Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field
1Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side of the family. The relative’s name was Boaz. He was a very important man from the family of Elimelek.
2Ruth, who was from Moab, spoke to Naomi. Ruth said, “Let me go out to the fields. I’ll pick up the grain that has been left. I’ll do it behind anyone who is pleased with me.”
Naomi said to her, “My daughter, go ahead.” 3So Ruth went out to a field and began to pick up grain. She worked behind those cutting and gathering the grain. As it turned out, she was working in a field that belonged to Boaz. He was from the family of Elimelek.
4Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted those cutting and gathering the grain. He said, “May the Lord be with you!”
“And may the Lord bless you!” they replied.
5Boaz spoke to the man in charge of his workers. He asked, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
6The man replied, “She’s from Moab. She came back from there with Naomi. 7The young woman said, ‘Please let me walk behind the workers. Let me pick up the grain that is left.’ She came into the field. She has kept on working here from morning until now. She took only one short rest in the shade.”
8So Boaz said to Ruth, “Dear woman, listen to me. Don’t pick up grain in any other field. Don’t go anywhere else. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9Keep your eye on the field where the men are cutting grain. Walk behind the women who are gathering it. Pick up the grain that is left. I’ve told the men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, go and get a drink. Take water from the jars the men have filled.”
10When Ruth heard that, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why are you being so kind to me? In fact, why are you even noticing me? I’m from another country.”
11Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about you. I’ve heard about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know that you left your father and mother. I know that you left your country. You came to live with people you didn’t know before. 12May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May the Lord, the God of Israel, bless you richly. You have come to him to find safety under his care.”
13“Sir, I hope you will continue to be kind to me,” Ruth said. “You have made me feel safe. You have spoken kindly to me. And I’m not even as important as one of your servants!”
14When it was time to eat, Boaz spoke to Ruth again. “Come over here,” he said. “Have some bread. Dip it in the wine vinegar.”
She sat down with the workers. Then Boaz offered her some grain that had been cooked. She ate all she wanted. She even had some left over. 15Ruth got up to pick up more grain. Then Boaz gave orders to his men. He said, “Let her take some stalks from what the women have tied up. Don’t tell her she can’t. 16Even pull out some stalks for her. Leave them for her to pick up. Don’t tell her she shouldn’t do it.”
17So Ruth picked up grain in the field until evening. Then she separated the barley from the straw. The barley weighed 30 pounds. 18She carried it back to town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out the food left over from the lunch Boaz had given her. She gave it to Naomi.
19Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you pick up grain today? Where did you work? May the man who noticed you be blessed!”
Then Ruth told her about the man whose field she had worked in. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.
20“May the Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “The Lord is still being kind to those who are living and those who are dead.” She continued, “That man is a close relative of ours. He’s one of our family protectors.”
21Then Ruth, who was from Moab, said, “He told me more. He even said, ‘Stay with my workers until they have finished bringing in all my grain.’ ”
22Naomi replied to her daughter-in-law Ruth. She said, “That will be good for you, my daughter. Go with the women who work for him. You might be harmed if you go to someone else’s field.”
23So Ruth stayed close to the women who worked for Boaz as she picked up grain. She worked until the time when all the barley and wheat had been harvested. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Rut Di Boas Afuw Mu Mpɛpɛ
1Ɔbarima ɔdefo a na ɔyɛ okunini bi tenaa Betlehem a na wɔfrɛ no Boas. Na ɔyɛ Naomi kunu Elimelek busuani.
2Da koro bi, Rut, Moabni, ka kyerɛɛ Naomi se, “Ma menkɔ afuw mu na minkodi obiara a menya nʼanim anuonyam akyi nkɔboaboa atoko ase.”
Na Naomi kae se, “Eye, me babea, kɔ.” 3Enti Rut kɔ kodii atwafo no akyi. Na nea ɛbae ne sɛ, ohuu sɛ ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ Boas a ɔyɛ nʼase Elimelek busuani no afuw mu.
4Bere a ɔwɔ hɔ no, Boas fi Betlehem bae. Okyiaa atwafo no se, “Awurade ne mo ntena!”
Atwafo no gyee so se, “Awurade nhyira wo.”
5Boas bisaa ne sohwɛfo no se, “Ababaa bɛn na ɔwɔ nohɔ hɔ no?”
