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.

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.

2 And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit you here; and they sat down.

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

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;

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:

4 and I said, I will inform you, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if you will redeem it, redeem it, but if you will not redeem it, tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside you to do the office of a kinsman, and I am after you: and he said, I am [here], I will redeem it.

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.

5 And Booz said, In the day of your buying the field of the hand of Noemin and of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased, you must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

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.

6 And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; do you redeem my right for yourself, for I shall not be able to redeem [it].

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.

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.

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.

8 And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for yourself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.

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

9 And Booz said to the elders and to all the people, You [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.

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.

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 amongst his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: you [are] this day witnesses.

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.

11 And all the people who were in the gate said, [We are] witnesses: and the elders said, The Lord make your wife who goes into your 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 you] in Bethleem.

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;

12 And let your house be as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore to Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give you of this handmaid.

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.

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.

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.

14 And the woman said to Noemin, Blessed [is] the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail you this day, even to make your name famous in Israel.

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.

15 And he shall be to you a restorer of your soul, and one to cherish your old age; for your daughter-in-law which has loved you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him.

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.

16 And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.

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

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.

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.

18 And these [are] the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esrom:

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

19 Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab.

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

20 And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon.

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

21 And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed.

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

22 And Obed begot Jessae; and Jessae begot David.

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