CHAPTER 4
1 Therefore Boaz went up to the gate, and sat there; and when he had seen the kinsman pass forth, of whom the word was had, Boaz said to him, Bow thou a little, and sit here; and he called him by his name. And he turned, and sat.
2 And Boaz took ten elder men of the city, and he said to them, Sit ye down here. And while they sat,
3 Boaz spake to the kinsman, Naomi, that turned again from the country of Moab, sold, that is, is in purpose to sell, for it was not yet sold, the part of the field of our brother Elimelech,
4 which thing I would that thou hear; and I would say to thee before all men sitting, and greater in birth of my people. If thou wilt have in possession the field by right of nigh kin, buy thou, and have thou in possession; soothly if it displeaseth thee, show thou this same thing to me, that I know what I shall do; for none is nigh in kin, besides thee which art the former, and besides me which am the second. And the man answered, I shall buy the field.
5 To whom Boaz said, When thou hast bought the field of the hand of the woman, thou owest also to take to wife Ruth of Moab, that was the wife of the dead man, that thou raise the name of thy kinsman in his heritage.
6 And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I owe not to do away the heritage of mine own meine; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly.
7 Forsooth this was the custom by eld [or old] time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was witnessing of a gift in Israel.
8 Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot.
9 And Boaz said to the greater men in birth, and to all the people, Ye be witnesses today, that I have taken in possession all things that were of Elimelech, and of Chilion, and of Mahlon, by the gift of Naomi;
10 and that I have taken into wedlock Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, that I raise up the name of the dead man in his heritage; lest his name be done away from his meine, and from his brethren, and his people. Ye, he said, be witnesses of this thing.
11 All the people, that was in the gate, answered, and the greater men in birth, We be witnesses; the Lord make this woman, that entereth into thine house, as Rachel and Leah, that builded the house of Israel, that she be ensample of virtue in Ephratah, and have a solemn name in Bethlehem;
12 and thine house be made as the house of Perez, whom Tamar childed to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give to thee of this damsel.
13 Then Boaz took Ruth, and he took her to wife; and he entered [in] to her, and the Lord gave to her, that she conceived, and childed a son.
14 And women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which suffered not, that an heir failed to thy meine, and his name were called in Israel;
15 and that thou have, that shall comfort thy soul, and nourish thine eld age. For a child is born of thy daughter-in-law, that shall love thee, and he is better to thee, than if thou haddest seven sons.
16 And Naomi putted [or put] the child, whom she received, in her bosom; and she did the office of a nurse, and of a bearer-about.
17 And [the] women neighbours thanked her or joyed together with her, and said, A son is born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed. This is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 These be the generations of Perez; Perez begat Hezron;
19 Hezron begat Ram; Ram begat Amminadab;
20 Amminadab begat Nahshon; Nahshon begat Salmon;
21 Salmon begat Boaz; Boaz begat Obed;
22 Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat David the king.