1Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Right then, the family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, ‘Come over here, my friend. Sit down.’ So the man went over and sat down.2Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they did.3Then he spoke to the family protector. He said, ‘Naomi has come back from Moab. She’s selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.4I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land. Buy it while those sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.’ ‘I’ll buy it,’ he said.5Then Boaz said, ‘When you buy the property from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth. She is from Moab and is the dead man’s widow. So you must marry her. That’s because his property must continue to belong to his family.’6When the family protector heard that, he said, ‘Then I can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can’t do it.’7In earlier times in Israel, there was a certain practice. It was used when family land was bought back and changed owners. The practice made the sale final. One person would take his sandal off and give it to the other. That was how people in Israel showed that a business matter had been settled.8So the family protector said to Boaz, ‘Buy it yourself.’ And he took his sandal off.9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses. You have seen that I have bought land from Naomi. I have bought all the property that had belonged to Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon.10I’ve also taken Ruth, who is from Moab, to become my wife. She is Mahlon’s widow. I’ve decided to marry her so the dead man’s name will stay with his property. Now his name won’t disappear from his family line or from his home town. Today you are witnesses!’11Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, ‘We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the LORD make her like Rachel and Leah. Together they built up the family of Israel. May you be an important person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem.12The LORD will give you children through this young woman. May your family be like the family of Perez. He was the son Tamar had by Judah.’
Naomi gains a son
13So Boaz married Ruth. Then he slept with her. The LORD blessed her so that she became pregnant. And she had a son.14The women said to Naomi, ‘We praise the LORD. Today he has provided a family protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel!15He will make your life new again. He’ll take care of you when you are old. He’s the son of your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven sons.’16Then Naomi took the child in her arms and took care of him.17The women living there said, ‘Naomi has a son!’ They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.18Here is the family line of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron.19Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab.20Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.21Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed.22Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.
Ruth 4
English Standard Version
Boaz Redeems Ruth
1Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, 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. (Ru 2:20; 2Sa 15:2; 2Sa 18:4; 2Sa 18:24; 2Sa 18:33; 2Sa 19:8; Ps 127:5)2And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. (1Ki 21:8; Pr 31:23)3Then 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.4So 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[1] 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.” (Le 25:25; Jer 32:7)5Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth[2] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” (De 25:5; Ru 3:13; Ru 4:10)6Then 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.” (Ru 3:12)7Now 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. (De 25:7)8So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.9Then 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 Chilion and to Mahlon. (Ru 1:2; Ru 1:4)10Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, 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.” (Ru 4:5)11Then all the people who were 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, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, (Ge 29:31; Ge 35:16; Ge 35:19; De 25:9; Ru 4:1; Ru 4:14)12and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.” (Ge 38:29; 1Sa 2:20; 1Ch 2:4; Mt 1:3)
Ruth and Boaz Marry
13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. (Ge 29:31; Ge 33:5)14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! (Ru 2:20; Ru 4:11; Lu 1:58)15He 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 given birth to him.” (1Sa 1:8)16Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.17And 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. (Lu 1:59)
The Genealogy of David
18Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, (1Ch 2:4; Mt 1:3)19Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,20Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, (Ex 6:23; Nu 1:7)21Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,22Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.