[1] And Bo'az went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the next
of kin, of whom Bo'az had spoken, came by. So Bo'az said, "Turn aside,
friend; sit down here"; and he turned aside and sat down. [2] And he took
ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here"; so they sat
down. [3] Then he said to the next of kin, "Na'omi, who has come back from
the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land which belonged to our
kinsman Elim'elech. [4] So I thought I would tell you of 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, tell
me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I
come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it." [5] Then Bo'az said, "The
day you buy the field from the hand of Na'omi, you are also buying Ruth the
Moabitess, the widow of the dead, in order to restore the name of the dead
to his inheritance." [6] Then the next of kin said, "I cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption
yourself, for I cannot redeem it." [7] Now this was the custom in former
times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a
transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this
was the manner of attesting in Israel. [8] So when the next of kin said to
Bo'az, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal. [9] Then Bo'az said
to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have
bought from the hand of Na'omi all that belonged to Elim'elech and all that
belonged to Chil'ion and to Mahlon. [10] Also Ruth the Moabitess, the widow
of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead
in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among
his brethren and from the gate of his native place; you are witnesses this
day." [11] Then all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said,
"We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your
house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May
you prosper in Eph'rathah and be renowned in Bethlehem; [12] and may your
house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the
children that the LORD will give you by this young woman." [13] So Bo'az
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] Then the women said to Na'omi,
"Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next of kin;
and may his name be renowned in Israel! [15] He shall be to you a restorer
of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves
you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." [16] Then Na'omi
took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. [17] And
the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born
to Na'omi." They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, the father of
David. [18] Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez was the father of
Hezron, [19] Hezron of Ram, Ram of Ammin'adab, [20] Ammin'adab of Nahshon,
Nahshon of Salmon, [21] Salmon of Bo'az, Bo'az of Obed, [22] Obed of Jesse,
and Jesse of David.
