Ruth 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Ruth Becomes Boaz’ Wife
4 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. 2 Then he took ten men of the (B)elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 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. 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 (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.”
7 Now this was (H)the custom in former times in Israel concerning the right of redemption and the exchange of land to establish any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8 So the kinsman redeemer said to Boaz, “Acquire this for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. 10 And also, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance, so (I)that the name of the one who had died will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into your home to be (J)like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel, and so you shall [c]achieve [d]excellence in Ephrathah and shall [e]proclaim your name in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of (K)Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the seed which Yahweh will grant you by this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And (L)Yahweh granted her conception, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the (M)women said to Naomi, “Blessed is Yahweh who has not left you without a [f]kinsman redeemer today, and may his name [g]be proclaimed in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a restorer of your soul and a sustainer of your [h]old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you [i](N)and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
The Generations of David
16 Then Naomi took the child [j]and put him on her bosom and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez:
(O)Perez became the father of Hezron,
19 and Hezron became the father of Ram,
and Ram became the father of Amminadab,
20 and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon became the father of [k]Salmah,
21 and Salmon became the father of Boaz,
and Boaz became the father of Obed,
22 and Obed became the father of Jesse,
and Jesse became the father of David.
Footnotes
- Ruth 4:1 Lit a certain one
- Ruth 4:5 Or acquire it from Ruth
- Ruth 4:11 Lit do
- Ruth 4:11 Or wealth, valor
- Ruth 4:11 Or have your name called out
- Ruth 4:14 Or closest relative
- Ruth 4:14 Lit be called in
- Ruth 4:15 Or gray hair
- Ruth 4:15 Lit who
- Ruth 4:16 As her own
- Ruth 4:20 A variant spelling of Salmon, cf. 4:21
Ruth 4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth
4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin[a] of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over;[b] sit down here.” And he went over and sat down.(A) 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the town and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. 3 He then said to the next-of-kin,[c] “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech.(B) 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say: 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[d] will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.”(C) 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth[e] the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”(D) 6 At this, the next-of-kin[f] said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”(E)
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm a transaction: the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel.(F) 8 So when the next-of-kin[g] said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.”(G) 11 Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children[h] in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem;(H) 12 and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”(I)
The Genealogy of David
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son.(J) 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin,[i] and may his name be renowned in Israel!(K) 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, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.”(L) 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,(M) 19 Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon,[j] 21 Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, 22 Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.
Footnotes
- 4.1 Or one with the right to redeem
- 4.1 Heb Come over, so and so
- 4.3 Or one with the right to redeem
- 4.4 Heb mss Gk Syr Vg: MT if he
- 4.5 OL Vg: Heb from the hand of Naomi and from Ruth
- 4.6 Or one with the right to redeem
- 4.8 Or one with the right to redeem
- 4.11 Or wealth
- 4.14 Or one with the right to redeem
- 4.20 Gk: Heb Salmah
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.