Boaz Marries Ruth

4 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 And Boaz took ten of the leaders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ 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 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 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 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 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 So he said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he took off his shoe. ⁹ 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Then Naomi took the child and held him, and became his nurse. ¹⁷ 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 Now these are the children of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. ¹⁹ Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. ²⁰ Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. ²¹ Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. ²² Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.