Ruth 4

1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Soon, the near kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. Boaz said to him, “My friend, come over and sit down here.” The man came over and sat down.

Now, Boaz, went up to the gate, and sat him down there, and lo! the kinsman, passing by, of whom Boaz had spoken, so he said—Turn aside! and sit down here, such a one! And he turned aside, and sat down.

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

Then fetched he ten men of the elders of the city, and said—Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 Boaz said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has returned from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that was our brother Elimelek's.

Then said he to the kinsman, The parcel of land that was our brother Elimelech’s, is to be disposed of by Naomi, who hath returned out of the country of Moab;

4 I thought to inform you and say to you, 'Buy it in the presence of those who are sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you wish to redeem it, redeem it. But if you do not wish to redeem it, then tell me, so that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides you, and I am after you.” Then the other man said, “I will redeem it.”

and, I, thought, I would unveil thine ear, saying—Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but, if thou wilt not so act, only tell me—that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but, I, am after thee. And he said, I, will act as kinsman.

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day that you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also take Ruth the Moabite woman, the widow of a dead man, in order to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

Then said Boaz, What day thou takest over the land from the hand of Naomi, also, of Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, dost thou take [it], to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 Then the near kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. You take my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

Then said the kinsman—I cannot act as kinsman for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance, —do, thou, for thyself act as kinsman in my right, for I cannot so redeem.

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and exchange of goods. To confirm all things, a man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor; this was the manner of making legal agreements in Israel.

Now, this aforetime, [was the way] in Israel, at a redeeming, and at an exchanging, to confirm every word: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, —yea, this, was the way of taking to witness, in Israel.

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

So the kinsman said unto Boaz, Take it over for thyself, —and he drew off his shoe.

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought all that was Elimelek's and all that was Kilion's and Mahlon's from the hand of Naomi.

Then said Boaz to the elders, and all the people—Witnesses, are ye to-day, that I have taken over all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s, and Mahlon’s, —from the hand of Naomi:

10 Also Ruth the Moabite woman, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired to be my wife, in order that I might raise up the name of the dead man on his inheritance, so that his name will not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. Today you are witnesses!”

Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over, to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off—from among his brethren, and from the gate of his dwelling- place, —Witnesses, are ye to-day!

11 All the people who were in the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built up the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem.

Then said all the people who were in the gate, and the elders—Witnesses!, —Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into thy house, to be as Rachel, and as Leah, which two of them did build the house of Israel. Do thou bravely, then, in Ephrathah, and proclaim thou a name in Bethlehem,

12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring that Yahweh will give you with this young woman.”

And let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare to Judah, —of the seed which—may Yahweh give thee, of this young woman.

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. He slept with her, and Yahweh allowed her to become pregnant, and she bore a son.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in unto her, —and Yahweh granted her conception, and she bare a son.

14 The women said to Naomi, “May Yahweh be blessed, who has not left you today without a near kinsman, this baby. May his name be famous in Israel.

Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed, be Yahweh! who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day, —and may his name, be proclaimed, in Israel;

15 May he be for you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

So shall he become a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, —for, thy daughter-in-law who loveth thee, hath borne him, even, she, who is better to thee than seven sons.

16 Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and took care of him.

So Naomi took the boy, and laid him in her bosom, and she became his nurse.

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

And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi, —So they called his name Obed, he, was, the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these were the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

These, then, are the generations of Perez: Perez, begat, Hezron;

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

And, Hezron, begat, Ram, and, Ram, begat, Amminadab;

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

And, Amminadab, begat Nahshon, and, Nahshon, begat, Salmon,

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

And, Salmon, begat, Boaz, and, Boaz, begat, Obed;

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

And, Obed, begat, Jesse, and, Jesse, begat, David.