4 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

² And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

³ And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

⁴ And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

⁵ Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

⁶ And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

⁷ Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

⁸ Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

⁹ And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

¹⁰ Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

¹¹ And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

¹² And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

¹⁴ And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

¹⁵ And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

¹⁶ And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

¹⁷ And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

¹⁹ And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

²⁰ And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

²¹ And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

²² And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

26 As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.

² As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

³ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

⁶ He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

⁷ The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸ As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

⁹ As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouths of fools.

¹⁰ The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹ As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹² Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

¹³ The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

¹⁷ He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸ As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death,

¹⁹ So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport?

²⁰ Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

²¹ As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²² The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³ Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴ He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵ When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶ Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.

²⁷ Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸ A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.