how she might bring it to pass. And one day she called Ruth and thus and so she said to her, and Ruth, who thought that everything that Naomi said was right, promised to do as she was told. And that night the wind was blowing and the moon was shining, and Boaz was working late, winnowing barley in the threshing-floor, he and his men, and after supper he lay down on the floor at the end of the heap of barley and went to sleep. And in the middle of the night he waked and turned over to sleep again, and there was Ruth.
And Boaz said, “Who is this?”
And she said, “I am Ruth. My husband’s father was your cousin.”
And he said, “You have done well, my daughter, to come to me. I will do whatever you wish. Only there is a kinsman nearer than I. We must first see him. Lie down now and sleep.” So she lay down and slept, and the next morning, before the day was light, she rose up and went home.
And that day Boaz sat by the city gate, and the kinsman passed. “Ho!” called Boaz, “turn aside and sit down here.” And Boaz called ten men to sit beside them. “Now,” said Boaz, “Naomi has some land to sell which belonged to our brother Elimelech. Will you buy it?”
“Yes,” the kinsman said, “I will.”