1 Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there, and look, the redeemer Boaz had spoken about was passing by. He said, "Come over, my friend, sit down here." He came over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten men from the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they sat down.
3 He said to the redeemer, "The piece of land that was our brother Elimelech's, Naomi is selling; she has returned from the fields of Moab.
4 I thought I should let you know and say, 'Buy it before those seated here and before the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem; but if he will not redeem it, tell me, so I may know. There is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you." He said, "I will redeem it."
5 Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from Naomi's hand, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the dead man's wife, in order to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."
6 The redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it for myself, or I would damage my own inheritance. You take over my redemption for yourself, since I am not able to redeem it."
7 In earlier times in Israel this was how it was done in redeeming and in exchanging, to make every matter binding: a man drew off his sandal and handed it to his neighbor. That was the form of testimony in Israel.
8 So the redeemer told Boaz, "You buy it," and drew off his sandal.
9 Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi's hand everything that was Elimelech's and everything that was Chilion's and Mahlon's.
10 Ruth the Moabitess too, Mahlon's wife, I have acquired as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, so that the name of the dead will not be cut off from among his brothers or from the gate of his place. Today you are witnesses."
11 All the people at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who comes into your house like Rachel and like Leah, who between them built the house of Israel. May you do mightily in Ephrathah and make a name in Bethlehem.
12 May your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the seed the LORD will give you by this young woman."
13 Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He went in to her, the LORD granted her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14 The women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD, who has not left you today without a redeemer! May his name be proclaimed in Israel.
15 He will be one who brings your life back and who sustains you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is worth more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
16 Naomi took the child and held him to her bosom, and she became his nurse.
17 The neighbor women named him, saying, "A son is born to Naomi!" They called him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 These are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron;
19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,
20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,
21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,
22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.