Study Desk

"When brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband's brother shall have relations with her and take her to himself as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

"It shall then be that the firstborn to whom she gives birth shall assume the name of his father's deceased brother, so that his name will not be wiped out from Israel.

And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

"But if the man does not desire to take his brother's widow, then his brother's widow shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.'

And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

"Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he persists and says, 'I do not desire to take her,'

Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

then his brother's widow shall come up to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, 'This is what is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house!'

Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

"And in Israel his family shall be called by the name, 'The house of him whose sandal was removed.'

And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.