Ruth 4

1Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Just then the redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he came over and sat down.

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

3Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

4I thought I should tell you about it and say, ‘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 you will not redeem it, tell me, so that I will know. For there is no one but you to redeem it, and I come after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.”

5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to keep the dead man’s name alive on his inheritance.”

6The redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it for myself, or I would ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7Now in earlier times in Israel, this was the custom for redeeming and exchanging property, to make any transaction final: one man would take off his sandal and give it to the other. This was the way of confirming an agreement 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 bought from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.

10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, to be my wife, in order to keep the dead man’s name alive on his inheritance, so that the dead man’s name will not disappear from among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. 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 home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

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

13So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and Yahweh enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

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

15He will restore your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16Then Naomi took the child, held him in her arms, and cared for him.

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

18This is the account of Perez’s descendants: Perez was the father of Hezron,

19Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab,

20Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, Nahshon was the father of Salmon,

21Salmon was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed,

22Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.