Боаз женится на Руфи

А Боаз тем временем направился к городским воротам[a] и сел там. Когда родственник[b], о котором он говорил, проходил мимо, Боаз сказал:

– Сверни сюда, мой друг, и присядь.

Тот свернул и сел.

Боаз взял десять человек из старейшин города и сказал им:

– Сядьте здесь.

И они сели.

После этого он сказал тому родственнику:

– Ноеминь, которая вернулась из Моава, продает участок земли, что принадлежал нашему родичу Элимелеху. Я подумал, что должен довести это до твоего сведения и предложить тебе купить его в присутствии тех, кто сидит здесь, и в присутствии старейшин моего народа. Но если ты не купишь, скажи мне, чтобы я знал. Ведь у тебя первоочередное право сделать это, а я – за тобой.

– Я выкуплю его, – сказал он.

Тогда Боаз сказал:

– В тот день, когда купишь землю у Ноемини, ты также должен будешь жениться на моавитянке Руфи, вдове покойного, чтобы, когда у вас родится сын, собственность на землю осталась за семьей покойного.

Но родственник сказал:

– В таком случае я не могу выкупить этот участок, потому что я подвергну опасности свое собственное имение. Выкупай лучше сам, а я не могу этого сделать.

(В прежние времена в Израиле, чтобы выкупить или передать права на собственность, один из участников сделки снимал свою сандалию и отдавал ее другому. Такой в Израиле был обычай узаконивать сделку.)

Родственник сказал Боазу:

– Покупай сам.

И снял свою сандалию.

Тогда Боаз объявил старейшинам и всему народу:

– Сегодня вы свидетели того, что я купил у Ноемини все, что принадлежало Элимелеху, Хилеону и Махлону. 10 Еще я приобрел моавитянку Руфь, вдову Махлона, себе в жены, чтобы сохранить землю за семьей покойного, чтобы его имя не исчезло среди его родичей и от ворот его родного города. Вы сегодня свидетели!

11 Тогда старейшины и все, кто был у ворот, сказали:

– Мы свидетели. Пусть Господь сделает плодовитой женщину, которая входит в твой дом, подобно Рахили и Лии, которые вместе возвели дом Израиля[c]. Приобретай богатство в Ефрафе и славься в Вифлееме. 12 Пусть через потомство, которое Господь даст тебе от этой молодой женщины, твой род уподобится роду Пареца, которого Фамарь родила Иуде[d].

Родословие царя Давида(A)

13 Так Боаз взял Руфь, и она стала его женой. Он лег с ней, и Господь дал ей забеременеть, и она родила сына.

14 Женщины говорили Ноемини:

– Слава Господу, Который не оставил тебя сегодня без наследника[e], который будет заботиться о тебе. Пусть мальчик прославится в Израиле! 15 Он обновит твою жизнь и обеспечит тебя в старости. Ведь его родила твоя сноха, которая любит тебя, и которая для тебя лучше семи сыновей.

16 Ноеминь взяла младенца, носила его в объятиях и нянчила его. 17 Женщины, которые жили там, говорили:

– У Ноемини родился сын.

Они назвали его Овид. Он стал отцом Иессея, отца Давида.

18 И вот родословие Пареца:

Парец был отцом Хецрона,

19 Хецрон – отцом Рама,

Рам – отцом Аминадава,

20 Аминадав – отцом Нахшона,

Нахшон – отцом Салмона[f],

21 Салмон – отцом Боаза,

Боаз – отцом Овида,

22 Овид – отцом Иессея,

а Иессей – отцом Давида.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Ворота города были центром всей общественной жизни, около них проходили и судебные разбирательства.
  2. 4:1 Или: «тот, у кого право выкупа»; также в ст. 3, 14.
  3. 4:11 См. Быт. 29:31–30:24; 35:16-20.
  4. 4:12 История рождения Пареца могла быть здесь упомянута по трем причинам: 1) он появился на свет, как наследник умершего Ира, сына Иуды (Быт. 38); 2) Боаз был прямым потомком Пареца (4:18-21); 3) потомки Пареца поселились в Вифлееме (1 Пар. 2:5, 18-19, 50-54).
  5. 4:14 Или: «ближайшего родственника».
  6. 4:20 Так в некоторых рукописях еврейского текста и в одном из древних переводов (см. также ст. 21); в большинстве рукописей еврейского текста: «Салмы».

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)

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption(L) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal(M) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions(N) in Israel.)(O)

So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.(P)

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses(Q) that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,(R) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,(S) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.(T) Today you are witnesses!(U)

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate(V) said, “We are witnesses.(W) May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah,(X) who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah(Y) and be famous in Bethlehem.(Z) 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez,(AA) whom Tamar(AB) bore to Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive,(AC) and she gave birth to a son.(AD) 14 The women(AE) said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,(AF) who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer.(AG) May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law,(AH) who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons,(AI) has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse,(AJ) the father of David.(AK)

The Genealogy of David(AL)

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez(AM):

Perez was the father of Hezron,(AN)

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,(AO)

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,(AP)

Nahshon the father of Salmon,[d]

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,(AQ)

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

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
  4. Ruth 4:20 A few Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 21 and Septuagint of 1 Chron. 2:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Salma

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth

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, friend; sit down here.” And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here”; so they sat down. He then said to the next-of-kin,[b] “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. 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 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.” Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth[c] the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” At this, the next-of-kin[d] said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

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. So when the next-of-kin[e] said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses 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.” 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 in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; 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.”

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. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin;[f] and may his name 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, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 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, 19 Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, 21 Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, 22 Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

Footnotes

  1. Ruth 4:1 Or one with the right to redeem
  2. Ruth 4:3 Or one with the right to redeem
  3. Ruth 4:5 OL Vg: Heb from the hand of Naomi and from Ruth
  4. Ruth 4:6 Or one with the right to redeem
  5. Ruth 4:8 Or one with the right to redeem
  6. Ruth 4:14 Or one with the right to redeem