1 Boaz speaketh to Ruth’s next kinsman touching her marriage. 7 The ancient custom in Israel. 10 Boaz marrieth Ruth, of whom he begetteth Obed. 18 The generation of Perez.

Then went Boaz up to the [a]gate, and sat there, and behold, the kinsman, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by: and he said, [b]Ho, such one, come, sit down here. And he turned, and sat down.

Then he took ten men of the Elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.

And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the [c]assistants, and before the Elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, tell me: for I know that there is none [d]besides thee to redeem it, and I am after thee. Then he answered, I will redeem it.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must also buy it of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the dead, to stir up the name of the dead, upon his [e]inheritance.

And the kinsman answered, I cannot redeem it, lest I destroy mine own inheritance: redeem my right to thee, for I can not redeem it.

Now this was the manner beforetime in Israel, concerning redeeming and changing for to stablish all things: a man did pluck off his shoe, and gave it his neighbor: and this was a sure [f]witness in Israel.

Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for thee: and he drew off his shoe.

And Boaz said unto the Elders and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.

10 And moreover, Ruth the Moabitess the wife of Mahlon, have I bought to be my wife, to stir up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, and that the name of the dead be not put out from among his brethren, and from the gate of his [g]place: ye are witnesses this day.

11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the Elders said, We are witnesses: the Lord make the wife that cometh into thine house, like Rachel and like Leah, which twain did build the house of Israel: and that thou mayest do worthily in [h]Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

12 And that thine house be like the house of Perez ((A)whom Tamar bare unto Judah) of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

13 ¶ So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave that she conceived, and bare a son.

14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and [i]his name shall be continued in Israel.

15 And this shall bring thy life again, and cherish thine old age: for thy daughter-in-law which loveth thee, hath borne unto him, and she is better to thee than [j]seven sons.

16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her lap, and became nurse unto it.

17 And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a child born to Naomi, and called the name thereof Obed: the same was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 ¶ These now are the generations of (B)[k]Perez: Perez begat Hezron,

19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:1 Which was the place of judgment.
  2. Ruth 4:1 The Hebrews here use two words which have no proper signification, but serve to note a certain person, as we say, Ho sirrah, or ho such a one.
  3. Ruth 4:4 Or, inhabitants.
  4. Ruth 4:4 For thou art the next of the kin.
  5. Ruth 4:5 That his inheritance might bear his name that is dead.
  6. Ruth 4:7 That he had resigned his right, Deut. 25:9.
  7. Ruth 4:10 Or, of the city where he remained.
  8. Ruth 4:11 Ephrathah and Bethlehem are both one.
  9. Ruth 4:14 He shall leave continual posterity.
  10. Ruth 4:15 Meaning, many sons.
  11. Ruth 4:18 This genealogy is brought in, to prove that David by succession came of the house of Judah.

Boaz Marries Ruth

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate(A) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a](B) he had mentioned(C) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

Boaz took ten of the elders(D) of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.(E) Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.(F) 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[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you,(G) and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,(H) the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”(I)

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

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption(L) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal(M) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions(N) in Israel.)(O)

So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.(P)

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses(Q) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,(R) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,(S) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.(T) Today you are witnesses!(U)

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate(V) said, “We are witnesses.(W) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,(X) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah(Y) and be famous in Bethlehem.(Z) 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,(AA) whom Tamar(AB) bore to Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,(AC) and she gave birth to a son.(AD) 14 The women(AE) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,(AF) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.(AG) May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,(AH) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,(AI) has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,(AJ) the father of David.(AK)

The Genealogy of David(AL)

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez(AM):

Perez was the father of Hezron,(AN)

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,(AO)

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,(AP)

Nahshon the father of Salmon,[d]

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,(AQ)

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:1 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 3, 6, 8 and 14.
  2. Ruth 4:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts he
  3. Ruth 4:5 Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew (see also Septuagint) Naomi and from Ruth the Moabite, you acquire the
  4. Ruth 4:20 A few Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 21 and Septuagint of 1 Chron. 2:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Salma