1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, ARuth 3:12the 1Or redeemerclose relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, 2Lit a certain onefriend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 He took ten men of the A1 Kin 21:8; Prov 31:23elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the 1Lit redeemerclosest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land ALev 25:25which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4  “So I thought to 1Lit uncover your earinform you, saying, ‘AJer 32:7fBuy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if 2Lit no one will redeemnot, tell me that I may know; for BLev 25:25there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order AGen 38:8; Deut 25:5f; Matt 22:24to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6 ALev 25:25The 1Lit redeemerclosest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would 2Lit ruinjeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was ADeut 25:8-10the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8 So the 1Lit redeemerclosest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10  “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so ADeut 25:6that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the 1Lit gatecourt of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were in the 1Lit gatecourt, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Loʀᴅ make the woman who is coming into your home AGen 29:25-30like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve 2Or powerwealth in Ephrathah and 3Lit call the name inbecome famous in Bethlehem. 12  “Moreover, may your house be like the house of AGen 38:29; 46:12; Ruth 4:18Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the 1Lit seedoffspring which the Loʀᴅ will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And AGen 29:31; 33:5the Loʀᴅ 1Lit gave her conceptionenabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the ALuke 1:58women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Loʀᴅ who has not left you without a 1Or closest relativeredeemer today, and may his name 2Lit be called inbecome famous in Israel. 15  “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you 1Lit whoARuth 1:16, 17; 2:11, 12and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 Then Naomi took the child 1I.e. as her ownand laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: AMatt 1:3-6to Perez 1Lit begot, and so through v 22was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.