路得記 3
1 盧德的婆婆納敖米向她說：「我女，難道我不應為你找個安身之處，使你幸福嗎﹖
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 如今你同他的使女常在一起的波阿次，不是我們的親人嗎﹖看，他今夜要在禾場上簸大麥，
Is not Boaz, with whose girls you have been, a relative of ours?
3 你去沐浴，抹油，披上你的外衣下，到禾場上去，但不要使那人認出你來，直等他吃喝完了，
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 到他睡覺的時候，你要看清他睡覺的地方；然後就去掀開他腳上的外衣，，我必依照遵行。」
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 盧德回答她說：「你所囑咐我的，我必依照遵行。」
‘I will do as you say.’ Ruth said to her.
6 她便下到禾場上，作了她婆婆所吩咐她的事。盧德夜訪波阿次
So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her.
7 波阿次吃了喝了，心中暢快，就走到麥堆旁躺下了。盧德暗暗地去掀開了他腳上的外衣，躺臥自那裏。
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 到了半夜，那人驚起，往前屈身一看，見一個女人睡在他的腳旁，
At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 便問說：「你是誰」她答說：「我是你的婢女盧德，請你伸開你的衣襟，覆在你婢女身上罷! 因為你是我的至親。」
‘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 波阿次說：「我女，願你蒙上主的祝福! 你行的仁愛，後者實勝於前者，以致貧富的少年，你都沒有跟隨
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 我女，如今你不必害怕，凡你同我所說的，我都願為你做到，因為我本城的人，都知道你是一位賢德的婦女
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 的確，我是你的至親，不過還有一位至親，比我更近。
Now it is true that I am a near relative, but there is another man nearer than I.
13 今夜你在這裏過夜，明早若他願意對你盡至親的義務，就由他盡好了! 如果他不願意，──上主永在! 我必對你盡至親的義務。你儘管睡到天明。盧德回報婆母
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 她就在他的腳旁睡到天明。在人能彼此辨別以前，她就起來了；波阿次心想：「不要叫人知道有婦女來過場上。」
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 於是他說：「伸開你所披的外衣，雙手拿住! 」她就拿著，波阿次量了六斗大麥穗給她，放在她肩上；她就背著回城去了。
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 到了婆婆那裏，婆婆就問她說：「我女，事情怎樣﹖」盧德就向她述說了那人對她所作的一切；
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 並說：「他還給了我這六斗大麥，因為他向我說：你不要空手回去見你的婆婆。」
‘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 納敖米就說：「我女，你等著罷! 看這事有什麼結果；因為這人除非今日把這事辦成，必不安心。」
‘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.’
