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Ruth

Chapter 4

¹ And Boaz went up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed by, of whom Boaz spoke: and Boaz said to him, Turn aside, sit down here, such a one: and he turned aside and sat down. ² And Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye here; and they sat down.

ΚΑΙ Βοὸζ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἀγχιστεὺς παρεπορεύετο, ὃν ἐλάλησε Βοόζ. καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Βοόζ· ἐκκλίνας κάθισον ὧδε, κρύφιε. καὶ ἐξέκλινε καὶ ἐκάθισε. καὶ ἔλαβε Βοὸζ δέκα ἄνδρας ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς πόλεως καὶ εἶπε· καθίσατε ὧδε· καὶ ἐκάθισαν.

Ruth 4:1-2

³ And Boaz said to the relative, [The matter regards] the portion of the field which was our brother Elimelech’s which was given to Naomi, now returning out of the land of Moab; ⁴ and I said, I will inform thee, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if thou wilt redeem it, redeem it, but if thou wilt not redeem it, tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside thee to do the office of a kinsman, and I am after thee: and he said, I am [here], I will redeem it. ⁵ And Boaz said, In the day of thy buying the field of the hand of Naomi and of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased, thou must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. ⁶ And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; do thou redeem my right for thyself, for I shall not be able to redeem [it].

καὶ εἶπε Βοὸζ τῷ ἀγχιστεῖ· τὴν μερίδα τοῦ ἀγροῦ, ἥ ἐστι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ Ἐλιμέλεχ, ἣ δέδοται Νωεμὶν τῇ ἐπιστρεφούσῃ ἐξ ἀγροῦ Μωάβ, κἀγὼ εἶπα· ἀποκαλύψω τὸ οὖς σου λέγων· κτῆσαι ἐναντίον τῶν καθημένων καὶ ἐναντίον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ μου· εἰ ἀγχιστεύεις, ἀγχίστευε· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀγχιστεύεις, ἀνάγγειλόν μοι καὶ γνώσομαι· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι πάρεξ σοῦ τοῦ ἀγχιστεῦσαι, κἀγώ εἰμι μετὰ σέ. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀγχιστεύσω. καὶ εἶπε Βοόζ· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κτήσασθαί σε τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκ χειρὸς Νωεμὶν καὶ παρὰ Ροὺθ τῆς Μωαβίτιδος γυναικὸς τοῦ τεθνηκότος, καὶ αὐτὴν κτήσασθαί σε δεῖ ὥστε ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐπὶ τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀγχιστεύς· οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀγχιστεῦσαι ἐμαυτῷ, μή ποτε διαφθείρω τὴν κληρονομίαν μου· ἀγχίστευσον σεαυτῷ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν μου, ὅτι οὐ δυνήσομαι ἀγχιστεῦσαι.

Ruth 4:3-6

⁷ And this [was] in former time the ordinance in Israel for redemption, and for a bargain, to confirm every word: A man loosed his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel. ⁸ And the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy my right for thyself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.

καὶ τοῦτο τὸ δικαίωμα ἔμπροσθεν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἀντάλλαγμα τοῦ στῆσαι πάντα λόγον, καὶ ὑπελύετο ἀνὴρ τὸ ὑπόδημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐδίδου τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀγχιστεύοντι τὴν ἀγχιστείαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο ἦν μαρτύριον ἐν Ἰσραήλ. καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἀγχιστεὺς τῷ Βοόζ· κτῆσαι σεαυτῷ τὴν ἀγχιστείαν μου· καὶ ὑπελύσατο τὸ ὑπόδημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ.

Ruth 4:7-8

⁹ And Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, Ye [are] this day witnesses, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon, of the hand of Naomi. ¹⁰ Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; so the name of the dead shall not be destroyed from among his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: ye [are] this day witnesses.

καὶ εἶπε Βοὸζ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ· μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς σήμερον, ὅτι κέκτημαι πάντα τὰ τοῦ Ἐλιμέλεχ καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ὑπάρχει τῷ Χελαιὼν καὶ τῷ Μααλὼν ἐκ χειρὸς Νωεμίν· καί γε Ροὺθ τὴν Μωαβῖτιν τὴν γυναῖκα Μααλὼν κέκτημαι ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐπὶ τῆς κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξολοθρευθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς λαοῦ αὐτοῦ· μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς σήμερον.

