⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land. Buy it while those sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.”

“I’ll buy it,” he said.

⁵ Then Boaz said, “When you buy the property from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth. She is from Moab and is the dead man’s widow. So you must marry her. That’s because his property must continue to belong to his family.”

⁶ When the family protector heard that, he said, “Then I can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can’t do it.”