20 “The Lord bless him!(A)” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law.(B) “He has not stopped showing his kindness(C) to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative;(D) he is one of our guardian-redeemers.[a](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 2:20 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).

20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

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I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[a] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,(A) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts he

And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

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At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem(A) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”(B)

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And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

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