< Ruth 4 >

1 And Booz went up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed by, of whom Booz spoke: and Booz said to him, Turn aside, sit down here, such a one: and he turned aside and sat down.
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。
2 And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye here; and they sat down.
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。
3 And Booz said to the relative, [The matter regards] the portion of the field which was our brother Elimelech's which was given to Noemin, now returning out of the land of Moab;
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。
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.
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。」
5 And Booz said, In the day of thy buying the field of the hand of Noemin 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.
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。」
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].
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。」
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 neighbour that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel.
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。
8 And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for thyself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.
那為至親對波阿次說:「你購買罷! 」遂就脫下了自己的鞋。
9 And Booz 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 Chelaion and Maalon, of the hand of Noemin.
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;
10 Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Maalon, 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.
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! 」
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 Lia, who both [together] built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name [to thee] in Bethleem.
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!
12 And let thy house be as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore to Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this handmaid.
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
13 And Booz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.
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。
14 And the woman said to Noemin, Blessed [is] the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail thee this day, even to make thy name famous in Israel.
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!
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.
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。」
16 And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.
納敖米接過嬰兒來,抱在懷中,做了他的保母。
17 And the neighbours gave it a name, saying, A son has been born to Noemin; and they called his name Obed; this [is] the father of Jessae the father of David.
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
18 And these [are] the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esrom:
以下是培肋茲的族譜:培勒茲生赫茲龍,
19 Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab.
赫茲龍生蘭,蘭生阿米納達布,
20 And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon.
阿米納達布生納赫雄,納赫雄生撒耳孟,
21 And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed.
撒耳孟生波阿次,波阿次生敖貝得,
22 And Obed begot Jessae; and Jessae begot David.
敖貝得生葉瑟,葉瑟生達味。

< Ruth 4 >