Ruth / Boaz Redeems Ruth at the City Gate

Boaz Redeems Ruth at the City Gate

Ruth 4:1-12

Chapter 4

¹ And Boaz went up to the gate and sat there. And behold, the kinsman-redeemer passed by, the one of whom Boaz had spoken. And he said, "Turn aside, sit here, So-and-so Almoni." And he turned aside and sat. ² He took ten men from the elders of the city and said, "Sit here," and they sat. ³ He said to the redeemer, "Naomi, who has returned from the fields of Moab, has sold the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech." ⁴ And I said, "I will uncover your ear, saying, 'Buy it before those sitting there and before the elders of my people. If you redeem, redeem; and if you do not redeem, declare it to me that I may know, for there is none besides you to redeem, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem." ⁵ Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, you must also acquire it to raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance." ⁶ The redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it." ⁷ And this was formerly in Israel concerning redemption and exchange, to confirm every matter: a man drew off his sandal and gave it to his companion, and this was the testimony in Israel. ⁸ And the redeemer said to Boaz, "Acquire it for yourself," and he drew off his sandal. ⁹ And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have acquired all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's from the hand of Naomi." ¹⁰ And also Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired for myself as a wife to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, so that the name of the dead will not be cut off from his people and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today. ¹¹ And all the people at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses! May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, who both built the house of Israel. And do mighty deeds in Ephrathah of Bethlehem, and make a name in Bethlehem." ¹² And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the seed that the LORD will give you from this girl.