[1] And Boaz went up to the public place of the town, and took his seat
there: and the near relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz,
crying out to him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and
was seated. [2] Then he got ten of the responsible men of the town, and
said, Be seated here. And they took their seats. [3] Then he said to the
near relation, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is
offering for a price that bit of land which was our brother Elimelech's:
[4] And it was in my mind to give you the chance of taking it, with the
approval of those seated here and of the responsible men of my people. If
you are ready to do what it is right for a relation to do, then do it: but
if you will not do it, say so to me now; for there is no one who has the
right to do it but you, and after you myself. And he said, I will do it.
[5] Then Boaz said, On the day when you take this field, you will have to
take with it Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, so that you may
keep the name of the dead living in his heritage. [6] And the near relation
said, I am not able to do the relation's part, for fear of damaging the
heritage I have: you may do it in my place, for I am not able to do it
myself. [7] Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property
was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To
make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the
other; and this was a witness in Israel. [8] So the near relation said to
Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe. [9] Then Boaz said to
the responsible men and to all the people, You are witnesses today that I
have taken at a price from Naomi all the property which was Elimelech's,
and everything which was Chilion's and Mahlon's. [10] And, further, I have
taken Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to
keep the name of the dead man living in his heritage, so that his name may
not be cut off from among his countrymen, and from the memory of his town:
you are witnesses this day. [11] And all the people who were in the public
place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make
this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah,
which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth
in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem; [12] May your family be like the
family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave to Judah, from the offspring which
the Lord may give you by this young woman. [13] So Boaz took Ruth and she
became his wife; and he went in to her, and the Lord made her with child
and she gave birth to a son. [14] And the women said to Naomi, A blessing
on the Lord, who has not let you be this day without a near relation, and
may his name be great in Israel. [15] He will be a giver of new life to
you, and your comforter when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who, in
her love for you, is better than seven sons, has given birth to him. [16]
And Naomi took the child and put her arms round it, and she took care of
it. [17] And the women who were her neighbours gave it a name, saying,
Naomi has a child; and they gave him the name of Obed: he is the father of
Jesse, the father of David. [18] Now these are the generations of Perez:
Perez became the father of Hezron; [19] And Hezron became the father of
Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab; [20] And Amminadab became the
father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon; [21] And Salmon
became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed; [22] And
Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
