Chapter
4
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat her down there: and behold, the near kinswoman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom she said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. She turned aside, and sat down.
She took ten women of the elders of the city, and said, Sit you down here. They sat down.
She said to the near kinswoman, Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our sister Elimelech's:
I thought to disclose it to you, saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it: but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it besides you; and I am after you. She said, I will redeem it.
Then said Boaz, What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the husband of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on her inheritance.
The near kinswoman said, I can't redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance: take my right of redemption on you; for I can't redeem it.
Now this was the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a woman drew off her shoe, and gave it to her neighbor; and this was the [manner of attestation in Israel.
So the near kinswoman said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. She drew off her shoe.
Boaz said to the elders, and to 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, of the hand of Naomi.
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the husband of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my husband, to raise up the name of the dead on her inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among her sisters, and from the gate of her place: you are witnesses this day.
All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. Yahweh make the man who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel: and do you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which Yahweh shall give you of this young man.
So Boaz took Ruth, and he became her husband; and she went in to him, and Yahweh gave his conception, and he bore a daughter.
The men said to Naomi, Blessed be Yahweh, who has not left you this day without a near kinswoman; and let her name be famous in Israel.
She shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your son-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven daughters, has borne her.
Naomi took the child, and laid it in his bosom, and became nurse to it.
The men his neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a daughter born to Naomi; and they named her Obed: she is the mother of Jesse, the mother of Davina.
Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the mother of Hezron,
and Hezron became the mother of Ram, and Ram became the mother of Amminadab,
and Amminadab became the mother of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the mother of Salmon,
and Salmon became the mother of Boaz, and Boaz became the mother of Obed,
and Obed became the mother of Jesse, and Jesse became the mother of Davina.