Ruth 4

1 And Boaz went up to the public place of the town, and took his seat there: and the near relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz, crying out to him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and was seated.

But Bo'az went up to the gate, and sat down there; and, behold, the kinsman of whom Bo'az had spoken came passing by; and he said unto him, Turn aside hither, sit down here, such a one. And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 Then he got ten of the responsible men of the town, and said, Be seated here. And they took their seats.

And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 Then he said to the near relation, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is offering for a price that bit of land which was our brother Elimelech's:

And he said unto the kinsman, Na'omi, that is returned out of the field of Moab, hath to sell a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's.

4 And it was in my mind to give you the chance of taking it, with the approval of those seated here and of the responsible men of my people. If you are ready to do what it is right for a relation to do, then do it: but if you will not do it, say so to me now; for there is no one who has the right to do it but you, and after you myself. And he said, I will do it.

And I thought to inform thee of it, saying, Buy it before those sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none beside thee to redeem it, and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

5 Then Boaz said, On the day when you take this field, you will have to take with it Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, so that you may keep the name of the dead living in his heritage.

Then said Bo'az, On the day that thou buyest the field out of the hand of Na'omi, thou buyest it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 And the near relation said, I am not able to do the relation's part, for fear of damaging the heritage I have: you may do it in my place, for I am not able to do it myself.

And the kinsman said, I am not able to redeem it for myself, lest I injure my own inheritance: redeem thou what I should redeem for thyself; for I am not able to redeem it.

7 Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the other; and this was a witness in Israel.

Now this was formerly the custom in Israel at a redeeming and at an exchanging, to confirm any thing, that a man pulled off his shoe, and gave it to the other; and this was the manner of testimony in Israel.

8 So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.

Thereupon said the kinsman unto Bo'az, Buy it for thee. And he pulled off his shoe.

9 Then Boaz said to the responsible men and to all the people, You are witnesses today that I have taken at a price from Naomi all the property which was Elimelech's, and everything which was Chilion's and Mahlon's.

And Bo'az said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that belonged to Elimelech, and all that belonged to Kilyon and Machlon, out of the hand of Na'omi.

10 And, further, I have taken Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to keep the name of the dead man living in his heritage, so that his name may not be cut off from among his countrymen, and from the memory of his town: you are witnesses this day.

And also Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Machlon, have I obtained for myself as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

11 And all the people who were in the public place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah, which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem;

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The Lord grant that the woman that is coming into thy house be like Rachel and like Leah, who did both build up the house of Israel: and acquire thou wealth in Ephrathah, and let thy name become famous in Beth-lechem;

12 May your family be like the family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave to Judah, from the offspring which the Lord may give you by this young woman.

And may thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Thamar bore unto Judah, through the seed which the Lord will give thee of this young woman.

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the Lord made her with child and she gave birth to a son.

And Bo'az took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in unto her: and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

14 And the women said to Naomi, A blessing on the Lord, who has not let you be this day without a near relation, and may his name be great in Israel.

And the women said unto Na'omi, Blessed be the Lord, who hath not allowed to be wanting unto thee a kinsman this day: and may his name become famous in Israel.

15 He will be a giver of new life to you, and your comforter when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who, in her love for you, is better than seven sons, has given birth to him.

And may he be unto thee one who refresheth thy soul, and who nourisheth thy old age; for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, hath born him, she who is better to thee than seven sons.

16 And Naomi took the child and put her arms round it, and she took care of it.

And Na'omi took the child, and laid it in her lap, and she became a nurse unto it.

17 And the women who were her neighbours gave it a name, saying, Naomi has a child; and they gave him the name of Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

And the neighboring women gave him a name, saying, There hath been a son born unto Na'omi: and they called his name 'Obed, who is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron;

And these are the generations of Perez: Perez begat Chezron;

19 And Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab;

And Chezron begat Ram; and Ram begat 'Amminadab;

20 And Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon;

And 'Amminadab begat Nachshon; and Nachshon begat Salmah;

21 And Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed;

And Salmon begat Bo'az; and Bo'az begat 'Obed;

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

And 'Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.