Ruth 4
1 Then Boaz went up to the gate, and he sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman passing by, whom he had previously discussed, he spoke to him, calling him by his name, “Pause for a little while, and sit down here.” He turned aside and sat down.
Therfor Booz stiede to the yate, and sat there; and whanne he hadde seyn the kynesman passe forth, of whom the word was had, Booz seide to hym, Bowe thou a litil, and sitte here; and he clepide hym bi his name. And he turnede, and sat.
2 But Boaz, calling aside ten men among the elders of the city, said to them, “Sit down here.”
Forsothe Booz took ten `men of the eldere men of the citee, and seide to hem, Sitte ye here.
3 They settled down, and he spoke to the kinsman, “Naomi, who has returned from the region of the Moabites, is selling part of a field of our brother Elimelech.
And while thei saten, Booz spak to the kynesman, Noemy, that turnede ayen fro the cuntrey of Moab, seelde the part of the feeld of oure brother Elymelech,
4 I wanted you to hear this, and to tell you in front of everyone sitting here, including the eldest of my people. If you will take possession of it by the right of kinship, buy it and possess it. But if it displeases you, you should reveal this to me, so that I will know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides you, who is before me, and I am after you.” But he answered, “I will buy the field.”
which thing Y wolde that thou here; and Y wolde seie to thee bifor alle `men syttynge and grettere in birthe of my puple. If thou wolt haue in possessioun the feeld bi riyt of nyy kyn, bye thou, and `haue thou in possessioun; sotheli if it displesith thee, schewe thou this same thing to me, that Y wyte what Y `owe to do; for noon is niy in kyn, outakun thee which art the formere, and outakun me which am the secunde. And he answeride, Y schal bie the feeld.
5 And Boaz said to him, “When buying the field, you are likewise obliged to accept the hand of the woman Ruth, the Moabite, who was the wife of the deceased, so that you may raise up the name of your near kinsman through his posterity.”
To whom Booz seide, Whanne thou hast bouyte the feeld of the `hond of the womman, thou owist `to take also Ruth of Moab, that was the wijf of the deed man, that thou reise the name of thi kynesman in his eritage.
6 He answered, “I yield my right of kinship, for I am obliged not to cut off the posterity of my own family. You may make use of my privilege, which I freely declare I will forego.”
Which answeride, Y forsake the ryyt of nyy kyn; for Y owe not to do awei the eritage of my meynee; vse thou my priuelegie, which priuelegie Y knowleche me to wante gladli.
7 Yet it was the custom between kinsmen in this former time in Israel, that if at any time one yielded his right to another, so as to confirm his permission, the man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. This was a testimony of concession in Israel.
Forsothe this was the custom bi eld tyme in Israel among kynesmen, that if a man yaf his riyt to anothir man, that the grauntyng were stidefast, the man vnlaase his scho, and yaf to his kynesman; this was the witnessyng of the yift in Israel.
8 And so Boaz said to his kinsman, “Take off your shoe.” And immediately he released it from his foot.
Therfor Booz seide to his kynesman, Take the scho fro thee; `which scho he vnlaside anoon fro his foot.
9 And he said to the eldest and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have taken possession of all that belonged to Elimelech and Chilion and Mahlon, and was bequeathed to Naomi.
And Booz seide to the grettere men in birthe and to al the puple, Ye ben witnessis to dai, that Y haue take in possessioun alle thingis that weren of Elymelech, and of Chelion, and of Maalon, bi the yifte of Noemy;
10 And Ruth, the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have taken in marriage so as to raise up the name of the deceased in his posterity, so that his name will not be cut off from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.”
and that Y haue take in to wedlok Ruth of Moab, the wijf of Maalon, that Y reise the name of the deed man in his erytage; lest his name be doon awey fro his meynee and britheren and puple. Ye, he seide, ben witnessis of this thing.
11 All the people who were at the gate, along with the eldest, answered, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who enters into your house, like Rachel, and Leah, who built up the house of Israel, so that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrathah, and so that her name may be honored in Bethlehem.
Al the puple, that was in the yate, answeride, and the grettere men in birthe answeriden, We ben witnessis; the Lord make this womman, that entrith in to thin hows, as Rachel and Lia, that bildiden the hows of Israel, that sche be ensaumple of vertu in Effrata, and haue a solempne name in Bethleem;
12 And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which the Lord will give to you from this young woman.”
and thin hows be maad as the hows of Fares, whom Thamar childide to Judas, of the seed which the Lord schal yyue to thee of this damesel.
13 And so Boaz took Ruth, and received her as his wife, and he went in to her, and the Lord granted to her to conceive and bear a son.
Therfor Booz took Ruth, and took hir to wijf; and he entride to hir, and the Lord yaf to hir, that sche conseyuede, `and childide a sone.
14 And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not permitted your family to be without a successor, and may his name be called upon in Israel.
And wymmen seiden to Noemy, Blessid be the Lord, which `suffride not, that an eir failide to thi meynee, and his name were clepid in Israel;
15 And now you may have someone to comfort your soul and to care for you in old age, for he is born of your daughter-in-law, who loves you, and this is much better for you, than if you had seven sons.”
and that thou haue `a man, that schal coumforte thi soule, and nursche elde age. For a child is borun of thi douytir in lawe, `which child schal loue thee, and he is myche betere to thee, than if thou haddist seuene sones.
16 And taking up the boy, Naomi placed him on her bosom, and she took on the duties of carrying him and nursing him.
And Noemy puttide the child resseyued in hir bosum; and sche dide the office of a nurische, and of a berere.
17 And the women of the near future were congratulating her and saying, “There was a son born to Naomi. They called his name Obed. Here is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”
Forsothe wymmen neiyboris thankiden hir, and seiden, A sone is borun to Noemy, and clepide his name Obeth. This is the fadir of Ysay, fadir of Dauid.
18 These are the generations of Perez: Perez conceived Hezron,
These ben the generaciouns of Fares; Fares gendride Esrom;
19 Hezron conceived Aram, Aram conceived Amminadab,
Esrom gendride Aram; Aram gendride Amynadab;
20 Amminadab conceived Nahshon, Nahshon conceived Salmon,
Amynadab gendride Naason; Naason gendride Salmon; Salmon gendride Booz;
21 Salmon conceived Boaz, Boaz conceived Obed,
Booz gendride Obeth;
22 Obed conceived Jesse, Jesse conceived David.
Obeth gendride Isay; Isay gendride Dauid the kyng.
