Ruth 4:1–8

Ruth Becomes Boaz’ Wife

¹Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, ^athe kinsman redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, ¹my fellow, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

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

³Then he said to the kinsman redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the fields of Moab, has to sell the portion of the field ^awhich belonged to our brother Elimelech.

⁴“So I thought to uncover this matter in your hearing, saying, ‘^aAcquire it before those who are sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if no one redeems it, 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.”

⁵Then Boaz said, “On the day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also ¹acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the one who had died, in order ^ato raise up the name of the one who had died, on behalf of his inheritance.”

^6aSo the kinsman redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

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

⁸So the kinsman redeemer said to Boaz, “Acquire this for yourself.” And he removed his sandal.