Deuteronomy 25:5-10 ▼

5 If brothers live together and one of them dies without having a son, the dead man's wife must not remarry someone outside the family. Instead, her late husband's brother must go to her, marry her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law.

6 Then the first son she bears will continue the name of the dead brother, thus preventing his name from being blotted out of Israel.

7 But if the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, then she must go to the elders at the town gate and say, |My husband's brother refuses to preserve his brother's name in Israel; he is unwilling to perform the duty of a brother-in-law to me!|

8 Then the elders of his city must summon him and speak to him. If he persists, saying, |I don't want to marry her,|

9 then his sister-in-law must approach him in view of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. She will then respond, |Thus may it be done to any man who does not maintain his brother's family line!|

10 His family name will be referred to in Israel as |the family of the one whose sandal was removed.|