The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 4 -

Then went Boaz vp to the gate, and sate there, and beholde, the kinsman, of whome Boaz had spoken, came by: and he sayd, Ho, snch one, come, sit downe here. And he turned, and sate downe.

Then he tooke ten men of the Elders of the citie, and sayd, Sit ye downe here. And they sate downe.

And he said vnto ye kinsman, Naomi, that is come againe out of ye countrey of Moab, wil sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelechs.

And I thought to aduertise thee, saying, Buy it before the assistants, and before the Elders of my people. If thou wilt redeeme it, redeeme it: but if thou wilt not redeeme it, tel me: for I know that there is none besides thee to redeeme it, and I am after thee. Then he answered, I wil redeeme it.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou mnst also buy it of Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of the dead, to stirre vp the name of the dead, vpon his inheritance.

And the kinsman answered, I can not redeeme it, lest I destroy mine owne inheritance: redeeme my right to thee, for I can not redeeme it.

Now this was the maner beforetime in Israel, concerning redeeming and changing, for to stablish all things: a man did plucke off his shooe, and gaue it his neighbour, and this was a sure witnes in Israel.

Therefore the kinsman sayd to Boas, Buy it for thee: and he drew off his shooe.

And Boaz sayd vnto the Elders and vnto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I haue bought all that was Elimelechs, and all that was Chilions and Mahlons, of the hand of Naomi.

And moreouer, Ruth the Moabitesse the wife of Mahlon, haue I bought to be my wife, to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritance, and that the name of the dead be not put out from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

And all the people that were in the gate, and the Elders sayd, We are witnesses: the Lord make the wife that commeth into thine house, like Rahel and like Leah, which twaine did build the house of Israel: and that thou mayest doe worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem,

And that thine house be like the house of Pharez ( whom Thamar bare vnto Iudah) of the seede which the Lord shall giue thee of this yong woman.

Boaz Marries Ruth

So Boaz tooke Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in vnto her, the Lord gaue that she conceiued, and bare a sonne.

And the women sayd vnto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and his name shalbe continued in Israel.

And this shall bring thy life againe, and cherish thine olde age: for thy daughter in lawe which loueth thee, hath borne vnto him, and she is better to thee then seuen sonnes.

And Naomi tooke the childe, and layde it in her lap, and became nource vnto it.

And the women her neighbours gaue it a name, saying, There is a childe borne to Naomi, and called the name thereof Obed: the same was the father of Ishai, the father of Dauid.

The Line of David

(Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38)

These now are ye generations of Pharez: Pharez begate Hezron,

And Hezron begate Ram, and Ram begate Amminadab,

And Amminadab begate Nahshon, and Nahshon begate Salmah,

And Salmon begate Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

And Obed begate Ishai, and Ishai begate Dauid.

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down.

Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down.

He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.

I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.”

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel.

So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal.

Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”

All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring

(a)

which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

Boaz Marries Ruth

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.

The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel.

He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.

The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Line of David

(Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38)

Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,

and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,

and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

Footnotes

(a)4:12 or, seed