Ruth 4 - International Children’s Bible (ICB)

Boaz Marries Ruth

4 Boaz went to the city gate. He sat there until the close relative he had mentioned passed by. Boaz called to him, “Come here, friend! Sit down here!” So the man came over and sat down. 2 Boaz gathered ten of the old men who were leaders of the city. He told them, “Sit down here!” So they sat down.

3 Then Boaz spoke to the close relative. He said, “Naomi has come back from the country of Moab. She wants to sell the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I decided to say this to you: If you want to buy back the land, then buy it! Buy it in front of the people who live here and in front of the elders of my people. If you don’t want to buy it, tell me. I am the only person after you who can buy back the land. If you don’t buy it back, I will.”

And the close relative said, “I will buy back the land.”

5 Then Boaz said, “When you buy the land from Naomi, you must marry Ruth, the dead man’s wife. She is the woman from Moab. That way, the land will stay in her dead husband’s family.”

6 The close relative answered, “Then I can’t buy back the land. If I did, I might lose what I can pass on to my own sons. I cannot buy the land back. So you buy it yourself.”

7 Long ago in Israel when people traded or bought back something, one person took off his sandal and gave it to the other person. This was their proof of purchase.

8 So the close relative said, “Buy the land yourself.” And then he took off his sandal.

9 Then Boaz spoke to the elders and to all the people. He said, “You are witnesses today of what I am buying from Naomi. I am buying everything that belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I am also taking Ruth as my wife. She is the Moabite who was the wife of Mahlon. I am doing this so her dead husband’s property will stay with his family. This way, his name will not be separated from his family and his land. You are witnesses this day.”

11 So all the people and elders who were at the city gate said, “We are witnesses. This woman will be coming into your home. We hope the Lord will make her like Rachel and Leah. They had many children. So the people of Israel grew in number. May you become powerful in the district of Ephrathah. May you become famous in Bethlehem! 12 Tamar gave birth to Judah’s son Perez.[a] In the same way, may the Lord give you many children through Ruth. And may your family be great like his.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth and married her. The Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women told Naomi, “Praise the Lord who gave you this grandson. And may he become famous in Israel. 15 He will give you new life. And he will take care of you in your old age. This happened because of your daughter-in-law. She loves you. And she is better for you than seven sons. She has given birth to your grandson.”

16 Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms and cared for him. 17 The neighbors gave the boy his name. These women said, “This boy was born for Naomi.” The neighbors named him Obed. Obed was Jesse’s father. And Jesse was the father of David.

18 This is the family history 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.

Footnotes

  1. 4:12 Perez One of Boaz’s ancestors.

You Might Also Like:

Ruth 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 And Boaz hath gone up to the gate, and sitteth there, and lo, the redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, and he saith, `Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one;' and he turneth aside and sitteth down. 2 And he taketh ten men of the elders of the city, and saith, `Sit down here;'...
Read More

Ruth 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 Therefore Boaz ascended to the gate, and sat there (And so Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there); and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned (back), and sat (down). 2...
Read More

Ruth 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3 He said to th...
Read More

Ruth 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 At that same time, Boaz went to the city gate and he sat down. Just then, the kinsman-redeemer of the family he had told Ruth about walked by.Normally the city gate is where the business of the city is conducted.Boaz: My friend, come and sit down with me for awhile. We have some business.So the ma...
Read More

Ruth 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Who Will Redeem?4 Meanwhile Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And all of a sudden, the goel about whom Boaz had spoken passed by. “Come over,” he called, “and sit down here, my friend.” So he came over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten of the town’s elders and said, “Sit down here,” ...
Read More

Ruth 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth4 And Bo′az went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the next of kin, of whom Bo′az had spoken, came by. So Bo′az said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here”; and he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down...
Read More

Ruth 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth4 And Bo′az went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the next of kin, of whom Bo′az had spoken, came by. So Bo′az said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here”; and he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down...
Read More

Ruth 4 - Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

4 Then went Boaz up to the sha’ar, and sat him down there; and, hinei, the Go’el of whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 2 And he took a minyan of the zekenim of the town, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat do...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin,[a] of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over, friend; sit down here.” And he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, ...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin,[a] of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, ‘Come over, friend; sit down here.’ And he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, ...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin[a] of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over;[b] sit down here.” And he went over and sat down.(A)2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the town and said, “Sit do...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Boaz Marries Ruth4 Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

Boaz Marries Ruth4 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...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Boaz Redeems Ruth4 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, (A)the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, [a]friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of (B)the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” ...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Boaz marries Ruth4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, ‘Come over here, my friend, and sit down.’ So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, ‘Sit here,’ and they did...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New International Version (NIV)

Boaz Marries Ruth4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate(A) and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a](B) he had mentioned(C) came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders(D) of the town and said, “Sit here,” ...
Read More

Ruth 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Boaz Marries Ruth4 Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Right then, the family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend. Sit down.” So the man went over and sat down. 2 Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, “Sit down here....
Read More