺到天亮。」

14路得便在他脚下躺到天快亮，人彼此不能辨认的时候就起来了。波阿斯说：「不可使人知道有女子到场上来」；

15又对路得说：「打开你所披的外衣。」她打开了，波阿斯就撮了六簸箕大麦，帮她扛在肩上，她便进城去了。

16路得回到婆婆那里，婆婆说：「女儿啊，怎么样了？」路得就将那人向她所行的述说了一遍，

17又说：「那人给了我六簸箕大麦，对我说：『你不可空手回去见你的婆婆。』」

18婆婆说：「女儿啊，你只管安坐等候，看这事怎样成就，因为那人今日不办成这事必不休息。」

Ruth’s Redemption Assured

1One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?

2Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

3Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.

4When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”

5“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered.

6So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.

7After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!

9“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garmentover me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

10Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

11And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.

12Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.

13Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie here until morning.”

14So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her. Then Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

15And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured in six measures of barleyand placed it on her. Then he wentinto the city.

16When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her.

17And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

18“Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go, for he will not rest unless he has resolved the matter today.”