Ruth 4:5-10 ▼

5 Boaz continued, |On the very day you buy the field from Naomi, you're also |buying| Ruth the Moabite woman, the wife of her dead husband, so the family name may be continued as an inheritance.|

6 At this, the nearer related redeemer replied, |Then I am unable to act as related redeemer, because that would complicate my own inheritance. You act instead as the related redeemer, because I cannot do so.|

7 During Israel's earlier history, all things concerning redeeming or changing inheritances were confirmed by a man taking off his sandal and giving it to the other party, thereby creating a public record in Israel.

8 So when the nearer related redeemer told Boaz, |Make the purchase yourself,| he then took off his sandal.

9 At this, Boaz addressed the elders and all of the people: |You all are witnesses today that I hereby redeem everything from Naomi that belonged to Elimelech, including what belonged to Chilion and Mahlon,

10 along with Mahlon's wife Ruth the Moabite woman. I will marry her to continue the family name as an inheritance, so that the name of the deceased does not disappear from among his relatives, nor from the public record. You are all witnesses today!|