1
Now Bo`az went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Bo`az spoke came by; to whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.
2
He took ten men of the Zakenim of the city, and said, Sit you down here. They sat down.
3
He said to the near kinsman, Na`omi, who has come back out of the country of Mo'av, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelekh's:
4
I thought to disclose it to you, saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the Zakenim 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. He said, I will redeem it.
5
Then said Bo`az, What day you buy the field of the hand of Na`omi, you must buy it also of Rut the Mo'avite, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.
6
The near kinsman 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.
7
Now this was [the custom] in former time in Yisra'el concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the [manner of] attestation in Yisra'el.
8
So the near kinsman said to Bo`az, Buy it for yourself. He drew off his shoe.
9
Bo`az said to the Zakenim, and to all the people, You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelekh's, and all that was Kilyon's and Machlon's, of the hand of Na`omi.
10
Moreover Rut the Mo'avite, the wife of Machlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his place: you are witnesses this day.
11
All the people who were in the gate, and the Zakenim, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Le'ah, which two built the house of Yisra'el: and do you worthily in Efratah, and be famous in Beit-Lechem:
12
and let your house be like the house of Peretz, whom Tamar bore to Yehudah, of the seed which the LORD shall give you of this young woman.
13
So Bo`az took Rut, and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14
The women said to Na`omi, Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Yisra'el.
15
He shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.
16
Na`omi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it.
17
The women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Na`omi; and they named him `Oved: he is the father of Yishai, the father of David.