CHAPTER 4

¹And Boaz had gone up to the gate, and he sat down there, and look, the redeeming kin of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, and he said, “Turn aside, sit down here, So-and-so.” And he turned aside and sat down. ²And he took ten men of the town elders and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. ³And he said to the redeeming kin, “Naomi, who came back from the plain of Moab, sold the parcel of the field that was our brother Elimelech’s. ⁴And as for me, I thought, I shall alert you, saying, ‘Acquire it in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of my people’s elders.’ If you would redeem, redeem, and if you will not redeem, tell me, that I may know that there is none except you to redeem and I am after you.” And he said, “I will redeem.” ⁵And Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabite to raise up the name of the dead man on his estate.” ⁶And the redeeming kin said, “I cannot redeem, lest I spoil my estate. You—redeem my obligation of redemption, for I cannot redeem.” ⁷And thus it was in former times in Israel concerning redemption and concerning exchange to fulfill every condition: a man would remove his sandal and give it to his fellow man. And this was the practice in Israel. ⁸And the redeemer said, “You—acquire it,” and he removed his sandal. ⁹And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s from the hand of Naomi. ¹⁰And also Ruth the Moabite, wife of Mahlon, I have acquired for myself as wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his estate, that the name of the dead be not cut off from his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” ¹¹And all the people who were in the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel. And do worthy things in Ephrathah and proclaim a name in Bethlehem. ¹²And may your house be like the house of Perez to whom Tamar gave birth by Judah, from the seed that this young woman will give you.” ¹³And Boaz took Ruth the Moabite, and she became his wife, and he came to bed with her and the LORD granted her conception and she bore a son. ¹⁴And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD, Who has not deprived you of a redeemer today, and let his name be proclaimed in Israel. ¹⁵And may he be a restorer of life for you and a support for your old age, as your daughter-in-law, whom you love, has born him, who has been better to you than seven sons.” ¹⁶And Naomi took the child and placed him in her lap and became a nurse for him. ¹⁷And the neighbor women called a name for him, saying, “A son is born to Naomi,” and they called his name Obed—he was the father of Jesse father of David. ¹⁸And this is the lineage of Perez. Perez begat Hezron. ¹⁹And Hezron begat Ram and Ram begat ²⁰Aminadab. And Aminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmah. ²¹And Salmah begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed. ²²And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.