Ruth 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ruth and Boaz Marry
4 Boaz went to the gate of the town(A) and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, “Come[a] over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took 10 men of the town’s elders(B) and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. 3 He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.(C) 4 I thought I should inform you:[b] 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 so. But if you do[c] 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.
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire[d] Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”(D)
6 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.”
7 At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal(E) and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.
8 So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”
9 Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. 10 I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”
11 The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah,(F) who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem. 12 May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah,(G) because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons,(H) has given birth to him.” 16 Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him. 17 The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed.[e] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
David’s Genealogy from Judah’s Son
18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez:
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
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