1 T hen Boaz went up to the city’s gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. He said to him, Ho! Turn aside and sit down here. So he turned aside and sat down.

Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. He saw the in-law of the family that he had spoken about pass by. So Boaz said, “Come here, friend, and sit down.” So the man came and sat down.

2 A nd Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. And they sat down.

And Boaz took ten of the leaders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

3 A nd he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, has sold the parcel of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.

Then Boaz said to the close in-law, “Naomi has returned from the land of Moab. She is selling the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4 A nd I thought to let you hear of it, saying, Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then say so, that I may know; for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am after you. And he said, I will redeem it.

I thought I should let you know about it. Buy it in front of those who are sitting here, and in front of the leaders of my people. If you will buy it, then buy it. But if not, tell me you do not want to buy it, so I may know. For you have the right to be the first one to buy it. And I am after you.” The man said, “I will buy it.”

5 T hen Boaz said, The day you buy the field of Naomi, you must buy also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the dead man, to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance.

Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from Naomi, you must take Ruth, the Moabite woman, also. She is the wife of the dead man. You must keep alive the name of the dead man on his land.”

6 A nd the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.

Then the close in-law said, “I cannot buy it for myself because it might be that my own children would not be able to own my land later. Take it for yourself. I give you my right to buy it, for I cannot buy it.”

7 N ow formerly in Israel this was the custom concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm a transaction, a man pulled off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the way of attesting in Israel.

This is what was done before in Israel to show that the buying or trading of land was decided upon. A man would take off his shoe and give it to another. This would make sure what was decided.

8 T herefore, when the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself, he pulled off his sandal.

So he said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he took off his shoe.

9 A nd Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s from the hand of Naomi.

Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You have seen today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, to Chilion and to Mahlon.

10 A lso Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife to restore the name of the dead to his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his birthplace. You are witnesses this day.

And I have taken Ruth, the Moabite woman who was Mahlon’s wife, to be my wife. I will keep alive the name of the dead man on his land. His name will not be forgotten among his brothers or from the gate of his birth-place. You have heard this today.”

11 A nd all the people 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, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth (power) in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem.

All the people in the gate and the leaders said, “We have heard it. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you become rich in Ephrathah and be known by all in Bethlehem.

12 A nd let 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.

May your house be like the house of Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar, because of the children the Lord will give you by this young woman.” The Families to Follow Ruth and Boaz

13 S o Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord caused her to conceive, and she bore a son.

So Boaz took Ruth. She became his wife, and he went in to her. The Lord made it possible for her to have a child and she gave birth to a son.

14 A nd the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, Who has not left you this day without a close kinsman, and may his name be famous in Israel.

The women said to Naomi, “Thanks be to the Lord. He has not left you without a family this day. May his name become known in all of Israel.

15 A nd may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher and supporter in your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.

May he bring you new life and strength while you are old. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 T hen Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse.

Then Naomi took the child and held him, and became his nurse.

17 A nd her neighbor women gave him a name, saying, A son is born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The neighbor women gave him a name. They said, “A son has been born to Naomi!” And they called him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 N ow these are the descendants of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,

Now these are the children of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron.

19 H ezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab,

Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab.

20 A mminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon,

Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

21 S almon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed,

Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed.

22 O bed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.