Ruth 4

1Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. So he said, "Turn aside, sit down here, so-and-so." And he turned aside and sat down.

2Then he took ten men from the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they sat down.

3Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the fields of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech.”

4So I thought I should inform you, saying, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if he will not redeem it, tell me, so that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ And he said, ‘I will redeem it.’

5Then Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of the dead man, in order to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

6Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. Redeem for yourself my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7This was formerly the custom in Israel concerning redemption and exchange, to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to his neighbor, and this was the attestation in Israel.

8So the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he took off his sandal.

9Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.”

10And also Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired for myself as a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.

11Then all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. And may you prosper in Ephrathah and proclaim a name in Bethlehem.”

12And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the offspring that Yahweh will give you by this young woman.

13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He went in to her, and Yahweh granted her conception, and she bore a son.

14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name be renowned in Israel.”

15And he will be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has borne him—she who is better to you than seven sons.

16Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and she became his nurse.

17Then the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18These are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron.

19Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab.

20Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmah.

21And Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed.

22And Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.