Boaz Redeems Ruth
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Now Boaz had gone up to 1the gate and sat down there. And behold, 2the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
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And he took ten men 3of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
3
Then he said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
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So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 4'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if youa will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it."
5
Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruthb the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order 5to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance."
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6Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."
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7Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
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So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal.
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Then 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 8Chilion and to Mahlon.
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Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, 9to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day."
11
Then all the people who were 10at 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, 11who together 12built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in 13Ephrathah and 14be renowned in Bethlehem,
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and may your house be like the house of Perez, 15whom Tamar bore to Judah, because 16of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman."
Ruth and Boaz Marry
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So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, 17and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.
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18Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without 19a redeemer, and may his name 20be renowned in Israel!
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He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, 21who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
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Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.
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22And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The Genealogy of David
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Now these are the generations of Perez: 23Perez fathered Hezron,
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Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,
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24Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,
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Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,
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Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)