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.

Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down. Just then the near kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came along. Boaz said, “Hello, So-and-so (calling him by name), come here and sit down.” So he stopped and sat down.

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

Boaz also took ten of the town elders and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

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 relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is offering for sale the piece of land which belonged to our relative Elimelech,

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 I thought that I would lay the matter before you, suggesting that you buy it in the presence of these men who sit here and of the elders of my people. If you will buy it and so keep it in the possession of the family, do so; but if not; then tell me, so that I may know; for no one but you has the right to buy it, and I am next to you.” “I will buy it,” he said.

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 you buy the field from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to preserve the name of the dead in connection with his inheritance.”

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].

“I cannot buy it for myself without spoiling my own inheritance,” the near relative said. “You take my right of buying it as a relative, because I cannot do so.”

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 neighbor that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel.

Now this used to be the custom in Israel: to make valid anything relating to a matter of redemption or exchange, a man drew off his sandal and gave it to the other man; and this was the way contracts were attested 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 when the near relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” Boaz drew off the man’s sandal.

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 elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses at this time that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s from Naomi.

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: you [are] this day witnesses.

Moreover I have secured Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in connection with his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his relatives and from the household where he lived. 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.

Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you do well in Ephrata, and become famous in Bethlehem.

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.

From the children whom the Lord will give you by this young woman may your household become like the household of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

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 married Ruth, and she became his wife; and the Lord gave to her 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.

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord who has not left you at this time without a near relative, and may his name be famous 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.

This child will restore your vigor and nourish you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is worth more to you than seven sons, has borne a son to Boaz!”

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

So Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him as if he was her own.

17 And the neighbors 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.

The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David.

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

This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab.

Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab,

20 And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon.

Amminidab of Nashon, Nashon of Salmon,

21 And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed.

Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed,

22 And Obed begot Jessae; and Jessae begot David.

Obed of Jesse, Jesse of David.