Ruth 4

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Then Boaz went up to the gate, and he sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman passing by, whom he had previously discussed, he spoke to him, calling him by his name, “Pause for a little while, and sit down here.” He turned aside and sat down.	1 Boaz, meanwhile, had gone up to the gate and sat down, and the relative of whom he had spoken thencame by. Boaz said to him, 'Here, my friend, come and sit down'; the man came and sat down.
2 But Boaz, calling aside ten men among the elders of the city, said to them, “Sit down here.”	2 Boaz then picked out ten of the town's elders and said, 'Sit down here'; they sat down.
3 They settled down, and he spoke to the kinsman, “Naomi, who has returned from the region of the Moabites, is selling part of a field of our brother Elimelech.	3 Boaz then said to the man who had the right of redemption, 'Naomi, who has come back from the Plainsof Moab, is sel ing the piece of land that belonged to our brother, Elimelech.
4 I wanted you to hear this, and to tell you in front of everyone sitting here, including the eldest of my people. If you will take possession of it by the right of kinship, buy it and possess it. But if it displeases you, you should reveal this to me, so that I will know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides you, who is before me, and I am after you.” But he answered, “I will buy the field.”	4 I thought I should tel you about this and say, "Acquire it in the presence of the men who are sitting hereand in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to use your right of redemption, redeem it; if you donot, tel me so that I know, for I am the only person to redeem it besides yourself, and I myself come after you." 'The man said, 'I am wil ing to redeem it.'
5 And Boaz said to him, “When buying the field, you are likewise obliged to accept the hand of the woman Ruth, the Moabite, who was the wife of the deceased, so that you may raise up the name of your near kinsman through his posterity.”	5 Boaz then said, 'The day you acquire the field from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, thewife of the man who has died, to perpetuate the dead man's name in his inheritance.'
6 He answered, “I yield my right of kinship, for I am obliged not to cut off the posterity of my own family. You may make use of my privilege, which I freely declare I will forego.”	6 The man with the right of redemption then said, 'I cannot use my right of redemption withoutjeopardising my own inheritance. Since I cannot use my right of redemption, exercise the right yourself.'
7 Yet it was the custom between kinsmen in this former time in Israel, that if at anytime one yielded his right to another, so as to confirm his permission, the man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. This was a testimony of concession in Israel.	7 Now, in former times, it was the custom in Israel to confirm a transaction in matters of redemption orinheritance by one of the parties taking off his sandal and giving it to the other. This was how agreements wereratified in Israel.
8 And so Boaz said to his kinsman, “Take off your shoe.” And immediately he released it from his foot.	8 So, when the man with the right of redemption said to Boaz, 'Acquire it for yourself,' he took off hissandal.
9 And he said to the eldest and to all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have taken possession of all that belonged to Elimelech and Chilion and Mahlon, and was bequeathed to Naomi.	9 Boaz then said to the elders and al the people there, 'Today you are witnesses that from Naomi Iacquire everything that used to belong to Elimelech, and everything that used to belong to Mahlon and Chilion
10 And Ruth, the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, I have taken in marriage so as to raise up the name of the deceased in his posterity, so that his name will not be cut off from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.”	10 and that I am also acquiring Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, to be my wife, to perpetuate thedead man's name in his inheritance, so that the dead man's name will not be lost among his brothers and at thegate of his town. Today you are witnesses to this.'
11 All the people who were at the gate, along with the eldest, answered, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who enters into your house, like Rachel, and Leah, who built up the house of Israel, so that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrathah, and so that her name may be honored in Bethlehem.	11 All the people at the gate said, 'We are witnesses'; and the elders said, 'May Yahweh make the womanabout to enter your family like Rachel and Leah who together built up the House of Israel. Grow mighty inEphrathah, be renowned in Bethlehem!
12 And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which the Lord will give to you from this young woman.”	12 And through the children Yahweh wil give you by this young woman, may your family be like the familyof Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.'
13 And so Boaz took Ruth, and received her as his wife, and he went in to her, and the Lord granted to her to conceive and bear a son.	13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when they came together, Yahweh made herconceive and she bore a son.
14 And the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not permitted your family to be without a successor, and may his name be called upon in Israel.	14 And the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be Yahweh who has not left you today without anyone toredeem you. May his name be praised in Israel!
15 And now you may have someone to comfort your soul and to care for you in old age, for he is born of your daughter-in-law, who loves you, and this is much better for you, than if you had seven sons.”	15 The child wil be a comfort to you and the prop of your old age, for he has been born to the daughter-in-law who loves you and is more to you than seven sons.'
16 And taking up the boy, Naomi placed him on her bosom, and she took on the duties of carrying him and nursing him.	16 And Naomi, taking the child, held him to her breast; and she it was who looked after him.
17 And the women of the near future were congratulating her and saying, “There was a son born to Naomi. They called his name Obed. Here is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”	17 And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name. 'A son', they said, 'has been born to Naomi,'and they cal ed him Obed. This was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 These are the generations of Perez: Perez conceived Hezron,	18 These are the descendants of Perez. Perez fathered Hezron,
19 Hezron conceived Aram, Aram conceived Amminadab,	19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,
20 Amminadab conceived Nahshon, Nahshon conceived Salmon,	20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,
21 Salmon conceived Boaz, Boaz conceived Obed,	21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,
22 Obed conceived Jesse, Jesse conceived David.	22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.'