Rut 4:1-8 | ESV | STEP | Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there . And behold , the redeemer , of whom Boaz had spoken , came by . So Boaz said , Turn aside , friend ; sit down here . And he turned aside and sat down .

Ruth 4:1-8

Boaz Redeems Ruth

1 Now Boaz had gone up to ^athe gate and sat down there. And behold, ^bthe redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men ^cof the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ^d‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you ^{▼▼Hebrew he} will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth ^{▼▼Masoretic Text you also buy it from Ruth} the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order ^gto perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 ^hThen the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 ⁱNow this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.