Ruth 4

1Boaz went to the place where people gather near the city gates. He sat there until the close relative he had told Ruth about passed by. Boaz called to him: Come and sit here. The close relative came and sat with Boaz.

2Boaz also gathered 10 of the elders of the city. Boaz said to them: Come and sit here with us. Then the 10 elders came and sat down with them.

3Then Boaz said to Naomi's close relative: Naomi has come back from the land of Moab. She decided to sell the field of our brother, Elimelech, who has died.

4I thought you should know about this. I am telling you in front of these 10 elders and these people: If you want to buy the field, buy it. If you do not want to buy it, tell me, and I will buy it. Naomi's closest relative said: I will buy the land from her.

5Then Boaz said: If you buy the field from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth. Ruth is the Moabite woman, the widow of the dead man. She will have a child who will carry on her husband's name and keep the land in the family.

6The close relative answered: No, I cannot buy the field. If I do, I might destroy my own inheritance. You can buy the field yourself. I cannot buy it.

7Long ago in Israel, there was a custom for confirming a purchase. One person took off a sandal and gave it to the other. This showed the agreement in front of witnesses.

8The close relative said to Boaz: You can buy the field and he took off his shoe and he gave it to Boaz.

9Boaz said to all the elders and to the people: You can all see today that I will buy the field from Naomi. I will buy the field that belonged to Elimelech and to Chilion and Mahlon, his 2 sons.

10I will also marry Ruth, the woman from the land of Moab. She was the wife of Mahlon. If she has a baby boy, he will inherit this field. The name of his family will not die, but will go on. Today you are the witnesses.

11All the elders and the people near the city gates said: We are witnesses to all of this. May the LORD make this woman, who is coming into your home, like Rachel and Leah. They had many children and made the people of Israel strong. May you become powerful in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

12May the LORD bless you with many children through Ruth. May your family become great like the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore for Judah.

13Boaz married Ruth. The LORD allowed Ruth to become pregnant, and she had a son.

14The women there said to Naomi: Praise the LORD. Today He has given you a family guardian. May his name be famous in Israel.

15We pray that he will make you happy and that he will help you and take care of you when you are old. Ruth is his mother and she loves you and she is better than 7 sons.

16Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap. She cared for him.

17The women who lived there said: Naomi has a son. The women said his name would be Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David.

18Here are the names of the family of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron.

19Hezron was the father of Ram, and Ram was the father of Amminadab.

20Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

21Salmon was the father of Boaz, and Boaz was the father of Obed.

22Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.