The Marriage of Ruth

1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, athe 1close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, 2friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

2 He took ten men of the aelders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

3 Then he said to the 1closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land awhich belonged to our brother Elimelech.

4 “So I thought to 1inform you, saying, ‘aBuy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if 2not, tell me that I may know; for bthere is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order ato raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”

6 aThe 1closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would 2jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was athe custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.

8 So the 1closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.

10 “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so athat the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the 1court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”