Ruth 4:9-10

¹¹ And all the people who were in the gate said, [We are] witnesses: and the elders said, The Lord make thy wife who goes into thy house, as Rachel and as Leah, who both [together] built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephrathah, and there shall be a name [to thee] in Bethlehem. ¹² And let thy house be as the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this handmaid.

καὶ εἴποσαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς οἱ ἐν τῇ πύλῃ· μάρτυρες. καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι εἴποσαν· δῴη Κύριος τὴν γυναῖκά σου τὴν εἰσπορευομένην εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου ὡς Ραχὴλ καὶ ὡς Λείαν, αἳ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἀμφότεροι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐποίησαν δύναμιν ἐν Ἐφραθά, καὶ ἔσται ὄνομα ἐν Βηθλεέμ· καὶ γένοιτο ὁ οἶκός σου ὡς ὁ οἶκος Φαρές, ὃν ἔτεκε Θάμαρ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ, ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος οὗ δώσει Κύριός σοι ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης ταύτης.

Ruth 4:11-12

¹³ And Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. ¹⁴ And the women said to Naomi, Blessed [is] the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail thee this day, even to make thy name famous in Israel. ¹⁵ And he shall be to thee a restorer of thy soul, and one to cherish thy old age; for thy daughter-in-law which has loved thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, has born him. ¹⁶ And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.

καὶ ἔλαβε Βοὸζ τὴν Ρούθ, καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῇ Κύριος κύησιν, καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱόν. καὶ εἶπαν αἱ γυναῖκες πρὸς Νωεμίν· εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὃς οὐ κατέλυσέ σοι σήμερον τὸν ἀγχιστέα, καὶ καλέσαι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἔσται σοι εἰς ἐπιστρέφοντα ψυχὴν καὶ τοῦ διαθρέψαι τὴν πολιάν σου, ὅτι ἡ νύμφη ἡ ἀγαπήσασά σε ἔτεκεν αὐτόν, ἥ ἐστιν ἀγαθή σοι ὑπὲρ ἑπτὰ υἱούς. καὶ ἔλαβε Νωεμὶν τὸ παιδίον καὶ ἔθηκεν εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτῷ εἰς τιθηνόν.

Ruth 4:13-16

¹⁷ And the neighbors gave it a name, saying, A son has been born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed; this [is] the father of Jesse the father of David. ¹⁸ And these [are] the generations of Perez: Perez begot Hezron: ¹⁹ Hezron begot Ram; and Ram begot Amminadab. ²⁰ And Amminadab begot Nahshon; and Nahshon begot Salmon. ²¹ And Salmon begot Boaz; and Boaz begot Obed. ²² And Obed begot Jesse; and Jesse begot David.

καὶ ἐκάλεσαν αὐτοῦ αἱ γείτονες ὄνομα λέγουσαι· ἐτέχθη υἱὸς τῇ Νωεμίν· καὶ ἐκάλεσαν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ὠβήδ· οὗτος πατὴρ Ἰεσσαὶ πατρὸς Δαυίδ. καὶ αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Φαρές· Φαρὲς ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἐσρώμ, Ἐσρὼμ δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἀράν, καὶ Ἀρὰν ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἀμιναδάβ, καὶ Ἀμιναδὰβ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ναασσών, καὶ Ναασσὼν ἐγέννησε τὸν Σαλμάν, καὶ Σαλμὰν ἐγέννησε τὸν Βοόζ, καὶ Βοὸζ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ὠβήδ, καὶ Ὠβὴδ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰεσσαί, καὶ Ἰεσσαὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Δαυίδ.

Ruth 4:17-22

Greek: Septuagint, public domain via eBible.org (grclxx). The English remains the primary text; the Greek is offered for study.

The Fathers on this passage

How the fathers, councils, and saints of the corpus read Ruth: Chapter 4. Drawn by meaning from across the tradition; follow any link to read it in full context.