路得記 4

1 波阿次走上城門口，坐在那裏。可巧，波阿次所說的那位至親，正從那裏經過，他就對他說：「某兄，請過來，坐一坐! 」他就過去坐下了。

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down.

2 波阿次又由城內的長老中，邀請了十位，對他們說：「請你們在這裏坐一坐! 」他們就都坐下。

Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down.

3 波阿次便對那位至親說：「從摩阿布鄉間回來的納敖米要賣我們兄弟厄里默肋客的一塊田。

He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.

4 我認為我應在你面前說明這事，並請你當著在坐的諸位及民眾的長老前，購買這塊地。若你願意盡你至親的義務，就盡；若你不願意盡，起告訴我知道；因為除你應盡這義務之外，沒有別人了；你以後就是我。」那人答說：「我盡。」

I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.”

5 波阿次接著說：「你從納敖米手中購得田地的那一天，也應娶亡者之妻，即摩阿布女子盧德，好給死者在嗣業上留名。」

Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

6 那位至親答說：「那麼我就不能盡這義務了，免得我的產業受害，你盡我應盡的義務罷! 我不能盡了。」

The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.”

7 從前在以色列中間，無論對於買賣或交易，為確定一事，有這樣的一個風俗：就是一方應脫下自己的鞋，交與另一方：這在以色列就算為證據。

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbour; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel.

8 那為至親對波阿次說：「你購買罷! 」遂就脫下了自己的鞋。

So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal.

9 於是波阿次對長老以及所有在坐的民眾說：「今天你們作證，我從納敖米手中購得了屬於厄里默肋客及基肋雍與瑪赫隆的一切產業；

Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.

10 同時我也取得了瑪赫隆的妻，摩阿布的女子盧德為我的妻室，好給死者在嗣業上留名，不叫死者的名字，在自己的兄弟和故鄉的門戶中失傳；今日你們為此作證! 」

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from amongst his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”

11 在城門旁的民眾和長老都回答說：「我們作證。願上主使這走進你家中的婦女，像似那兩位曾建立了以色列家的辣黑耳和肋阿! 願你在厄弗辣大昌盛，願你在白冷得享盛名!

All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

12 願你的家藉上主使這少婦給你所生的後裔，相似塔瑪爾給猶大所生的培勒茲的家。」波阿次娶盧德

Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

13 波阿次遂娶了盧德，她就成了他的妻子。他走近了他，上主賜她懷孕，生了一個兒子。

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.

14 婦女們就對納敖米說：「願上主受頌揚! 因為他沒有使你今日缺乏承繼者。願他在以色列中得享盛名!

The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel.

15 他是你心靈的安慰，是你老年的依靠，因為他是愛你的兒媳所生的；像這樣的兒媳，對你實勝過七個兒子。」

He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 納敖米接過嬰兒來，抱在懷中，做了他的保母。

Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.

17 鄰近的婦女喊著說：「納敖米得了個兒子! 」他們就給他起名叫敖貝得；他就是達味的父親葉瑟的父親。達味族譜

The women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 以下是培肋茲的族譜：培勒茲生赫茲龍，

Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

19 赫茲龍生蘭，蘭生阿米納達布，

and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,

20 阿米納達布生納赫雄，納赫雄生撒耳孟，

and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

21 撒耳孟生波阿次，波阿次生敖貝得，

and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,

22 敖貝得生葉瑟，葉瑟生達味。

and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.