Ruth 4
4
Boaz Marries Ruth
1Boaz went to the meeting place at the town gate and sat down there. Then Elimelech's nearest relative, the man whom Boaz had mentioned, came by, and Boaz called to him, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2Then Boaz got ten of the leaders of the town and asked them to sit down there too. When they were seated, 3he said to his relative, “Now that Naomi has come back from Moab, she wants to sell the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech, 4and I think you ought to know about it. Now then, if you want it, buy it in the presence of these men sitting here. But if you don't want it, say so, because the right to buy it belongs first to you and then to me.”
The man said, “I will buy it.”
5Boaz said, “Very well, but if you buy the field from Naomi, then you are also buying Ruth,#4.5 Some ancient translations Naomi… Ruth; Hebrew Naomi and from Ruth. the Moabite widow, so that the field will stay in the dead man's family.”
6The man answered, “In that case I will give up my right to buy the field, because it would mean that my own children would not inherit it. You buy it; I would rather not.”
7 #
Deut 25.9
Now in those days, to settle a sale or an exchange of property, it was the custom for the seller to take off his sandal and give it to the buyer. In this way the Israelites showed that the matter was settled.
8So when the man said to Boaz, “You buy it,” he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz.#4.8 One ancient translation and gave it to Boaz; Hebrew does not have these words. 9Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the others there, “You are all witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech and to his sons Chilion and Mahlon. 10#Deut 25.5–6In addition, Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon's widow, becomes my wife. This will keep the property in the dead man's family, and his family line will continue among his people and in his town. You are witnesses to this today.”
11 #
Gen 29.31
The leaders and the others said, “Yes, we are witnesses. May the LORD make your wife become like Rachel and Leah, who bore many children to Jacob. May you become rich in the clan of Ephrath and famous in Bethlehem. 12#Gen 38.27–30May the children that the LORD will give you by this young woman make your family like the family of Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar.”
Boaz and his Descendants
13So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife. The LORD blessed her, and she became pregnant and had a son. 14The women said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD! He has given you a grandson today to take care of you. May the boy become famous in Israel! 15Your daughter-in-law loves you, and has done more for you than seven sons. And now she has given you a grandson, who will bring new life to you and give you security in your old age.” 16Naomi took the child, held him close,#4.16 held him close; or adopted him. and took care of him.
17The women of the neighbourhood named the boy Obed. They told everyone, “A son has been born to Naomi!”
Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.
18-22This is the family line from Perez to David: Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Ruth 4
4
1Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.
2And Booz, taking ten men of the ancients of the city, said to them: Sit ye down here.
3They sat down, and he spoke to the kinsman: Noemi, who is returned from the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4I would have thee to understand this, and would tell thee before all that sit here, and before the ancients of my people. If thou wilt take possession of it by the right of kindred: buy it and possess it. But if it please thee not, tell me so, that I may know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides thee, who art first, and me, who am second. But he answered: I will buy the field.
5And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman's hand, thou must take also Ruth the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.
6He answered: I yield up my right of next akin; for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I profess I do willingly forego.
7Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour. This was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.
8So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.
9And he said to the ancients and to all the people: You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and Chelion's, and Mahalon's, of the hand of Noemi.
10And have taken to wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahalon, to raise up the name of the deceased in his inheritance lest his name be cut off, from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.
11Then all the people that were in the gate, and the ancients answered: We are witnesses. The Lord make this woman who cometh into thy house, like Rachel, and Lia, who built up the house of Israel: that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem.
12And that the house may be, as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore unto Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
13Booz therefore took Ruth, and married her and went in unto her: and the Lord gave her to conceive and to bear a son.
14And the women said to Noemi: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not suffered thy family to want a successor, that his name should be preserved in Israel.
15And thou shouldst have one to comfort thy soul, and cherish thy old age. For he is born of thy daughter-in-law: who loveth thee: and is much better to thee, than if thou hadst seven sons.
16And Noemi taking the child laid it in her bosom, and she carried it, and was a nurse unto it.
17And the women her neighbours, congratulating with her and saying: There is a son born to Noemi: and thry have called his name Obed: He is the father of Isai, the father of David.
18These are the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esron,
19Esron begot Aram, Aram begot Aminadab,
20Aminadab begot Nahasson, Nahasson begot Salmon,
21Salmon begot Booz, Booz begot Obed,
22Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.