RuthChapter 4

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¹Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer he had talked about came by. Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So the man came over and sat down. ²Then Boaz got ten of the town's elders. He said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. ³Then Boaz said to the family redeemer, "Naomi has come back from the land of Moab. She is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴I thought I should tell you about it. You can buy it back in front of the people sitting here and the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you won't, tell me so I will know. For no one but you has the right to redeem it, and I am next after you." "I will redeem it," the man said. ⁵Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the woman from Moab, you must also take the dead man's widow as your wife. This is to keep the dead man's name alive on his land."a ⁶The family redeemer said, "Then I can't redeem it myself. If I did, I would put my own inheritance in danger. You take my right to redeem it, because I can't do it." ⁷Long ago in Israel, this is how people made a deal final when they redeemed or traded property. One man would take off his sandal and give it to the other man. That was how people in Israel showed a deal was settled. ⁸So the family redeemer took off his sandal. He said to Boaz, "You buy it." ⁹Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses. I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. ¹⁰I am also taking Ruth the woman from Moab, Mahlon's widow, to be my wife. That way the dead man's name will stay with his land. His name will not disappear from his family or from the town gate of his home. Today you are witnesses." ¹¹The elders and all the people at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah. Together those two built up the family of Israel. May you do well in Ephrathah. May your name be famous in Bethlehem. ¹²The LORD will give you children by this young woman. Through them, may your family become like the family of Perez, the son Tamar had for Judah." ¹³So Boaz took Ruth home, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the LORD let her become pregnant. She had a son. ¹⁴Then the women said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD! Today he has not left you without a family redeemer. May this boy's name become famous in Israel. ¹⁵He will give you new life. He will take care of you when you are old. For your daughter-in-law has given birth to him. She loves you, and she is better to you than seven sons." ¹⁶Then Naomi took the baby and held him in her lap. She cared for him like a nurse. ¹⁷The women who lived nearby said, "Naomi has a son!" They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David. ¹⁸This is the family line of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. ¹⁹Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. ²⁰Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. ²¹Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. ²²Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.