< Ruth 4 >

1 Ascendit ergo Booz ad portam, et sedit ibi. Cumque vidisset propinquum præterire, de quo prius sermo habitus est, dixit ad eum: Declina paulisper, et sede hic: vocans eum nomine suo. Qui divertit, et sedit.
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.
2 Tollens autem Booz decem viros de senioribus civitatis, dixit ad eos: Sedete hic.
Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
3 Quibus sedentibus, locutus est ad propinquum: Partem agri fratris nostri Elimelech vendet Noëmi, quæ reversa est de regione Moabitide:
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.
4 quod audire te volui, et tibi dicere coram cunctis sedentibus, et majoribus natu de populo meo. Si vis possidere jure propinquitatis, eme, et posside: sin autem displicet tibi, hoc ipsum indica mihi, ut sciam quid facere debeam: nullus enim est propinquus, excepto te, qui prior es, et me, qui secundus sum. At ille respondit: Ego agrum emam.
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.”
5 Cui dixit Booz: Quando emeris agrum de manu mulieris, Ruth quoque Moabitidem, quæ uxor defuncti fuit, debes accipere: ut suscites nomen propinqui tui in hæreditate sua.
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.”
6 Qui respondit: Cedo juri propinquitatis: neque enim posteritatem familiæ meæ delere debeo: tu meo utere privilegio, quo me libenter carere profiteor.
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.”
7 Hic autem erat mos antiquitus in Israël inter propinquos, ut siquando alter alteri suo juri cedebat, ut esset firma concessio, solvebat homo calceamentum suum, et dabat proximo suo: hoc erat testimonium cessionis in Israël.
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.
8 Dixit ergo propinquo suo Booz: Tolle calceamentum tuum. Quod statim solvit de pede suo.
So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” and he took off his sandal.
9 At ille majoribus natu, et universo populo: Testes vos, inquit, estis hodie, quod possederim omnis quæ fuerunt Elimelech, et Chelion, et Mahalon, tradente Noëmi;
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.
10 et Ruth Moabitidem, uxorem Mahalon, in conjugium sumpserim, ut suscitem nomen defuncti in hæreditate sua, ne vocabulum ejus de familia sua ac fratribus et populo deleatur. Vos, inquam, hujus rei testes estis.
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!”
11 Respondit omnis populus, qui erat in porta, et majores natu: Nos testes sumus: faciat Dominus hanc mulierem, quæ ingreditur domum tuam, sicut Rachel et Liam, quæ ædificaverunt domum Israël: ut sit exemplum virtutis in Ephratha, et habeat celebre nomen in Bethlehem:
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.
12 fiatque domus tua sicut domus Phares, quem Thamar peperit Judæ, de semine quod tibi dederit Dominus ex hac puella.
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.”
13 Tulit itaque Booz Ruth, et accepit uxorem: ingressusque est ad eam, et dedit illi Dominus ut conciperet, et pareret filium.
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.
14 Dixeruntque mulieres ad Noëmi: Benedictus Dominus, qui non est passus ut deficeret successor familiæ tuæ, et vocaretur nomen ejus in Israël:
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.
15 et habeas qui consoletur animam tuam, et enutriat senectutem: de nuru enim tua natus est, quæ te diligit, et multo tibi melior est, quam si septem haberes filios.
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.”
16 Susceptumque Noëmi puerum posuit in sinu suo, et nutricis ac gerulæ fungebatur officio.
Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and took care of him.
17 Vicinæ autem mulieris congratulantes ei, et dicentes: Natus est filius Noëmi: vocaverunt nomen ejus Obed: hic est pater Isai, patris David.
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.
18 Hæ sunt generationes Phares: Phares genuit Esron,
Now these were the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
19 Esron genuit Aram, Aram genuit Aminadab,
Hezron became the father of Ram, Ram became the father of Amminadab,
20 Aminadab genuit Nahasson, Nahasson genuit Salmon,
Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon became the father of Salmon,
21 Salmon genuit Booz, Booz genuit Obed,
Salmon became the father of Boaz, Boaz became the father of Obed,
22 Obed genuit Isai, Isai genuit David.
Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

< Ruth 4 >