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Ruth Becomes Boaz’ Wife

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, (A)the kinsman redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, [a]my fellow, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. Then he took ten men of the (B)elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the kinsman redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the fields of Moab, has to sell the portion of the field (C)which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought to uncover this matter in your hearing, saying, ‘(D)Acquire it before those who are sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if no one redeems it, tell me that I may know; for (E)there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also [b]acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the one who had died, in order (F)to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance.” (G)So the kinsman redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

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Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:1 Lit a certain one
  2. Ruth 4:5 Or acquire it from Ruth

Ruth and Boaz Marry

Boaz went to the gate of the town(A) and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here[a] and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s elders(B) and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech.(C) I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do[b] not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”

“I want to redeem it,” he answered.

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire[c] Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”[d](D)

The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

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Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Or said, “Come here Mr. So-and-so
  2. 4:4 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read if he does
  3. 4:5 Lit Naomi and from
  4. 4:5 Alt Hb tradition reads Naomi, I will have already acquired from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, the privilege of raising up the name of the dead man on his property

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)

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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