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At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.”[a](A) 10 He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.

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Footnotes

  1. 3.9 Or one with the right to redeem

In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment(A) over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer[a](B) of our family.”

10 “The Lord bless you,(C) my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier:(D) You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 3:9 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 12 and 13.