Ruth 4

1. And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said to him, “Such a one! Turn aside, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

2. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Come sit down here.” And they sat down.

3. And he said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech’s.

4. And I thought to disclose it to you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who live here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem it. But if you will not redeem, tell me so that I may know. For there is none to redeem besides you—and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem.”

5. And Boaz said, “In the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you acquire Ruth of Moab, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.”

6. And the kinsman said, “I cannot redeem for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. You take my right of redemption to yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7. Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm everything. A man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. And this was a testimony in Israel.

8. Therefore the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he drew off his shoe.

9. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.

10. Moreover Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses this day.”

11. And all the people in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, for these two built the house of Israel. And may you do worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

12. And let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give you of this young woman.”

13. And Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And when he went in to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive. And she bore a son.

14. And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer, so that his name may be famous in Israel.

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

16. And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.

17. And the women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18. And these are the generations of Pharez. Pharez begat Hezron,

19. And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

20. And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

21. And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

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