Ruth 4Book 8 of 66 · 22 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and just then the family redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here." And he came over and sat down.
Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
Then he said to the family redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the piece of land which belonged to our relative Elimelech.
And I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of those sitting here and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, that I may know; for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance."
And the family redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, or I will jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."
Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm any transaction: a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party, and this was the manner of legally binding a matter in Israel.
Therefore the family redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal.
And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses this day."
And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel; and may you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem.
May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when he went in to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.
Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a family redeemer; and may his name become well known in Israel!
May he be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap, and became his nurse.
And the neighbor women said, "A son has been born to Naomi!" And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,
Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab,
Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon,