4 Meanwhile, Boaz went to the place inside the town gate (where people conducted their official business) and sat down there. Just as he had hoped, the man responsible for Naomi’s family came along—the man whom Boaz had mentioned earlier—and Boaz called out to him by name and said, “Come over here and sit down.” So the man came over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz called over ten of the older, well-respected men from the town and asked them to sit and witness their discussion, so they sat down with them. 3 Then Boaz asked the other relative, “The part of the field that belonged to our relative Elimelek is for sale. Naomi, who recently returned from Moab, is selling it. 4 I thought that I should tell you about it and in case you buy the land while the people sitting here are listening, including these leaders of our people. If you want to buy it back into the family, then do so. But if you do not want to buy it back, then let me know, because you are the closest relative to Elimelek, and I am next after you.”
“I’ll buy it,” the man replied.
5 “When you buy the land from Naomi,” Boaz continued, “you will also need to marry Ruth, our deceased relative’s widow from Moab, so that she’ll have a son who will inherit the property and continue Elimelek’s family line.”
6 “I can’t buy it back myself, then,” the closer relative answered. “If I did that, I would ruin my own son’s inheritance. You can have the land and the woman instead of me, because I simply can’t take it.”
7 (At that time in Israel, people had a different way of buying land or exchanging goods between them. In order to make these matters legally binding, one man would take off one of his sandals and give it to the other party. That was the way people in Israel confirmed what they had agreed to do.)[ref]
8 “You buy it yourself,” the relative said and he took off one of his sandals and gave it to Boaz. 9 Then Boaz said to the respected men and to all the other people who were there, “Today you have all witnessed that I’ve bought from Naomi all the property that belonged to Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 I am also taking Ruth, Mahlon’s widow from Moab, to be my wife so that she can have a son. Everyone will consider that son to be Elimelek’s descendant and he will inherit the property and carry on Elimelek’s family name among his relatives and here in his hometown.[ref] You’ve seen and heard that today and can tell anyone who asks about it.”
11 All the respected men, and the others who were sitting at the town gate, agreed, and they said, “Yes, we are your. We pray that Yahweh will allow this woman who will be coming into your home, to be like Rachel and Leah, the two who gave birth to our ancestors and started our people, Israel.[ref] May you become great in the clan of Ephrathah and famous here in Bethlehem! 12 We pray that your family will be like the family of your ancestor Perez, son of Judah and Tamar, because of the many descendants that Yahweh will give to you and this young woman.”[ref]
