1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Soon, the near kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. Boaz said to him, “My friend, come over and sit down here.” The man came over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Boaz said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that was our brother Elimelek's. 4 I thought to inform you and say to you, 'Buy it in the presence of those who are sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you wish to redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not wish to redeem it, then tell me, so that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides you, and I am after you.” Then the other man said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day that you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also take Ruth the Moabite woman, the widow of a dead man, in order to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6 Then the near kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. You take my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” 7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and exchange of goods. To confirm all things, a man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor; this was the manner of making legal agreements in Israel. 8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he took off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought all that was Elimelek's and all that was Kilion's and Mahlon's from the hand of Naomi. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite woman, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired to be my wife, in order that I might raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, so that his name will not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. Today you are witnesses!” 11 All the people who were in the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built up the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring that Yahweh will give you with this young woman.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and Yahweh allowed her to become pregnant, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “May Yahweh be blessed, who has not left you today without a near kinsman, this baby. May his name be famous in Israel. 15 May he be for you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and took care of him. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David. 18 Now these were the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron became the father of Ram, Ram became the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon became the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed, 22 Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
Ruth 4 Unlocked Literal Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Amminadab
His family rose to prominence in Judah around the time of the Exodus.
Cited in the guide: Exod. 6:23; Ruth 4:19-20; 1 Chron. 2:10; Matt. 1:4
Boaz
The kind landowner of Bethlehem who redeemed and married Ruth the Moabite.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 2-4; 1 Chron. 2:11-12; Matt. 1:5
Hezron
A son of Perez who carried Judah's royal line down into the years of Egypt.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 46:12; Ruth 4:18; 1 Chron. 2:5, 9; Matt. 1:3
Jesse
The Bethlehemite whose youngest son David was anointed king of Israel.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16:1-13; Isa. 11:1; Ruth 4:22; Matt. 1:5-6
Mahlon
Son of Elimelech and Naomi who died in Moab and whose widow Ruth Boaz acquired as his wife to raise up Mahlon's name on his inheritance.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 1:2; Ruth 1:5; Ruth 4:9
Nahshon
Leader of the tribe of Judah in the wilderness, first to bring his offering.
Cited in the guide: Num. 1:7; 2:3; 7:12; Ruth 4:20; Matt. 1:4
Obed
Son of Boaz and Ruth, and grandfather of King David.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 4:13-22; 1 Chron. 2:12; Matt. 1:5; Luke 3:32
Perez
Born of Judah and Tamar, he became the head of the leading clan of Judah.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 38; Ruth 4:18; 1 Chron. 2:4-5; Matt. 1:3
Ram
A little-known link in the chain, faithfully recorded between Hezron and Amminadab.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 4:19; 1 Chron. 2:9-10; Matt. 1:3-4; Luke 3:33
Ruth
The loyal Moabite widow whose devotion made her great-grandmother of King David.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 1-4; Matthew 1:5
Salmon
He married Rahab of Jericho and fathered Boaz as Israel settled the land.
Cited in the guide: Ruth 4:20-21; 1 Chron. 2:11; Matt. 1:4-5
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Deuteronomy 25:7; Ruth 3:12; Deuteronomy 16:18; Job 29:7; Amos 5:10–12
- 2 Proverbs 31:23; 1 Kings 21:8; Acts 6:12; Exodus 21:8; Lamentations 5:14
- 3 Psalm 112:5; Proverbs 13:10
- 4 Jeremiah 32:7–12; 2 Corinthians 8:21; Leviticus 25:25–29; Romans 12:17; Philippians 4:8
- 5 Matthew 22:24; Genesis 38:8; Deuteronomy 25:5–6; Ruth 3:12–13; Luke 20:28
- 6 Ruth 3:13; Leviticus 25:25
- 7 Deuteronomy 25:7–10
- 9 Genesis 23:16–18; Jeremiah 32:10–12
- 10 Deuteronomy 25:6; Ephesians 5:25; Genesis 29:27; Hosea 12:12; Isaiah 8:2–3
- 11 Genesis 29:32–30:24; Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2; Genesis 35:16–20; Psalm 127:3–5
- 12 Genesis 38:29; 1 Chronicles 2:4; 1 Samuel 2:20; Genesis 46:12; Matthew 1:3
- 13 Genesis 29:31; Genesis 33:5; Psalm 127:3; Ruth 3:11; Genesis 25:21
- 14 Luke 1:58; Matthew 1:5–20; Genesis 12:2; Isaiah 11:1–4; Ruth 4:21–22
- 15 Isaiah 46:4; Psalm 55:22; Genesis 45:11; Ruth 2:11–12; Proverbs 18:24
- 17 Luke 1:58–63
- 18 Matthew 1:3–6; 1 Chronicles 2:4–8; Luke 3:33; 1 Chronicles 4:1
- 19 1 Chronicles 2:9–10; Luke 3:33; Matthew 1:4
- 20 Numbers 1:7; Matthew 1:4; Luke 3:32
- 21 Matthew 1:5; Luke 3:32; 1 Chronicles 2:11–12
- 22 Matthew 1:6; 1 Chronicles 2:15; 1 Samuel 16:1; Luke 3:31; Isaiah 11:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences