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
Orthodox Jewish Bible
4 Then went Boaz up to the sha’ar, and sat him down there; and, hinei, the Go’el of whom Boaz spoke 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 a minyan of the zekenim of the town, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 And he said unto the Go’el, Naomi, that is come again out of the sadeh of Moav, selleth a share of sadeh, which was achinu (our brother) Elimelech’s;
4 And I thought to advise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the zekenim 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 sadeh of the hand of Naomi, thou must acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the eshet hamet (wife of the dead man), lahakim (to raise up, resurrect) the shem hamet upon his nachalah (inheritance).
6 And the Go’el said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own nachalah; redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Yisroel concerning the geulah (redemption) and concerning the temurah (the substitute, exchange), for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was an attestation in Yisroel.
8 Therefore the Go’el said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his sandal.
9 And Boaz said unto the zekenim, and unto kol haAm, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Kilyon’s and Machlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.
10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Machlon, have I purchased to be my wife, lahakim (to raise up, resurrect) the shem hamet (name of the dead man) upon his nachalah, that the shem of the dead man be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the sha’ar of his place; ye are edim (witnesses) HaYom.
11 And kol HaAm that were in the sha’ar, and the zekenim, said, We are edim. Hashem make the isha haba’ah (the woman coming, see Gn 3:15; Isa 7:14) into thine bais [i.e. Bais Dovid] like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the Bais Yisroel; and do thou worthily in Ephrat, and be famous in Beit-Lechem;
12 And let thy bais be like the bais of Peretz, whom Tamar bore unto Yehudah, of the zera (Bereshis 22:18; Ga 3:16) which Hashem shall give thee of this na’arah.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his isha; and when he went in unto her, Hashem gave her conception, and she bore ben [see Isa 7:14].
14 And the nashim said unto Naomi, Baruch Hashem, which hath not left thee this yom without a Go’el. May shmo be famous in Yisroel.
15 And may he restore your nefesh and be a nourisher of thine old age; for thy kallah, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than shiva banim, hath born him.
16 And Naomi took the yeled, and laid him in her kheyk (bosom), and became omenet (nurse) unto it.
17 And the women her shchenim gave him a name, saying, There is a ben born to Naomi; and they called his name Oved; he is the father of Yishai, the father of Dovid.
18 Now these are the toldot of Peretz; Peretz fathered Chetzron,
19 And Chetzron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadav,
20 And Amminadav fathered Nachshon, and Nachshon fathered Salmon,
21 And Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Oved,
22 And Oved fathered Yishai, and Yishai fathered Dovid.
Ruth 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
Boaz Marries Ruth. 1 Boaz went to the gate[a] and took a seat there. Along came the other redeemer(A) of whom he had spoken. Boaz called to him by name, “Come, sit here.” And he did so. 2 Then Boaz picked out ten of the elders[b] of the town and asked them to sit nearby. When they had done this, 3 he said to the other redeemer: “Naomi, who has come back from the plateau of Moab, is putting up for sale the piece of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. 4 [c]So I thought I would inform you. Before those here present, including the elders of my people, purchase the field; act as redeemer.(B) But if you do not want to do it, tell me so, that I may know, for no one has a right of redemption prior to yours, and mine is next.” He answered, “I will act as redeemer.”
5 [d]Boaz continued, “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you also acquire responsibility for Ruth the Moabite,(C) the widow of the late heir, to raise up a family for the deceased on his estate.” 6 The redeemer replied, “I cannot exercise my right of redemption for that would endanger my own estate. You do it in my place, for I cannot.” 7 (D)Now it used to be the custom in Israel that, to make binding a contract of redemption or exchange, one party would take off a sandal[e] and give it to the other. This was the form of attestation in Israel. 8 So the other redeemer, in saying to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” drew off his sandal. 9 Boaz then said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all the holdings of Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon. 10 I also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, as my wife, in order to raise up a family for her late husband on his estate, so that the name of the deceased may not perish from his people and his place. Do you witness this today?” 11 (E)All those at the gate, including the elders, said, “We do. May the Lord make this woman come into your house like Rachel and Leah, who between them built up the house of Israel. Prosper in Ephrathah! Bestow a name in Bethlehem! 12 With the offspring the Lord will give you from this young woman, may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”[f]
13 Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as husband and wife, the Lord enabled her to conceive and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not failed to provide you today with a redeemer. May he become famous in Israel! 15 He will restore your life and be the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the boy, cradled him[g] against her breast, and cared for him. 17 The neighbor women joined the celebration: “A son has been born to Naomi!”(F) They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 (G)These are the descendants of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,(H) 19 Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab, 20 (I)Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, Nahshon was the father of Salma, 21 Salma was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed, 22 (J)Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
Footnotes
- 4:1 The gate of an Israelite town was the place where commercial and other legal matters were dealt with in publicly witnessed fashion.
- 4:2 Ten of the elders: to serve as judges in legal matters as well as witnesses of the settlement of business affairs; cf. Dt 25:7–9.
- 4:4 Although the laws governing inheritance by Israelite widows are not specified in the Bible, Naomi seems to have the right of disposal of a piece of Elimelech’s land. The redemption custom in Lv 25:25 would then guide the procedure.
- 4:5–6 Although redemption and levirate practices are not otherwise linked in the Bible, they belong in the same area of need. Boaz claims that buying Elimelech’s field obligates the other redeemer to produce an heir for Mahlon, who would then inherit the land. That would jeopardize this redeemer’s overall holdings, since he would lose the land he had paid for. He can afford the first step but not the second, and cedes his responsibility to Boaz, who is willing to do both.
- 4:7 Take off a sandal: the legislation in Dt 25:8–10 provides that if a “redeemer” refuses to carry out the obligation of marrying his brother’s wife, the woman shall strip off his sandal as a gesture of insult. In later years, when the obligation of carrying out this function of the “redeemer” was no longer keenly felt, the removal of the sandal may have become a formalized way of renouncing the rights/obligations of the “redeemer,” as in this text.
- 4:12 Gn 38 contains a story about Tamar similar to Ruth’s in levirate marriage. Judah, under less laudable circumstances, fulfills the same role as Boaz will, and Perez, son of Judah and Tamar, perpetuates the line. Thus two non-Israelite women, Tamar and Ruth, are important links in David’s genealogy.
- 4:16 Cradled him: the child belongs to Naomi in the sense that he now becomes the redeemer in the family, as stated in 4:14. This tender act by Naomi is not necessarily adoptive and differs from the relationship in Gn 30:3; cf. Nm 11:12. Naomi now has a “boy” to replace her two lost “boys” in 1:5.
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