Ruth 4
4
Boaz and Naomi’s Close Relative
1Boaz went to the place where people gather near the city gates. He sat there until the close relative he had told Ruth about passed by. Boaz called to him, “Come and sit here, friend.”
2Boaz also gathered ten of the elders of the city. He told them, “Sit here!” So they sat down.
3Then Boaz spoke to Naomi’s close relative. He said, “Naomi came back from the hill country of Moab. She wants to sell the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4I decided to tell you about this in front of the people living here and in front of the elders of our people. If you want to pay the widow for the land and keep it in the family, then pay her for it. If you don’t want to buy the land, tell me, because I am the next one in the family who has the right to buy it. If you don’t buy the land from her, I will.”
Naomi’s closest relative said, “I will buy the land from her.”
5Then Boaz said, “If you buy the land from her, you must also marry the dead man’s wife, Ruth, the Moabite woman. Then the first child will get the land, and it will stay in the dead man’s family.”
6The close relative answered, “Then I cannot buy the land. If I do, I might lose my own land. So I cannot do it. You buy the land.” 7Then he gave Boaz something to show that he was serious. During that time in Israel, when people bought property, one person took off a sandal and gave it to the other person. This was like signing an agreement. 8So when the close relative said to Boaz, “You buy the land,” he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz.#4:8 and gave it to Boaz This is from the ancient Greek version.
9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10I also take Ruth to be my wife. Then the dead man’s property will continue to belong to his family. And he will always be remembered by his family and the people in his hometown. You are all witnesses of what I am doing today.”
11So all the elders and the people who were near the city gates said, “We are witnesses to all of this. And may the Lord bless this woman who is coming into your home to be like Rachel and Leah. They are the ones who had many children to make the people of Israel strong. And may you become powerful in the tribe of Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! 12May the Lord bless you with many children through Ruth. May your family become great like the family of Perez,#4:12 Perez One of Boaz’s ancestors. the son Tamar bore for Judah.”
13So Boaz married Ruth. The Lord allowed Ruth to become pregnant, and she had a son. 14The women there said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord who gave you this child.#4:14 child Literally, “protector” or “redeemer.” This might refer to Boaz, or the women might have used this name for the baby because he would be the one to care for Naomi and her family and to carry on the name of Elimelech. May he become famous in Israel. 15He will make you alive again and care for you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law made it happen because she bore this child for you. She loves you, and she is better for you than seven sons.”
16Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared for him. 17The neighbors gave the boy his name. These women said, “Naomi has a son now!”#4:17 Naomi … now Literally, “A son was born for Naomi.” They named him Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.
The Family of Ruth and Boaz
18This is the family history of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron.
19Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
20Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
21Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
22Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
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.