Ruth 4:1–8

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth

⁴No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin^o of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over;^p sit down here.” And he went over and sat down.^{* 2}Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the town and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. ³He then said to the next-of-kin,^q “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech.^{* 4}So I thought I would tell you of it and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you^r will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.”^{* 5}Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth^s the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”^{* 6}At this, the next-of-kin^t said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”^*

⁷Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm a transaction: the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel.^{* 8}So when the next-of-kin^u said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal.