Ruth 4

The Marriage of Ruth

1Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, 1the 2close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, 3friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2He took ten men of the 4elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3Then he said to the 5closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land 6which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4So I thought to 7inform you, saying, ‘8Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if 9not, tell me that I may know; for 10there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order 11to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 612The 13closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would 14jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7Now this was 15the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8So the 16closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so 17that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the 18court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11All the people who were in the 19court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home 20like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve 21wealth in Ephrathah and 22become famous in Bethlehem. 12Moreover, may your house be like the house of 23Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the 24offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And 25the Lord 26enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14Then the 27women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a 28redeemer today, and may his name 29become famous in Israel. 15May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you 3031and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

The Line of David Began Here

16Then Naomi took the child 32and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18Now these are the generations of Perez: 33to Perez 34was born Hezron, 19and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.