Ruth 4 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Chapter 4

Boaz Marries Ruth. 1 So Boaz went to the city gate and sat down there. The relative of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he came over and sat down.[a] 2 He gathered ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down,” and they sat down.

3 Then he said to the next of kin, “Naomi has come back from the land of Moab and is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. 4 I thought that I would tell this to you. Buy it in the presence of those who dwell here and in the presence of the elders. If you intend to redeem it as next of kin, then redeem it. If you do not intend to redeem it, then tell me so that I can know, for there is no one else besides you to redeem the land, and then I am next in line.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “When you acquire the field, you also receive the hand of Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the deceased, to raise up the name of the deceased for an inheritance.” 6 But the kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. You can exercise my right of next of kin, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now in those days in Israel it was the custom that when there was an act of redemption or of the exchange of lands, one man would take off his sandal and give it to the other in order to confirm the action. This was an act of confirming actions in Israel. 8 So the kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he took off his sandal.

9 Boaz then said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, and all that belonged to Chilion and all that belonged to Mahlon. 10 Moreover, I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the deceased for an inheritance so that the name of the deceased not disappear from among his brethren nor from the gates of his native place. You are witnesses today.”

11 All the people who were in the gateway and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem. 12 May your home be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the children that the Lord will give you through this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted that she conceive, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a next of kin; may his name be famous throughout Israel.[b] 15 He will renew your life and support you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is worth more than seven sons to you, has borne him.”

16 Naomi then took the child and laid him in her lap. She became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi.” They called him Obed.[c] He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 [d]This is the genealogy 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. Ruth 4:1 Boaz was well aware that he could find his relative at the city gate which was the center of activity and a place to conduct business.
  2. Ruth 4:14 The good news about the birth of a son, “the redeemer of the family,” as well as Ruth’s devoted loyalty to Naomi is acknowledged publicly.
  3. Ruth 4:17 Obed means “servant (of God).”
  4. Ruth 4:18 This list seems to have been added by a different writer in order to emphasize the lesson of the Book of Ruth. When Matthew uses this list in constructing the genealogy of Jesus, he does not forget to introduce the name of Ruth the Moabite, because salvation is offered to all human beings (Mt 1:3-5).

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