路得記 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
波阿斯娶路得
4 波阿斯來到城門口，坐在那裡，恰巧看見他所說的那位至親經過，便招呼他說：「某人啊，請過來坐一坐。」那人便走過來坐下。 2 波阿斯又邀請了城裡的十位長老，對他們說：「請過來坐一坐。」他們都坐下以後， 3 波阿斯便對那位至親說：「拿俄米從摩押回來了，現在要賣我們族兄以利米勒的那塊地， 4 我想應該讓你知道這件事。你最有權贖那塊地，其次才是我，此外再沒有別人了。如果你願意贖回那塊地，希望你當著在座各位長老的面表明。如果不願意，請你讓我知道。」那人說：「我願意贖。」 5 波阿斯說：「那麼，你從拿俄米手中買地的那天，也要娶已死之人的妻子摩押女子路得，好讓死者繼續在產業上留名。」 6 那位至親說：「那我就不能贖了，免得損害到我的產業。你來贖吧，我不能贖。」
7 從前在以色列，買贖或交易有這樣的規矩：一旦成交，一方要把鞋脫下來交給另一方，以色列人以此為成交的憑據。 8 那位至親對波阿斯說：「你自己買吧！」他就把鞋子脫了下來。 9 波阿斯向長老和所有在場的人說：「請各位今天為我作證，所有屬於以利米勒、基連和瑪倫的產業，我都從拿俄米手上買了。 10 同時，我要娶瑪倫的遺孀摩押女子路得為妻，好使死者繼續在產業上留名，免得他的名在本族本鄉中消失。今天，請各位作證。」 11 聚集在城門口的眾人和長老都說：「我們願意作證。願耶和華使要進你家門的這女子，像建立以色列家的拉結和利亞一樣。願你在以法他家業興隆，在伯利恆聲名遠播。 12 願耶和華藉著這年輕女子賜你後裔，使你家像先祖猶大和她瑪的兒子法勒斯家一樣。」
13 這樣，波阿斯便娶了路得為妻，與她同房。耶和華使她懷孕生了一個兒子。 14 婦女們對拿俄米說：「耶和華當受稱頌！因為今日祂賜給你一位至親，使你後繼有人，願這孩子在以色列得享盛名！ 15 他必讓你的生命重新得力，奉養你，使你安度晚年，因為他是愛你的兒媳婦所生的。有這兒媳婦比有七個兒子還要好！」 16 拿俄米接過嬰孩抱在懷中，照顧他。 17 鄰居的婦女們喊著說：「拿俄米有孩子了！」她們給孩子取名叫俄備得，這俄備得就是耶西的父親，耶西是大衛的父親。
18 以下是法勒斯的家譜：法勒斯生希斯崙， 19 希斯崙生蘭，蘭生亞米拿達， 20 亞米拿達生拿順，拿順生撒門， 21 撒門生波阿斯，波阿斯生俄備得， 22 俄備得生耶西，耶西生大衛。
Ruth 4
King James Version
4 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
4 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.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6 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.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9 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 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his 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 woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, 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 her conception, and she bare a son.
14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez 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.
Ruth 4
International Children’s Bible
Boaz Marries Ruth
4 Boaz went to the city gate. He sat there until the close relative he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “Come here, friend! Sit down here!” So the man came over and sat down. 2 Boaz gathered ten of the old men who were leaders of the city. He told them, “Sit down here!” So they sat down.
3 Then Boaz spoke to the close relative. He said, “Naomi has come back from the country of Moab. She wants to sell the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I decided to say this to you: If you want to buy back the land, then buy it! Buy it in front of the people who live here and in front of the elders of my people. If you don’t want to buy it, tell me. I am the only person after you who can buy back the land. If you don’t buy it back, I will.”
And the close relative said, “I will buy back the land.”
5 Then Boaz said, “When you buy the land from Naomi, you must marry Ruth, the dead man’s wife. She is the woman from Moab. That way, the land will stay in her dead husband’s family.”
6 The close relative answered, “Then I can’t buy back the land. If I did, I might lose what I can pass on to my own sons. I cannot buy the land back. So you buy it yourself.”
7 Long ago in Israel when people traded or bought back something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was their proof of purchase.
8 So the close relative said, “Buy the land yourself.” And then he took off his sandal.
9 Then Boaz spoke to the elders and to all the people. He said, “You are witnesses today of what I am buying from Naomi. I am buying everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I am also taking Ruth as my wife. She is the Moabite who was the wife of Mahlon. I am doing this so her dead husband’s property will stay with his family. This way, his name will not be separated from his family and his land. You are witnesses this day.”
11 So all the people and elders who were at the city gate said, “We are witnesses. This woman will be coming into your home. We hope the Lord will make her like Rachel and Leah. They had many children. So the people of Israel grew in number. May you become powerful in the district of Ephrathah. May you become famous in Bethlehem! 12 Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez.[a] In the same way, may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. And may your family be great like his.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth and married her. The Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women told Naomi, “Praise the Lord who gave you this grandson. And may he become famous in Israel. 15 He will give you new life. And he will take care of you in your old age. This happened because of your daughter-in-law. She loves you. And she is better for you than seven sons. She has given birth to your grandson.”
16 Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms and cared for him. 17 The neighbors gave the boy his name. These women said, “This boy was born for Naomi.” The neighbors named him Obed. Obed was Jesse’s father. And Jesse was the father of David.
18 This is the family history of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. 22 Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.
Footnotes
- 4:12 Perez One of Boaz’s ancestors.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
