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Therefore Boaz ascended to the gate, and sat there (And so Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there); and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned (back), and sat (down).

And Boaz took ten elder men of the city, and he said to them, Sit ye down here. And while they sat (And when they had sat down),

Boaz spake to the kinsman, (and said,) Naomi, that turned again from the country of Moab, sold, that is, is in purpose to sell, for it was not yet sold, the part of the field of our brother Elimelech, (Boaz said to his kinsman, Our kinswoman Naomi, who hath returned from the country of Moab, is selling the portion of the field, that was Elimelech’s, our kinsman,)

which thing I would that thou hear; and I would say to thee before all men sitting, and greater in birth of my people. If thou wilt have in possession the field by right of nigh kin, buy thou, and have thou in possession; soothly if it displeaseth thee, show thou this same thing to me, that I know what I ought to do; for none is nigh in kin, besides thee which art the former, and besides me which am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field. (which thing I desire that thou hear about; and I say it to thee before all the men sitting here, and of great age, that is, the elders, of my people. If thou wilt have the field for a possession by right of next of kin, buy thou it, and have thou it for a possession; but if it displeaseth thee, tell thou this to me, so that I know what I ought to do; for no one is next of kin, besides thee, who art the first by right, and I, who am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field.)

To whom Boaz said, When thou hast bought the field (out) of the hand of the woman, thou oughtest also to take to wife Ruth of Moab, that was the wife of the dead man, that thou raise the name of thy kinsman in his heritage. (To whom Boaz then said, And when thou hast bought the field from the hand of the woman, thou ought also to take for a wife Ruth the Moabite, who was the wife of the dead man, so that thou can raise up the name of thy kinsman on his inheritance, that is, on his land.)

And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)

Forsooth this was the custom by eld time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was (the) witnessing of (such) a gift in Israel.

Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot (and at once he unlaced his shoe and took it off his foot).

And Boaz said to the greater men in birth, and to all the people, Ye be witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all things that were of Elimelech, and of Chilion, and of Mahlon, by the gift of Naomi; (And Boaz said to the men of great age, that is, the elders, and to all the people there, Ye be my witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all the things that were Elimelech’s, and Chilion’s, and Mahlon’s, by purchasing them from Naomi;)

10 and that I have taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, that I raise up the name of the dead man in his heritage; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his brethren, and his people. Ye, he said, be witnesses of this thing. (and that I have also taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, so that I can raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, that is, on his land; lest his name be done away from his family, and from his kinsmen, and from his people. Ye be my witnesses of this, he said.)

11 All the people, that was in the gate, answered, and the greater men in birth, (and said,) We be witnesses; the Lord make this woman, that entereth into thine house, as Rachel and Leah, that builded the house of Israel, that she be ensample of virtue in Ephratah, and have a solemn name in Bethlehem; (And all the people, and the men of great age, or the elders, who were there at the city gate, answered, We be thy witnesses; may the Lord make this woman, who entereth into thy house, like Rachel and Leah, who built the house of Israel, and may she be an example of virtue in Ephratah, and have a famous name in Bethlehem;)

12 and thine house be made as the house of Pharez, whom Tamar childed to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give to thee of this damsel. (and may thy house be made like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore for Judah, through the children, or the descendants, whom the Lord shall give thee by this young woman.)

13 Then Boaz took Ruth, and he took her to wife (and he made her his wife); and he entered to her, and the Lord gave to her, that she conceived, and childed a son.

14 And women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which suffered not, that an heir failed to thy family, and his name were called in Israel; (And the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left thy family without an heir; may his name be known in all of Israel;)

15 and that thou have (him), that shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thine eld age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, that shall love thee, and he is better to thee, than if thou haddest seven sons. (and that thou have him, who shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thy old age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, yea, she hath done more for thee than if thou haddest seven sons.)

16 And Naomi putted the child, whom she received, in her bosom (And Naomi took the child, and put him in her bosom); and she did the office of a nurse, and of a bearer-about.

17 And [the] women neighbours thanked her, or joyed together with her, and said, A son is born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed. This is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 These be the generations of Pharez; Pharez begat Hezron; (For these be the descendants of Perez; Perez begat Hezron;)

19 Hezron begat Ram; Ram begat Amminadab;

20 Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon;

21 Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed;

22 Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David the king. (Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David, the king of Israel.)

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