8 About midnight Boaz woke up suddenly and rolled over. He was startled! There was a woman lying near his feet!
9 Boaz asked, “Who are you?”She said, “I am Ruth, your servant girl. Spread your cover over me because you are the one who is to take care of me.”
10 Then Boaz said, “The Lord bless you, my daughter. Your kindness to me is greater than the kindness you showed to Naomi in the beginning. You didn’t look for a young man to marry, either rich or poor.
11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do everything you ask. All the people in our town know you are a very good woman.
12 And it is true, I am a relative who is to take care of you. But there is a man who is a closer relative to you than I.
13 But stay here tonight. In the morning we will see if he will take care of you. If he decides to take care of you, that is fine. If he refuses to take care of you, I myself will marry you. Then I will buy back Elimelech’s land for you. As surely as the Lord lives, I promise to do this. So lie here until morning.”
14 So Ruth lay near his feet until the morning. She rose while it was still too dark to be recognized. Boaz said to his servants, “Don’t tell anyone that the woman came here to the threshing floor.”