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Chapter 4

1 And Booz went up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed by, of whom Booz spoke: and Booz said to him, Turn aside, sit down here, 1such a one: and he turned aside and sat down. 2 And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye here; and they sat down.

3 And Booz said to the relative, The matter regards the portion of the field which 2was our brother Elimelech's which was given to Noemin, now returning out of the land of Moab; 4 and I said, I will 3inform thee, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if thou wilt redeem it, redeem it, but if thou wilt not redeem it, tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside thee to do the office of a kinsman, and I am after thee: and he said, I am here, I will redeem it. 5 And Booz said, In the day of thy buying the field of the hand of Noemin and of Ruth

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the Moabitess the wife of the deceased, thou must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. 6 And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; do thou redeem my right for thyself, for I shall not be able to redeem it.

7 And this was in former time the ordinance in Israel for redemption, and for a bargain, to confirm every word: A man loosed his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel. 8 And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for thyself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.

9 And Booz said to the elders and to all the people, Ye are this day witnesses, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that 4belonged to Chelaion and Maalon, of the hand of Noemin. 10 Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Maalon, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; so the name of the dead shall not be destroyed from among his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: ye are this day witnesses.

11 And all the people who were in the gate said, We are witnesses: and the elders said, The Lord 5make thy wife who goes into thy house, as Rachel and as Lia, who both together built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name to thee in Bethleem. 12 And let thy house be as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore to Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this handmaid.

13 And Booz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 And the woman said to Noemin, Blessed is the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail thee this day, even to make thy name famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be to thee a restorer of thy soul, and one to cherish thy old age; for thy daughter-in-law which has loved thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, has born him. 16 And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.

17 And the neighbours gave it a name, saying, A son has been born to Noemin; and they called his name Obed; this is the father of Jessae the father of David. 18 And these are the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esrom: 19 Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab. 20 And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon. 21 And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed. 22 And Obed begot Jessæ; and Jessae begot David.

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1 Lit. secret one.

2 Gr. is.

3 Gr. open or uncover thine ear.

4 Gr. belong.

5 Gr. give.

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