< Ruth 4 >

1 Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.
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.
2 And Booz taking ten men of the ancients of the city, said to them: Sit ye down here.
And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit you here; and they sat down.
3 They sat down, and he spoke to the kinsman: Noemi, who is returned from the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.
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;
4 I would have thee to understand this, and would tell thee before all that sit here, and before the ancients of my people. If thou wilt take possession of it by the right of kindred: buy it and possess it: but if it please thee not, tell me so, that I may know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides thee, who art first, and me, who am second. But he answered: I will buy the field.
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.
5 And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman’s hand, thou must take also Ruth the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.
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.
6 He answered: I yield up my right of next akin: for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I profess I do willingly forego.
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].
7 Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe, and gave it to his neighhour; this was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.
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 neighbour that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.
And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for yourself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.
9 And he said to the ancients and to all the people: You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and Chelion’s, and Mahalon’s, of the hand of Noemi:
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.
10 And have taken to wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahalon, to raise up the name of the deceased in his inheritance lest his name be cut off, from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.
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 amongst his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: you [are] this day witnesses.
11 Then all the people that were in the gate, and the ancients answered: We are witnesses: The Lord make this woman who cometh into thy house, like Rachel, and Lia, who built up the house of Israel: that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem:
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.
12 And that the house may be, as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore unto Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
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.
13 Booz therefore took Ruth, and married her: and went in unto her, and the Lord gave her to conceive and to bear a son.
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.
14 And the women said to Noemi: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not suffered thy family to want a successor, that his name should be preserved in Israel.
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.
15 And thou shouldst have one to comfort thy soul, and cherish thy old age. For he is born of thy daughter in law: who loveth thee: and is much better to thee, than if thou hadst seven sons.
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.
16 And Noemi taking the child laid it in her bosom, and she carried it, and was a nurse unto it.
And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.
17 And the women her neighbours, congratulating with her and saying: There is a son born to Noemi: called his name Obed: he is the father of Isai, the father of David.
And the neighbours 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.
18 These are the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esron,
And these [are] the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esrom:
19 Esron begot Aram, Aram begot Aminadab,
Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab.
20 Aminadab begot Nahasson, Nahasson begot Salmon,
And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon.
21 Salmon begot Booz, Booz begot Obed,
And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed.
22 Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David.
And Obed begot Jessae; and Jessae begot David.

< Ruth 4 >