Ruth 4
English Standard Version
Boaz Redeems Ruth
4 Now Boaz had gone up to (A)the gate and sat down there. And behold, (B)the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men (C)of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, (D)‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you[a] will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth[b] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order (E)to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 (F)Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 (G)Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to (H)Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, (I)to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people who were (J)at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, (K)who together (L)built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in (M)Ephrathah and (N)be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, (O)whom Tamar bore to Judah, because (P)of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
Ruth and Boaz Marry
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, (Q)and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 (R)Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without (S)a redeemer, and may his name (T)be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, (U)who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 (V)And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The Genealogy of David
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: (W)Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 (X)Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
Ruth 4
International Standard Version
Boaz Acts to Fulfill His Responsibilities
4 Meanwhile, Boaz approached the city gate[a] and sat down there. Just then, the very same related redeemer whom Boaz had mentioned came by, so Boaz[b] called out to him, “Come over and sit down here, my friend!” So the man came over and sat down.
2 Boaz[c] selected ten of the town elders and spoke to them, “Sit down here.” So they sat down 3 and Boaz[d] addressed the related redeemer directly: “A portion of a field belonging to our relative Elimelech is up for sale by Naomi, who recently returned from the country of Moab. 4 So I thought to myself I ought to tell you that you must make a public purchase of this before the town residents and the elders of my people. So if you intend to act as the related redeemer, then do so.[e] But if not, let me know, because except for you—and I after you—there is no one to fulfill the duties of a related redeemer.”
The man responded, “I will act as related redeemer.”
A Complication Arises and is Resolved
5 Boaz continued, “On the very day you obtain the field from Naomi,[f] I’ll be obtaining[g] Ruth the Moabite woman, the widow of the late heir,[h] so the family name may be continued[i] as an inheritance.”
6 At this, the nearer related redeemer replied, “Then I am unable to act as related redeemer, because that would complicate my own inheritance. You act instead as the related redeemer, because I cannot do so.”[j]
7 During Israel’s earlier history,[k] all things concerning redeeming or changing inheritances were confirmed by a man taking off his sandal and giving it to the other party,[l] thereby creating a public[m] record in Israel. 8 So when the nearer related redeemer told Boaz, “Make the purchase yourself,” he then took off his sandal.
Boaz’s Public Commitment
9 At this, Boaz addressed the elders and all of the people: “You all are witnesses today that I hereby redeem everything from Naomi that belonged to Elimelech, including what belonged to Chilion and Mahlon, 10 along with Mahlon’s wife Ruth the Moabite woman. I will marry her to continue the family name as an inheritance, so that the name of the deceased does not disappear from among his relatives, nor from the public record.[n] You are all witnesses today!”
11 Then all of the assembled people,[o] including the elders who were there, said, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who enters your house like Rachel and Leah, who together established the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah, and may you excel in Bethlehem! 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore for Judah, from the offspring that the Lord gives you from this young woman.”
The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth
13 So Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, and when he had marital relations with her, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women of Bethlehem[p] told Naomi, “May the Lord be blessed,[q] who has not left you today without a related redeemer. May his name become famous throughout Israel! 15 And he will restore your life for you and will support you in your old age, because your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who has borne him, is better for you than seven sons!”
16 Naomi took care of the child, taking him to her breast and becoming his nurse. 17 So her women neighbors gave the child a nickname, which is “Naomi has a son!” They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.
The Ancestry of David
18 This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab. 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed. 22 Then Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David.
Footnotes
- Ruth 4:1 I.e. the place of public business
- Ruth 4:1 Lit. he
- Ruth 4:2 Lit. He
- Ruth 4:3 Lit. he
- Ruth 4:4 Lit. then act as related redeemer
- Ruth 4:5 Lit. from the hand of Naomi
- Ruth 4:5 So MT ketiv; MT qere reads you will be obtaining
- Ruth 4:5 Lit. the dead
- Ruth 4:5 Or be raised up
- Ruth 4:6 Lit. cannot act as related redeemer
- Ruth 4:7 Or years
- Ruth 4:7 Or neighbor; cf. Deut 25:9
- Ruth 4:7 The Heb. lacks public
- Ruth 4:10 Lit. the gate of his place
- Ruth 4:11 Lit. the people in the gate
- Ruth 4:14 The Heb. lacks of Bethlehem
- Ruth 4:14 Or Blessed be the Lord
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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