Ruti unowana nlume
1 Limwe zhuba Naomi, mmezwale babe, bakandwa bakati, “Mwanangu, apa andingakushakile nsha kene kuti ugadzikane? 2 Bhoazi iwoyu wawabe ushinga ne baanadi babe n'galithaka upejo naswi. Unowobe ewulusa bhali busiku igogu mu libuwa. 3 Angula, uzhole, umbale zwiambalo zwizo zwakanaka tjose uyende ku libuwa, koga usitongo thama kuti akuzibe kuswikila apedza kuja ne kung'wa. 4 Ati enolala uyele njele kuti walala ngayi, uyendeko, ube ufukula makumbo awe ulale paali, ngono unowokubudza kuti ushingeni.”
5 Ruti kashandula eti, “Kose kwamunondibudza ndowokuthama.”
6 Ndizo kayenda ku libuwa, ngono kashinga sekwa alayiwa ndi mmezwale babe. 7 Bhoazi kati apedza kuja ne kung'wa, moyo uwe ukashatha, ndizo kanolala pa ndzibo we mmbumba we bhali. Ruti kanyanga kafukula makumbo awe kalala. 8 Pakati kwe busiku nlume iwoyu kalobgwa nge hana, ngono kashanduka, kabona nkadzi ali lele pa makumbo awe. 9 Kabhuzwa kati, “Ndiwe ani?” Ngono iye kadabila eti, “Ndimi Ruti nlandakadzi wenyu, fukidzani nlandakadzi wenyu, ngoti mu n'galithaka upejo.”
10 Bhoazi kabe eti, “Yahwe ngabakukombolele mwanangu, ngoti buthu gugo ku bupelo gopinda gwe kutanga, auzotobela bazhuzha be bafumi kene be bashayi. 11 Mwanangu, ngwenu usitjatje, ndowokuthamila kose ikoku kwaunokumbila. Bakanyi kwedu bose banoziba kuti u nkadzi wakalulwama. 12 Koga nenguba kuli malebeswa kuti ndi n'galithaka, kuna mmwe n'galithaka upejo kundipinda. 13 Lala ipapa busiku guno, mangwana ha eduma kukugalathaka, kowobe kwakalulwama. Ha asingashake, ndotuna na Yahwe tjose, imi ndowokugalathaka. Lala kuswikila mangwana.” 14 Ndizo kalala ku makumbo awe kuswikila tjimuka, koga wakamuka kutji busikwana kuti asibong'we, ngoti Bhoazi wakabe ati, “Kusitongo zibgwa kuti nkadzi wakatongo zha ku libuwa.” 15 Ipapo kandwa kati, “Zhisa ngubgwana yawakafuka uiwale.” Kaiwala, ngono Bhoazi kayela seme dzili tathatu dze bhali kabe enkhiga iyo ebe eyenda ku nzi. 16 Kaswika kuna mmezwale babe. Bakambhuzwa beti, “Wayenda tjini, mwanangu?” Ruti kababudza kose kwaathamigwa ndi Bhoazi. 17 Kabe eti, “Wandipa zwiyelo izwezwi zwe bhali zwili tathatu eti, ‘Usibgwilile kuna mmezwale babo usina tjawakabhata.’ ” 18 Naomi kashandula eti, “Tjigalazo mwanangu kuswikila ubona tjinowoshingikala, ngoti aangagale kuswikila epedza ndebo iyeyi nasi.”
Naomi Makes Plans for Ruth
1 One day, Naomi said to Ruth:
It's time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.
2 You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain. 3 Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don't let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.
5 Ruth answered, “I'll do whatever you say.” 6 She went out to the place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her.
7 After Boaz finished eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted the cover and lay down near his feet.
8 In the middle of the night, Boaz suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“Sir, I am Ruth,” she answered, “and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me.”
10 Boaz replied:
The Lord bless you! This shows how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn't. 11 Don't worry, I'll do what you have asked. You are respected by everyone in town.
12 It's true that I am one of the relatives who is supposed to take care of you, but there is someone who is an even closer relative. 13 Stay here until morning, then I will find out if he is willing to look after you. If he isn't, I promise by the living God to do it myself. Now go back to sleep until morning.
14 Ruth lay down again, but she got up before daylight, because Boaz did not want anyone to know she had been there. 15 Then he told her to spread out her cape. And he filled it with grain and placed it on her shoulder.
When Ruth got back to town, 16 Naomi asked her what had happened, and Ruth told her everything. 17 She also said, “Boaz gave me this grain, because he didn't want me to come back without something for you.”
18 Naomi replied, “Just be patient and don't worry about what will happen. He won't rest until everything is settled today!”