Ruth 4
Open in the reader1Meanwhile, In-Strength went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and In-Strength said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
2Then In-Strength took ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.
3And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Pleasant, who has returned from the land of From-the-Father, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother My-God-Is-King.
4I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I will redeem it,” he replied.
5Then In-Strength said, “On the day you buy the land from Pleasant and also from Friend the From-the-Father-One, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.”
6The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.”
7Now in former times in Strives-with-God, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was a confirmation in Strives-with-God.
8So the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal and said to In-Strength, “Buy it for yourself.”
9At this, In-Strength said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Pleasant all that belonged to My-God-Is-King, Wasting-Away, and Sickly.
10Moreover, I have acquired Friend the From-the-Father-One, Sickly’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”
11“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May He-Who-Is make the woman entering your home like Ewe and Weary-One, who together built up the house of Strives-with-God. May you be prosperous in Fruitful and famous in House-of-Bread.
12And may your house become like the house of Breach, whom Palm-Tree bore to Praised, because of the offspring He-Who-Is will give you by this young woman.”
13So In-Strength took Friend, and she became his wife. And when he had relations with her, He-Who-Is enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14Then the women said to Pleasant, “Blessed be He-Who-Is, who has not left you this day without a kinsman-redeemer. May his name become famous in Strives-with-God.
15He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16And Pleasant took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a nurse to him.
17The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Pleasant,” and they named him Serving. He became the father of Man-of-He-Who-Is, the father of Beloved.
18Now these are the generations of Breach: Breach was the father of Courtyard,
19Courtyard was the father of Exalted, Exalted was the father of My-Kinsman-Is-Generous,
20My-Kinsman-Is-Generous was the father of Enchanter, Enchanter was the father of Salmon,
21Salmon was the father of In-Strength, In-Strength was the father of Serving,
22Serving was the father of Man-of-He-Who-Is, and Man-of-He-Who-Is was the father of Beloved.