Ruth 4

The AIT Bible

Boaz Redeems Ruth at the Gate

1Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. He said, “Turn aside, sit down here, so-and-so.” So he turned aside and sat down.

2Then he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” And they sat down.

3Then he said to the redeemer, “The parcel of the field that belonged to our brother, to Elimelech, Naomi, who has returned from the field of Moab, is selling.

4And I said, I will disclose it to your ear, saying: Buy it before those sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem; but if he will not redeem, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one to redeem besides you, and I am after you.” And he said, “I will redeem.”

5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance.”

6The redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. Redeem for yourself my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem.”

7Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redemption and concerning exchange: to confirm any matter, a man would draw off his sandal and give it to the other party; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.

8So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he drew off his sandal.

9Then Boaz said to the elders and 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.

10And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so 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.”

11And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you do worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem.

12And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring that Yahweh will give you from this young woman.”

The Birth of Obed

13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He went in to her, and Yahweh granted her conception, and she bore a son.

14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you today without a redeemer. May his name be renowned in Israel.

15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

16Then Naomi took the child and set him in her lap, and she became his nurse.

17And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” So they called his name Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Genealogy of David

18Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron;

19and Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab;

20and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmah;

21and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed;

22and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

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