The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 4 -

Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the meeting place at the gate leading into the town and sat down there. Before long, the close relative that Boaz had mentioned came along. Boaz said to him, “My cousin, come over here and sit down.” So the man went and sat down.

Boaz then gathered ten of the elders of the town and asked them to join them. So they sat down.

Then Boaz said to his relative, “As you know, Naomi has returned from Moab. Now she wants to sell her right to the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek.

I thought that I should tell you about that, and suggest that you buy it, while these elders who are sitting here are listening. If you are willing to buy the property, do that. But if you do not want to buy it, tell me, so that I will know. I am suggesting this to you because you are the one who has the first right to buy it, and if you do not buy it, I am next in line.” The man replied, “I will buy it!”

Then Boaz told him, “When you buy the land from Naomi, you will also need to marry Ruth, our relative’s widow from Moab, in order that she may have a son to inherit the property and carry on the name of her dead husband.”

Then the nearer relative said, “If that is so, I do not want to buy the property, because then my own children would not inherit the property. I give you the right to buy the property instead of me!”

At that time, it was the custom in Israel that when two people agreed to redeem or exchange anything between them, one man would take off one of his sandals and give it to the other man. That was the way they finalized transactions in Israel.

So the relative said to Boaz, “You buy the field yourself!” And he took off one of his sandals and gave it to Boaz.

Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the other people who were there, “Today you have all seen that I have bought from Naomi all the property that belonged to Elimelek, Mahlon, and Kilion.

I am also taking Ruth, the woman from Moab, Mahlon’s widow, to be my wife. This is in order that she may give birth to a son who will inherit the property. In this way he will carry on the family name among his relatives and here in his hometown. Today you all are witnesses of what I have done.”

All the elders and the others who were sitting at the town gate agreed and said, “Yes, we are witnesses.” One of them added, “May Yahweh allow this woman, who will be coming into your home, to be like Rachel and Leah, the two who bore our ancestors and started our people, Israel. We hope that you will become rich in the clan of Ephrathah, and become famous here in Bethlehem.

May your family be like the family of your ancestor Perez son of Judah, and Tamar, because of the many descendants that Yahweh will give to you and this young woman.”

Boaz Marries Ruth

So Boaz took Ruth to be his wife and slept with her. Yahweh enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son.

The women of Bethlehem said to Naomi, “Praise Yahweh! Now he has given you a grandson who will be the one who will have the responsibility to take care of you. May he become famous throughout Israel.

He will make you feel young again, and he will take care of you when you become old, because your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to him. She has been better to you than if you had seven sons.”

Then Naomi took the baby and put him on her lap, and became a second mother for him.

The women who were living nearby said, “It is as though Naomi now has a son!” And they named him Obed. Later, Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David.

The Line of David

(Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38)

Here is a list of the descendants of Perez: Perez’s son was Hezron.

Hezron’s son was Ram. Ram’s son was Amminadab.

Amminadab’s son was Nahshon. Nahshon’s son was Salmon.

Salmon’s son was Boaz. Boaz’s son was Obed.

Obed’s son was Jesse. Jesse’s son was David.

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