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And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)

Forsooth this was the custom by eld time in Israel among kinsmen, that if a man gave his right to another man, that the granting were steadfast, the man should unlace his shoe, and give it to his kinsman; this thing was (the) witnessing of (such) a gift in Israel.

Therefore Boaz said to his kinsmen, Take off thy shoe from thee; and he unlaced it anon from his foot (and at once he unlaced his shoe and took it off his foot).

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At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem(A) it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”(B)

(Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption(C) and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal(D) and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions(E) in Israel.)(F)

So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.(G)

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