Ruth 4

English HCSB 2004 - Copyrighted Only For Website

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1Boaz went to the gate [of the town] and sat down there. Soon, the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, "Come over here and sit down." So he went over and sat down.

2Then Boaz took 10 men of the city's elders and said, "Sit here." And they sat down.

3He said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4I thought I should inform you: Buy [it] back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem [it], do so. But if you do not want to redeem [it], tell me, so that I will know, because there isn't anyone other than you to redeem [it], and I am next after you." "I want to redeem [it]," he answered.

5Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man's name on his property."

6The redeemer replied, "I can't redeem [it] myself, or I will ruin my [own] inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can't redeem it."

7At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to the other party in order to make any matter [legally] binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was [the method of] legally binding a transaction in Israel.

8So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, "Buy back [the property] yourself."

9Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.

10I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man's name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today."

11The elders and all the people who were at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

12May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman."

13Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

14Then the women said to Naomi, "Praise the LORD, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name be famous in Israel.

15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

16Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and took care of him.

17The 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.

18Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron.

19Hezron fathered Ram, who fathered Amminadab.

20Amminadab fathered Nahshon, who fathered Salmon.

21Salmon fathered Boaz, who fathered Obed.

22And Obed fathered Jesse, who fathered David.

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