Rut 3
1 Otu ụbọchị, Naomi, nne di Rut, gwara ya okwu sị, “Nwa m nwanyị, ọ bụ na o rubeghị mgbe m ga-achọtara gị ụlọ nke aka gị, ebe a ga-anọ lekọtazie gị anya nke ọma?
One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, should I not seek to secure a home for you where you will be happy and prosperous?
2 Ọ bụ na Boaz, onye gị na ụmụ agbọghọ ya so rụọ ọrụ ịchịkọta ọka abụghị onye agbụrụ anyị? Lee, nʼabalị taa ka ọ ga-afụcha ọka balị nʼebe ịzọcha ọka.
Is not Boaz, with whose girls you have been, a relative of ours?
3 Ugbu a, gaa saa ahụ gị, teekwa mmanụ isi ụtọ, yirikwa uwe mara mma. I mesịa, gaa nʼebe ịzọcha ọka, ma ekwekwala ka ọ hụ gị, tutu ruo mgbe o risiri nri ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ.
Tonight he is going to winnow barley on the threshing-floor. So bathe and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 Leziekwa anya chọpụta ebe ọ ga-edina rahụ ụra. Mgbe ị maara na ọ rahụla ụra nke ọma, gaa kpughepụ akwa o ji kpuchie ụkwụ ya, dinaakwa ala nʼebe ahụ. Ọ ga-agwa gị ihe ị ga-eme.”
Then when he lies down, mark the place where he lies. Go in, uncover his feet, lie down, and then he will tell you what to do.’
5 Rut zara sị, “Aga m eme ihe ọbụla ị sị m mee.”
‘I will do as you say.’ Ruth said to her.
6 Ya mere, Rut pụrụ nʼabalị ahụ gaa nʼebe ịzọcha ọka ahụ, meekwa dịka nne di ya gwara ya.
So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her.
7 Mgbe Boaz risiri nri ma ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ, mmụọ ya dịkwa mma, ọ gara ka ọ dinaa ala na nsọtụ ebe atụkọtara akpa ọka. Rut jiri nwayọọ gaa nʼebe ahụ, kpughepụ akwa o ji kpuchie ụkwụ ya abụọ, dina nʼakụkụ ụkwụ ya.
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in a happy mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth came quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
8 Nʼetiti abalị Boaz kụjara teta na mberede, tụgharịa, ma lee o nwere nwanyị dina nʼala ala ụkwụ ya.
At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 Ọ jụrụ ya sị, “Ị bụ onye?” Rut zara ya sị, “Abụ m Rut, ohu gị nwanyị, onyenwe m. Were ọnụ ọnụ akwa gị kpukwasị m, nʼihi na ị bụ onye agbụrụ mgbapụta m dị nso.”
‘Who are you?’ he said. ‘I am Ruth your servant,’ she answered, ‘Spread your cloak over your servant, for you are a near relative.’
10 Boaz zara sị ya, “Onyenwe anyị gọzie gị, nwa m nwanyị. Ịhụnanya i gosiri ugbu a akarịala nke i gosiri na mbụ, nʼihi na i gbasoghị ụmụ okorobịa, ma ha bụ ọgaranya maọbụ ogbenye.
He said, ‘May you be blest by the Lord, my daughter. You have shown me greater favour now than at first, for you have not followed young men, whether poor or rich.
11 Ma ugbu a, nwa m nwanyị, atụla ụjọ. Aga m emezuru gị dịka i si rịọọ, nʼihi na mmadụ niile maara na ị bụ onye nwere ezi agwa.
My daughter, have no fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for the whole town knows that you are a virtuous woman.
12 Ọ bụ ezie na m bụ onye mgbapụta dị nso nke ezinaụlọ anyị, ma o nwere onye ọzọ dị ezi nso karịa m.
Now it is true that I am a near relative, but there is another man nearer than I.
13 Nọdụ nʼebe a nʼabalị a. Nʼụtụtụ, ọ bụrụ na onye ahụ ekwere imezu ọrụ ya dịka onye mgbapụta, ya rụzuo ya. Ọ bụrụ na o kwere, ọ dị mma, ọ bụrụkwanụ na o kweghị, dịka Onyenwe anyị na-adị ndụ, aga m emezu ya. Ugbu a, dinara ala ruo ụtụtụ.”
Stay here tonight, and then in the morning, if he will perform for you the duty of a kinsman, well, let him do it. But if he will not perform for you the duty of a kinsman, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will do it for you. Lie down until morning.’
14 Ya mere, Rut dinara nʼụkwụ ya ruo ụtụtụ. Ma chi abọzibeghị nke ọma mgbe o si nʼebe ahụ bilie nʼihi na Boaz sịrị ya, “Ekwela ka onye ọbụla mata na nwanyị bịara nʼebe ịzọcha ọka.”
So she lay at his feet until morning, but rose before anyone could recognise her, for Boaz said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’
15 O gwakwara Rut okwu sị ya, “Chịta akwa mgbokwasị gị, gbasaa ya.” Ya mere Rut gbasara akwa ya, Boaz manyere ya ọtụtụ ọka balị isii, bokwasị ya Rut, onye buuru ya banye nʼime obodo.
He also said, ‘Bring the cloak which you have on and hold it.’ So she held it while he poured into it six measures of barley and laid it on her shoulders. Then he went into the city.
16 Mgbe Rut bịakwutere nne di ya, Naomi jụrụ ya sị, “Nwa m nwanyị, olee otu ihe si gaa?” Rut gwara ya ihe niile Boaz meere ya, sị,
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘Is it you, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that the man had done for her.
17 “Ọ manyeere m ọtụtụ ọka balị isii ndị a si m, ‘O kwesighị ka ị gbara aka lakwuru nne di gị.’”
‘He gave me these six measures of barley,’ she said, ‘for he said I should not go to my mother-in-law empty-handed.’
18 Naomi zara si ya, “Chere, nwa m nwanyị, ruo mgbe ị ga-ahụ otu okwu a ga-esi bie. Nwoke a agaghị ezu ike tutu ruo mgbe o kwubiri okwu a taa.”
‘Wait quietly, my daughter.’ Naomi said, ‘Until you know how the affair will turn out, for the man will not rest unless he settles it all today.’
