1Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, 4:1 Heb. peloni almoni, lit. so and sofriend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.

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

3Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4And I thought to 4:4 Lit. uncover your earinform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if 4:4 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT heyou will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ”

5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to 4:5 Lit. raise upperpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”

6And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

8Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal.

9And 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.

10Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from 4:10 Probably his civic officehis position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”

11And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

12May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”

13So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a 4:14 redeemer, Heb. goelclose relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

15And may he be to you a restorer of life and a 4:15 sustainernourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”

16Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.

17Also the neighbor women 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.

18Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;

19Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;

20Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;4:20 Heb. Salmah

21Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;

22Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.