< Ruth 4 >
1 ascendit ergo Booz ad portam et sedit ibi cumque vidisset propinquum praeterire de quo prius sermo habitus est dixit ad eum declina paulisper et sede hic vocans eum nomine suo qui devertit et sedit
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 tollens autem Booz decem viros de senioribus civitatis dixit ad eos sedete hic
Boaz also took ten of the town elders and said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they sat down.
3 quibus residentibus locutus est ad propinquum partem agri fratris nostri Helimelech vendit Noemi quae reversa est de regione moabitide
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 quod audire te volui et tibi dicere coram cunctis sedentibus et maioribus natu de populo meo si vis possidere iure propinquitatis eme et posside sin autem tibi displicet hoc ipsum indica mihi ut sciam quid facere debeam nullus est enim propinquus excepto te qui prior es et me qui secundus sum at ille respondit ego agrum emam
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 cui dixit Booz quando emeris agrum de manu mulieris Ruth quoque Moabitidem quae uxor defuncti fuit debes accipere ut suscites nomen propinqui tui in hereditate sua
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 qui respondit cedo iure propinquitatis neque enim posteritatem familiae meae delere debeo tu meo utere privilegio quo me libenter carere profiteor
‘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 hic autem erat mos antiquitus in Israhel inter propinquos et si quando alter alteri suo iure cedebat ut esset firma concessio solvebat homo calciamentum suum et dabat proximo suo hoc erat testimonium cessionis in Israhel
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 dixit ergo propinquus Booz tolle calciamentum quod statim solvit de pede suo
So when the near relative said to Boaz, ‘Buy it for yourself,’ Boaz drew off the man’s sandal.
9 at ille maioribus natu et universo populo testes inquit vos estis hodie quod possederim omnia quae fuerunt Helimelech et Chellion et Maalon tradente Noemi
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 et Ruth Moabitidem uxorem Maalon in coniugium sumpserim ut suscitem nomen defuncti in hereditate sua ne vocabulum eius de familia sua ac fratribus et populo deleatur vos inquam huius rei testes estis
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 respondit omnis populus qui erat in porta et maiores natu nos testes sumus faciat Dominus hanc mulierem quae ingreditur domum tuam sicut Rachel et Liam quae aedificaverunt domum Israhel ut sit exemplum virtutis in Ephrata et habeat celebre nomen 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 fiatque domus tua sicut domus Phares quem Thamar peperit Iudae de semine quod dederit Dominus tibi ex hac puella
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 tulit itaque Booz Ruth et accepit uxorem ingressusque est ad eam et dedit illi Dominus ut conciperet et pareret filium
So Boaz married Ruth, and she became his wife; and the Lord gave to her a son.
14 dixeruntque mulieres ad Noemi benedictus Dominus qui non est passus ut deficeret successor familiae tuae et vocaretur nomen eius in Israhel
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 et habeas qui consoletur animam tuam et enutriat senectutem de nuru enim tua natus est quae te diligit et multo tibi est melior quam si septem haberes filios
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 susceptumque Noemi puerum posuit in sinu suo et nutricis ac gerulae officio fungebatur
So Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him as if he was her own.
17 vicinae autem mulieres congratulantes ei et dicentes natus est filius Noemi vocaverunt nomen eius Obed hic est pater Isai patris David
The women of the neighbourhood 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 hae sunt generationes Phares Phares genuit Esrom
This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,
19 Esrom genuit Aram Aram genuit Aminadab
Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab,
20 Aminadab genuit Naasson Naasson genuit Salma
Amminidab of Nashon, Nashon of Salmon,
21 Salma genuit Booz Booz genuit Obed
Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed,
22 Obed genuit Isai Isai genuit David
Obed of Jesse, Jesse of David.