Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
1One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home3:1 Hebrew find rest (see 1:9). for you, where you will be well provided for. 2Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5“I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9“Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer3:9 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 12 and 13. of our family.”
10“The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”
14So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he3:15 Most Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac she went back to town.
16When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
18Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Rut Wɔ Awiporowbea
1Da bi Naomi ka kyerɛɛ Rut se, “Me babea, bere adu sɛ mehwehwɛ ofi a wobɛtena mu na wubenya nea ehia wo biara. 2Boas yɛ yɛn busuani pɛɛ na wayɛ adɔe mmoroso sɛ wama wo ne nʼadwumayɛfo aboaboa atoko ano. Anadwo yi, obehuhuw atoko so wɔ awiporowbea hɔ. 3Enti yɛ nea merekyerɛ wo yi. Guare na tutu aduhuam gu wo ho na fa wo ntade pa bi hyɛ. Afei, kɔ awiporowbea hɔ, nanso mma Boas nhu wo kosi sɛ obedidi awie. 4Hwɛ na hu baabi a ɔda hɔ yiye, afei, kɔ na koyi ne nan ho nkataho na da hɔ. Ɔbɛka nea ɔpɛ sɛ woyɛ akyerɛ wo.”
5Rut kae se, “Biribiara a wobɛka akyerɛ me sɛ menyɛ no, mɛyɛ.” 6Enti ɔkɔɔ awiporowbea hɔ anadwo no, na ɔyɛɛ nea nʼase kyerɛɛ no no mu biara.
7Boas didi wiee no a ne honhom aba ne ho no, ɔkyeaa ne ho too atoko mmoano no ho, na ɔfaa mu dae. Rut yɛɛ nwaa koyii ne nan ho nkataho na ɔdaa hɔ. 8Anadwo dasum no, Boas bɔɔ pitiri dan ne ho. Ɛyɛɛ no nwonwa sɛ ohuu sɛ ɔbea da ne nan ase.
9Obisae se, “Na hena ni?”
Obuae se, “Ɛyɛ me wo somfo Rut. Trɛw3.9 Trɛw a obi trɛw nʼatade ano de gu ɔbea so no kyerɛ aware ho bammɔ. wo nkataso no mu kakra gu me so na woyɛ mʼabusua gyefo.”
10Na Boas kae se, “Awurade nhyira wo, me babea! Worekyerɛ abusua dɔ a bi mmaa da sɛ woankodi aberantewa bi akyi, sɛ ɔwɔ sika anaa ɔyɛ ohiani. 11Afei, me babea, mma hwee nhaw wo. Mɛyɛ nea ehia wo nyinaa. Me kurow yi mu nnipa nyinaa nim sɛ woyɛ ɔbea a wudi wo ho ni. 12Nanso akwanside baako wɔ hɔ. Ɛyɛ nokware turodoo sɛ meyɛ mo abusua agyefo mu baako de, nanso ɔbarima foforo bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ obusuani titiriw sen me. 13Tena ha anadwo yi na sɛ ade kye a, me ne no bɛkasa. Sɛ ɛyɛ ne pɛ sɛ obegye wo a, ɛno de ma ho kwan na ɔnware wo. Na sɛ ɛnyɛ ne pɛ nso a, ɛno de, ɔkwan biara so, sɛ Awurade te ase yi, mɛware wo! Enti da ha ma ade nkye.”
14Enti Rut daa ne nan ho kosii adekyee nanso ɔsɔree ansa na anim tetew. Na Boas ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɛnsɛ sɛ obi hu sɛ ɔbea bi bɛdaa awiporowbea ha.”
15Boas toaa so kae se, “Fa wʼatade nguguso no bra na trɛw mu.” Ɔsesaw atoko no susukoraa asia guu mu na ɔboaa no ma ɔde hyɛɛ nʼakyi. Na Boas san kɔɔ kurow no mu.
16Rut baa nʼase Naomi nkyɛn no, obisaa no se, “Me babea, ekosii dɛn?”
Rut kaa biribiara a Boas yɛ maa no no kyerɛɛ Naomi, 17na ɔtoaa so se, “Ɔmaa me atoko susukoraa asia kae se, ‘Mfa nsapan nkɔ wʼase nkyɛn.’ ”
18Afei, Naomi kae se, “Me ba, twɛn kosi sɛ wubehu nea ebesi. Ɔbarima no renna so kosi sɛ asɛm no besi nnɛ yi ara.”
