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The Marriage of Ruth

¹ Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, ^(C1)the ^(F1)close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, ^(F2)friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.² He took ten men of the ^(C1)elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.³ Then he said to the ^(F1)closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land ^(C1)which belonged to our brother Elimelech.⁴ "So I thought to ^(F1)inform you, saying, '^(C1)Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if ^(F2)not, tell me that I may know; for ^(C2)there 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 ^(C1)to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance."^6 (C1)The ^(F1)closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would ^(F2)jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it."

⁷ Now this was ^(C1)the 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 ^(F1)closest 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 ^(C1)that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the ^(F1)court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."¹¹ All the people who were in the ^(F1)court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home ^(C1)like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve ^(F2)wealth in Ephrathah and ^(F3)become famous in Bethlehem.¹² "Moreover, may your house be like the house of ^(C1)Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the ^(F1)offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.¹⁴ Then the ^(C1)women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a ^(F1)redeemer today, and may his name ^(F2)become 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 ^(F1)(C1)and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

The Line of David Began Here

¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez: ^(C1)to Perez ^(F1)was 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.