1   Now Boaz had gone up to the city gate, and was sitting there; and, after a time, the next-of-kin of whom he had spoken passed by. ‘Here,’ he cried, calling him by name, ‘come and sit down.’ He came and sat down. 2   Then Boaz stopped ten elders of the town, and asked them to sit there, and they did so. 3   Then he said to the next-of-kin, ‘You will remember the strip of field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. Naomi has returned from the Moabite country and is selling it. 4   I promised to open the matter with you, to ask you to acquire it in the presence of those who sit here, in the presence of the elders of my people. If you are going to do your duty as next-of-kin, then do so, but if not, someone must do it. So tell me, and then I shall know; for I come after you as next-of-kin.’ He answered, ‘I will act as next-of-kin.’ 5   Then Boaz said, ‘On the day when you acquire the field from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth ^note the Moabitess, the dead man's wife, so as to perpetuate the name of the dead man with his patrimony.’ 6   Thereupon the next-of-kin said, ‘I cannot act myself, for I should risk losing my own patrimony. You must therefore do my duty as next-of-kin. I cannot act.’

7   Now in those old days, when property was redeemed or exchanged, it was the custom for a man to pull off his sandal and give it to the other party. 8   This was the form of attestation in Israel. So the next-of-kin

Ruth and Boaz said to Boaz, ‘Acquire it for yourself’, and pulled off his sandal. 9   Then Boaz declared to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Mahlon and Chilion; 10   and, further, that I have myself acquired Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the deceased with his patrimony, so that his name may not be missing among his kindred and at the gate of his native place. 11   You are witnesses this day.’ Then the elders and all who were at the gate said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who has come to your home, like Rachel and Leah, the two who built up the house of Israel. May you do great things in Ephrathah and keep a name alive in Bethlehem. 12   May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring the Lord will give you by this girl.’

13   So Boaz took Ruth and made her his wife. When they came together, the Lord caused her to conceive and she bore Boaz a son. 14   Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord today, for he has not left you without a next-of-kin. May the dead man's name ^note be kept alive in Israel. 15   The child ^note will give you new life and cherish you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who has proved better to you than seven sons, has borne him.’ 16   Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap and became his nurse. 17   Her neighbours gave him a name: ‘Naomi has a son,’ they said; ‘we will call him Obed.’ He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18   This is the genealogy of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron of Ram, 19    20   Ram of Amminadab, Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, ^note 21    22   Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.

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