The Book of Ruth

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 4 -

And Boaz has gone up to the gate, and sits there, and behold, the redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, and he says, “Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one”; and he turns aside and sits down.

And he takes ten men from [the] elderly of the city, and says, “Sit down here”; and they sit down.

And he says to the redeemer, “A portion of the field which [is] to our brother, to Elimelech, has Naomi sold, who has come back from the fields of Moab;

and I said, I uncover your ear, saying, Buy before the inhabitants and before [the] elderly of my people; if you redeem—redeem, and if none redeems—declare [it] to me and I know, for there is none except you to redeem, and I after you.” And he says, “I redeem [it].”

And Boaz says, “In the day of your buying the field from the hand of Naomi, then from Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, you have bought [it], to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance.”

And the redeemer says, “I am not able to redeem [it] for myself, lest I destroy my inheritance; redeem for yourself—you—my right of redemption, for I am not able to redeem.”

And this [is] formerly in Israel for redemption and for exchanging, to establish anything: a man has drawn off his sandal, and given [it] to his neighbor, and this [is] the Testimony in Israel.

And the redeemer says to Boaz, “Buy [it] for yourself,” and draws off his sandal.

And Boaz says to the elderly, and [to] all the people, “You [are] witnesses today that I have bought all that [belonged] to Elimelech, and all that [belonged] to Chilion and Mahlon, from the hand of Naomi;

and also Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, I have bought to myself for a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance; and the name of the dead is not cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place; witnesses you [are] today.”

And all the people who [are] in the gate say—also the elderly, “Witnesses! YHWH makes the woman who is coming to your house as Rachel and as Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and you do virtuously in Ephrathah, and proclaim the name in Beth-Lehem;

and let your house be as the house of Perez (whom Tamar bore to Judah), of the seed which YHWH gives to you of this young woman.”

Boaz Marries Ruth

And Boaz takes Ruth, and she becomes his wife, and he goes in to her, and YHWH gives conception to her, and she bears a son.

And the women say to Naomi, “Blessed [is] YHWH who has not let a redeemer cease to you today, and his name is proclaimed in Israel,

and he has been to you for a restorer of life, and for a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who has loved you—who is better to you than seven sons—has borne him.”

And Naomi takes the boy, and lays him in her bosom, and is to him for a nurse;

and the neighboring women give a name to him, saying, “There has been a son born to Naomi,” and they call his name Obed; he [is] father of Jesse, father of David.

The Line of David

(Matthew 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38)

And these are generations of Perez: Perez begot Hezron,

and Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminidab,

and Amminidab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon,

and Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed,

and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot 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