Ruth 4:1-6

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth

4 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin,^[a] of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over, friend; sit down here.” And he went over and sat down. ² Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here”; so they sat down. ³ He then said to the next-of-kin,^[b] “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: 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 will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth^[c] the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” ⁶ At this, the next-of-kin^[d] said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”