Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz
1 Naomi had a relative named Boaz, a rich and influential man who belonged to the family of her husband Elimelech. 2 One day Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields to gather the grain that the harvest workers leave. I am sure to find someone who will let me work with him.”
Naomi answered, “Go ahead, daughter.”
3 So Ruth went out to the fields and walked behind the workers, picking up the heads of grain which they left. It so happened that she was in a field that belonged to Boaz.
4 Some time later Boaz himself arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the workers. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” they answered.
5 Boaz asked the man in charge, “Who is that young woman?”
6 The man answered, “She is the foreigner who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She asked me to let her follow the workers and gather grain. She has been working since early morning and has just now stopped to rest for a while under the shelter.”
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Let me give you some advice. Don't gather grain anywhere except in this field. Work with the women here; 9 watch them to see where they are reaping and stay with them. I have ordered my men not to molest you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and drink from the water jars that they have filled.”
10 Ruth bowed down with her face touching the ground, and said to Boaz, “Why should you be so concerned about me? Why should you be so kind to a foreigner?”
11 Boaz answered, “I have heard about everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you had never known before. 12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come for protection!”
13 Ruth answered, “You are very kind to me, sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me, even though I am not the equal of one of your servants.”
14 At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come and have a piece of bread, and dip it in the sauce.” So she sat with the workers, and Boaz passed some roasted grain to her. She ate until she was satisfied, and she still had some food left over. 15-16 After she had left to go and gather grain, Boaz ordered the workers, “Let her gather grain even where the bundles are lying, and don't say anything to stop her. Besides that, pull out some heads of grain from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up.”
17 So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening, and when she had beaten it out, she found she had nearly twenty-five pounds. 18 She took the grain back into town and showed her mother-in-law how much she had gathered. She also gave her the food left over from the meal. 19 Naomi asked her, “Where did you gather all this grain today? Whose field have you been working in? May God bless the man who took an interest in you!”
So Ruth told Naomi that she had been working in a field belonging to a man named Boaz.
20 “May the Lord bless Boaz!” Naomi exclaimed. “The Lord always keeps his promises to the living and the dead.” And she went on, “That man is a close relative of ours, one of those responsible for taking care of us.”
21 Then Ruth said, “Best of all, he told me to keep gathering grain with his workers until they finish the harvest.”
22 Naomi said to Ruth, “Yes, daughter, it will be better for you to work with the women in Boaz' field. You might be molested if you went to someone else's field.” 23 So Ruth worked with them and gathered grain until all the barley and wheat had been harvested. And she continued to live with her mother-in-law.
Ruti unoshinga mu nnda wa Bhoazi
1 Naomi wakabe ana gamu le ludzi gwe nlume uwe Elimeleki liyi Bhoazi, akafuma kakale ana ntutshi. 2 Ruti we N'moabu kadwa Naomi kati, “Imani ndinonunga mamburumburu shule kwe bavuni kuna unowobe andihwila ngoni.” Naomi kabe eti kunli, “Yenda mwanangu.” 3 Ngono kayenda kanotangisa kununga mamburumburu shule kwe bavuni mu nnda. Kukashingikala kuti azwiwane eshinga mu nnda wa Bhoazi wakabe ali we ludzi gwa Elimeleki. 4 Bhoazi kazha edwa ku Bhetelehema ngono kati ku bavuni, “Yahwe ngababe namwi!” Bavuni bakashandula beti, “Yahwe ngabamukombolele!” 5 Ipapo Bhoazi kabhuzwa nlanda uwe wakabe ali nlingi we bavuni kati, “Mwanadi iwoyu nge waani?”
6 Nlingi we bavuni kadabila eti, “Mwanadi we N'moabu wakabuya na Naomi edwa ku shango ye Moabu. 7 Wati kati, ‘Ndokumbila kununga mamburumburu asala shule kwe bavuni.’ Tjinga kwaazha mangwanana kashinga kuswikila ngwenu, aazotongo nyaluluka ne kutukununu kose.”
8 Ipapo Bhoazi kadwa Ruti kati, “Tjihwilila mwanangu, usitongo yenda ukanonunga ku nnda we mmwe usiya iwoyu, koga sala shule baanadi bangu. 9 Mesho awo ngaalambile mu nnda wabanovuna, ubasale shule. Ndabudza bazhuzha, kuti basitongo kuti tjimwe. Ha ungabhakhwa nge nyota uyende pa hali ung'we vula yatjegwa ne bazhuzha.”
10 Ipapo Ruti kathigama kazwiyisa pasi ngokotamila pasi eti kunli, “Ini tjayita kuti mundihwile ngoni, mundiyitile hanya ipapa imi ndili ntaya?”
11 Koga Bhoazi kanshandula eti, “Kose kwawakashingila mmezwale babo nlume uwo asinofa, ndakakubudziwa nge buzhalo, ne sekwa wakasiya tate babo na mmeyabo ne shango ya kanyi kwenyu uzha ku bathu bausakatongo ziba. 12 Yahwe ngabakupe mbhayilo we mishingo iyo, uwane mbhayilo uzhele muna Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela, iwo wawawana dizhilo kusi kwe mapapilo awo.”
13 Ipapo Ruti kashandula eti, “Dwililani mundihwile ngoni, she wangu, ngoti mandinyaladza mukalebeleka nge buthu nami nlandakadzi wenyu, nenguba ndisingafanane ne mmwe we balandakadzi benyu.”
14 Nge tjibaka tje zojiwa zwe masikati Bhoazi kandwa kati, “Izha ngeno uje zojiwa usebe ne nkumbi unoshababa.” Ndizo kagala kubapa ne bavuni, ngono kabe empa mathunde akakangiwa. Kaja kaguta kasiya mamwe. 15 Kati womilika kunonunga, Bhoazi kadwa bazhuzha babe kati, “Munletje anunge ne pakati pe zwishwa zwe bhali izwezwi zwimile, musindzibile. 16 Mushomole misholo mimwe mu zwishwa munsiyile iyo kuti anunge, musindzibile.”
17 Ndizo kanunga mu nnda kuswikila madekwana. Ipapo kashokola zwaakanunga, ngono kukalizana makabha mabili e bhali. 18 Kasenga kazha nawo ku nzi. Mmezwale babe bakabona kuti wanunga kungapani. Ruti katola mathunde akakangiwa abe eja ngono kasiya kabapabo. 19 Mmezwale babe bakambhuzwa bakati, “Washwa ununga ngayi nasi? Washinga ngayi? Ngaakombolegwe nthu wakuyitila hanya!”
Ruti kabudza mmezwale babe nthu waashwa ashinga kunli kati, “Zina le nthu wandashwa ndashinga kunli loyi Bhoazi.”
20 Ipapo Naomi kati ku nlongo uwe, “Ngaakombolegwe ndi Yahwe, ibo bana lubu gusakatongo siya batjili kene bafi!” Naomi kapapha eti kunli, “Nthu iwoyo ludzi naswi, mmwe we bapejo naswi mu thaka.”
21 Ruti we N'moabu kabe eti, “Wabuya kandidwa kati, ‘Ube ne balanda bangu kuswikila bepedza kuvuna.’ ”
22 Naomi kabe eti ku nlongo uwe, “Koyita mwanangu, kuti uyende ne baanadi babe, pamwe mu minda ipoga balume bangakudziyidza.” 23 Ndizo kalambila pejo ne baanadi ba Bhoazi enunga kuswikila kuvuna mathunde e bhali ne korong kupela, egala na mmezwale babe.