Ruths Bog 4 – BPH & NIRV

Bibelen på hverdagsdansk

Ruths Bog 4:1-22

Boaz gifter sig med Ruth

1Boaz var i mellemtiden gået hen til byporten og havde sat sig der. Da den slægtning, han havde omtalt, kom forbi, kaldte han på ham: „Kom og sæt dig her! Der er noget, jeg vil snakke med dig om!” Det gjorde han så. 2Boaz tilkaldte derefter ti af byens ledere og bad dem om at være vidner. „Sæt jer her!” sagde han, og de satte sig ned. 3Så sagde Boaz til sin slægtning: „Du kender No’omi, som vendte tilbage fra Moabs land. Hun tænker på at sælge det jordstykke, som tilhørte vores slægtning Elimelek. 4Jeg syntes lige, jeg ville nævne det for dig, så du kan købe jordstykket, hvis du er interesseret; og disse ansete mænd kan være vidner. Lad mig vide med det samme, om du ønsker at købe jorden, for hvis du ikke er interesseret, så vil jeg købe den. Jeg er jo den næste i rækken efter dig.”

Manden svarede: „Godt, jeg køber jorden!”

5Så sagde Boaz: „Hvis du køber jorden fra No’omi, må du naturligvis også gifte dig med enken Ruth fra Moab, så hun kan give sin afdøde mand en arving, og så hans jord senere går i arv til hendes børn.”

6„Det kan jeg ikke gøre!” svarede manden. „Så ville det jo ikke blive min slægts jord. Køb du hellere både jorden og kvinden!”

7På den tid var det skik, at en person trak sin sandal af og gav den til den anden part som en bekræftelse på, at handelen var afgjort. 8Da manden sagde: „Køb du hellere det hele!” trak han derfor sin sandal af og gav den til Boaz.

9Derefter sagde Boaz til vidnerne og de omkringstående: „I er i dag vidner på, at jeg køber den jord, som tilhørte Elimelek og hans sønner. 10Samtidig gifter jeg mig med moabitten Ruth, Malons enke. På den måde kan hun få en søn, der kan videreføre den afdødes slægt, sådan at hans navn vil blive husket både i slægten og i byen her.”

11De ti ledere, der sad i byporten, svarede: „Ja, det er vi vidner på! Må Herren gøre denne kvinde, som du nu har taget til dig, lige så frugtbar som vores stamfar Jakobs koner, Rakel og Lea. Må du få lykke og fremgang her i Betlehem, 12og må de efterkommere, som Herren giver dig sammen med denne kvinde, blive lige så talrige som efterkommerne fra din forfar Peretz, som Tamar fødte Juda.”

13Så giftede Boaz sig med Ruth, og hun flyttede hjem til ham. Herren lod hende blive gravid, og hun fødte en søn.

14Da sagde byens kvinder til No’omi: „Lovet være Herren, som har givet dig et barnebarn! Må han vinde ære i Israel. 15Må han bringe din sjæl trøst og forsørge dig i din alderdom, for han er din svigerdatters søn, hende, der elsker dig så højt og har været mere trofast imod dig end syv sønner!”

16Så tog No’omi drengen i sine arme, og hun passede ham, som var han hendes eget barn. 17Nabokonerne sagde: „Nu har No’omi fået en søn!” Og de kaldte ham Obed. Han blev senere far til Isaj, som blev far til kong David.

18-22Dette er Peretz’ stamtavle: Peretz blev far til Hetzron, som blev far til Ram. Ram blev far til Amminadab, som blev far til Nahshon, som igen blev far til Salma. Salma blev far til Boaz, som blev far til Obed, som igen blev far til Isaj—og Isaj blev far til kong David.

New International Reader’s Version

Ruth 4:1-22

Boaz Marries Ruth

1Boaz 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.

2Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, “Sit down here.” So they did. 3Then he spoke to the family protector. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab. She’s selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land. Buy it while those sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.”

“I’ll buy it,” he said.

5Then Boaz said, “When you buy the property from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth. She is from Moab and is the dead man’s widow. So you must marry her. That’s because his property must continue to belong to his family.”

6When the family protector heard that, he said, “Then I can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can’t do it.”

7In earlier times in Israel, there was a certain practice. It was used when family land was bought back and changed owners. The practice made the sale final. One person would take his sandal off and give it to the other. That was how people in Israel showed that a business matter had been settled.

8So the family protector said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he took his sandal off.

9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses. You have seen that I have bought land from Naomi. I have bought all the property that had belonged to Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10I’ve also taken Ruth, who is from Moab, to become my wife. She is Mahlon’s widow. I’ve decided to marry her so the dead man’s name will stay with his property. Now his name won’t disappear from his family line or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

11Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the Lord make her like Rachel and Leah. Together they built up the family of Israel. May you be an important person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem. 12The Lord will give you children through this young woman. May your family be like the family of Perez. He was the son Tamar had by Judah.”

Naomi Gains a Son

13So Boaz married Ruth. Then he slept with her. The Lord blessed her so that she became pregnant. And she had a son. 14The women said to Naomi, “We praise the Lord. Today he has provided a family protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel! 15He will make your life new again. He’ll take care of you when you are old. He’s the son of your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven sons.”

16Then Naomi took the child in her arms and took care of him. 17The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.

18Here is the family line of Perez.

Perez was the father of Hezron.

19Hezron was the father of Ram.

Ram was the father of Amminadab.

20Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.

Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

21Salmon was the father of Boaz.

Boaz was the father of Obed.

22Obed was the father of Jesse.

And Jesse was the father of David.