Ruth

4 Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there, and lo! the kinsman passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, so he said—Turn aside! and sit down here, such a one! And he turned aside and sat down.

2 Then fetched he ten men of the elders of the city, and said—Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 Then said he to the kinsman, The parcel of land that was our brother Elimelech’s is to be disposed of by Naomi, who hath returned out of the country of Moab;

4 and I thought I would unveil thine ear, saying—Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but if thou wilt not so act, only tell me—that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but I am after thee. And he said, I will act as kinsman.

5 Then said Boaz, What day thou takest over the land from the hand of Naomi, also of Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, dost thou take [it], to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 Then said the kinsman—I cannot act as kinsman for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance,—do thou for thyself act as kinsman in my right, for I cannot so redeem.

7 Now this aforetime [was the way] in Israel at a redeeming, and at an exchanging to confirm every word: A man drew off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour,—yea, this was the way of taking to witness in Israel.

8 So the kinsman said unto Boaz, Take it over for thyself,—and he drew off his shoe.

9 Then said Boaz to the elders and all the people—Witnesses are ye to-day, That I have taken over all that was Elimelech’s, And all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s,—From the hand of Naomi:

10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over to be my wife, To raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, That the name of the dead be not cut off—From among his brethren, And from the gate of his dwelling-place,—Witnesses are ye to-day!

11 Then said all the people who were in the gate and the elders—Witnesses!,—Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into thy house To be as Rachel and as Leah, Which two of them did build the house of Israel. Do thou bravely then in Ephrathah, And proclaim thou a name in Bethlehem,

12 And let thy house be like the house of Perez, Whom Tamar bare to Judah,—Of the seed which—may Yahweh give thee, Of this young woman.

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in unto her,—and Yahweh granted her conception and she bare a son.

14 Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed be Yahweh! Who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day,—And may his name be proclaimed in Israel;

15 So shall he become a restorer of thy life, And a nourisher of thine old age,—For thy daughter-in-law who loveth thee hath borne him, Even she who is better to thee than seven sons.

16 So Naomi took the boy, and laid him in her bosom, and she became his nurse.

17 And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi,—So they called his name Obed, he was The father of Jesse, The father of David.

18 These, then, are the generations of Perez: Perez 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.