Deuteronomy 25:7-9

The Voice

⁷ If a man doesn’t want to marry his brother’s widow, she should go to the elders at the city gate and make a formal complaint: “My husband died, and his brother refuses to keep his name alive in Israel. He won’t marry me and give me children!” ⁸ The elders of his city will send for him and try to persuade him. He may resist and say, “I don’t want to marry her!” ⁹ In that case, the widow will come up to him, with the elders looking on, and pull one of his sandals off his foot, spit in his face, and then say, “If a man won’t make sure his brother’s family line continues, he deserves this kind of disgrace for not continuing his brother’s house!”