6Sohwɛfo no buae se, “Ɔyɛ ababaa bi a ofi Moab a ɔne Naomi bae. 7Anɔpa yi ara na obisaa me se, obetumi adi atwafo no akyi aboaboa atoko ano ana? Ɔyɛ nsiyɛfo a bere kakraa bi na ɔde homee wɔ pata no ase hɔ.”
8Boas kɔɔ hɔ kɔka kyerɛɛ Rut se, “Me babea tie. Wo ne yɛn ntena ha ara na boaboa atoko; nkɔ afuw foforo biara mu. Di mmea a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ mʼafuw yi mu no akyi pɛɛ. 9Hwɛ faako a wɔretwa wɔ afuw no mu na di wɔn akyi. Mabɔ mmerante no kɔkɔ sɛ wɔnnhaw wo. Na sɛ osukɔm de wo a, nom nsu a wɔakɔsaw afi abura no mu no bi.”
10Rut butuwii, de nʼanim kyerɛɛ fam daa no ase. Na ɔkae se, “Adɛn nti na manya saa adom yi wɔ wʼani so, me a meyɛ ɔnanani yi?”
11Boas buae se, “Nea woayɛ ama wʼase efi wo kunu wu akyi nyinaa no, wɔaka akyerɛ me, sɛ wufii wʼagya ne wo na ne wo man mu na wo ne nnipa a wunnim wɔn wɔ baabiara bɛtenae no. 12Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a woanya guankɔbea wɔ ne ntaban ase no nnom wo.”
13Na ɔno nso kae se, “Ma menkɔ so nnya wʼanim adom daa, me wura. Woama me awerɛkyekye na woakasa akyerɛ wʼafenaa ayamye so, me a mensɛ na memfata wo nnwumayɛfo no mu baako mpo no.”
14Eduu adidibere no, Boas frɛɛ no se, “Bra ma yennidi. Wutumi de wo brodo no bɔ nsa biara a wopɛ mu.”
Enti ɔne nʼawitwafo no tenaa ase na Boas maa no aduan sen sɛnea obetumi adi mpo. 15Bere a Rut san kɔɔ nʼadwuma so bio no, Boas ka kyerɛɛ ne mmerante no se, “Momma no mmoaboa atoko no ano mfi nʼafiafi no mu na munnsiw no kwan. 16Na munyiyi afiafi no mu de no bi nnyae mu ngu fam mma no na ɔnsesaw, na monnhaw no.”
17Enti Rut sesaw atoko no wɔ hɔ da mu no nyinaa na ɔporow atoko no saa anwummere no, onyaa bɛyɛ lita aduonu abien. 18Ɔsoa de kɔɔ kurom, de kɔkyerɛɛ nʼase. Afei, Rut de nʼawiaduan a ogyaw no maa no.
19Naomi hui no, ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Ɛdɔɔso yiye! Na ɛhe na nnɛ woboaboaa saa atoko yi nyinaa ano fi? Ɛhe na wokɔyɛɛ adwuma? Awurade nhyira nea ɔboaa wo no!”
Rut kaa ɔbarima a ɔyɛɛ adwuma wɔ nʼafum no ho asɛm kyerɛɛ nʼase no, ɔtoaa so kae se, “Nea meyɛɛ adwuma wɔ nʼafum no, wɔfrɛ no Boas.”
20Naomi ka kyerɛɛ nʼase no se, “Awurade nhyira no. Ɔrekyerɛ yɛn ne wo kunu a wawu no nʼayamye. Saa ɔbarima no yɛ abusuafo a wɔbɛn yɛn pɛɛ no mu baako a ɔyɛ abusua no mu ogyefo baako.”
21Rut kae se, “Nea ɛka ho bio ne sɛ, mpo, Boas ka kyerɛɛ me se, mensan mmra na me ne nʼawitwafo no mmɛtena nkosi bere a wobewie otwa no.”
22Naomi teɛɛ mu se, “Anwonwasɛm ni! Yɛ nea ɔka no. Wo ne nʼadwumayɛfo no ntena nkosi sɛ wobewie otwa no. Wʼasom bedwo wo wɔ hɔ sen afuw biara mu.”
23Enti Rut ne mmea a wɔwɔ Boas afum hɔ no yɛɛ adwuma. Ɔne wɔn boaboaa atoko no ano kosii atokotwa no awiei. Afei, ɔne wɔn twaa awi nso. Nanso saa bere no nyinaa na ɔne nʼase na ɛte.
