Rut 4

1 Boaz yi ɖanɔ dua ƒe ƒuƒoƒe, eye eteƒe medidi o la, ekpɔ Elimelek ƒe ƒometɔ si ƒe nya wògblɔ na Rut. Eyɔe gblɔ nɛ be, “Nɔvinye, va nɔ gbɔnye le afii; medi be matsɔ nya aɖe aɖo wò ŋkume.”

And Boaz went up to the public place of the town, and took his seat there: and the near relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz, crying out to him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and was seated.

2 Wonɔ anyi, eye Boaz yɔ dua ƒe ame tsitsiwo be woava nɔ anyi abe ɖasefowo ene.

Then he got ten of the responsible men of the town, and said, Be seated here. And they took their seats.

3 Boaz gblɔ na eƒe ƒometɔ la be, “Ènya Naomi, nyɔnu si gbɔ tso Moabnyigba dzi va mía gbɔa? Ele mía nɔvi Elimelek ƒe anyigba dzram,

Then he said to the near relation, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is offering for a price that bit of land which was our brother Elimelech's:

4 eye mekpɔ be ele be maƒo nu kpli wò tso eŋu, ale be ne èlɔ̃ la, nàƒlee le bubume siawo, ame siwo nye míaƒe ɖasefowo la ƒe ŋkume. Ne èdi be yeaƒlee la, ekema nàna manya fifi laa, elabena ne màƒlee o la, maƒlee. Wòe nye ame gbãtɔ si aƒlee; nyee nye evelia.” Ŋutsu la ɖo eŋu be, “Enyo, maƒlee.”

And it was in my mind to give you the chance of taking it, with the approval of those seated here and of the responsible men of my people. If you are ready to do what it is right for a relation to do, then do it: but if you will not do it, say so to me now; for there is no one who has the right to do it but you, and after you myself. And he said, I will do it.

5 Boaz yi edzi be, “Ne èƒle anyigba la le Naomi si la, ekema ele na wò be nàɖe Rut, Moab nyɔnu la, ale be wòate ŋu adzi vi si alé srɔ̃a kukua ƒe ŋkɔ ɖe te, eye anyigba la nazu eƒe domenyinu.”

Then Boaz said, On the day when you take this field, you will have to take with it Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, so that you may keep the name of the dead living in his heritage.

6 Ŋutsu la ɖo eŋu be, “Ekema nyemate ŋui o, elabena Rut viŋutsu ava anyi nye hã nye dome, eye wòagblẽ vinyewo ƒe domenyinuwo me, eya ta àte ŋu aƒlee faa.”

And the near relation said, I am not able to do the relation's part, for fear of damaging the heritage I have: you may do it in my place, for I am not able to do it myself.

7 Enye kɔnu le Israel ɣe ma ɣi be ne ame aɖe di be yeatsɔ yeƒe ɖuƒe na ame bubu la, ekema aɖe eƒe afɔkpa le afɔ atsɔ na amea le ɖasefowo ƒe ŋkume. Nuwɔna sia nye kpeɖodzi na amewo be nua zu ame evelia tɔ.

Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the other; and this was a witness in Israel.

8 Ale ŋutsu la ɖe eƒe afɔkpa esi wògblɔ na Boaz be, “Wò ŋutɔ àte ŋu aƒlee faa.”

So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.

9 Ale Boaz gblɔ na ɖasefoawo kple ame siwo nɔ tsitre ƒo xlã wo la be, “Miekpɔ be egbe, eya ta meƒle Elimelek, Kilion kple Maxlon ƒe nuwo katã le Naomi si,

Then Boaz said to the responsible men and to all the people, You are witnesses today that I have taken at a price from Naomi all the property which was Elimelech's, and everything which was Chilion's and Mahlon's.

10 eye mexɔ Rut, Moab nyɔnu la, ame si nye Maxlon srɔ̃ hã wòzu srɔ̃nye, ale be wòate ŋu adzi ŋutsuvi be srɔ̃a kukua ƒe ŋkɔ natsi eƒe domenyinuwo ŋu, eye eƒe ŋkɔ magabu le ƒomea kple dua me o.”

And, further, I have taken Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to keep the name of the dead man living in his heritage, so that his name may not be cut off from among his countrymen, and from the memory of his town: you are witnesses this day.

11 Ale ame siwo katã nɔ agboa nu la gblɔ be, “Míenye ɖasefowo. Yehowa nana be nyɔnu sia, ame si gbɔna wò aƒe me fifia la nazu abe Rahel kple Lea, ame siwo tu Israel ƒe aƒe la katã la ene. Wò alɔ nade dzi le Efrata, eye nàxɔ ŋkɔ le Betlehem.

And all the people who were in the public place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah, which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem;

12 Wò dzidzimevi siwo Yehowa ana wò to nyɔnu sia dzi la nana wò ƒome nanɔ abe Perez, ame si Tamar dzi na Yuda la tɔ ene.”

May your family be like the family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave to Judah, from the offspring which the Lord may give you by this young woman.

13 Ale Boaz ɖe Rut wòzu srɔ̃a, eye esi wòdɔ egbɔ la, Yehowa na wòfɔ fu dzi ŋutsuvi.

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the Lord made her with child and she gave birth to a son.

14 Nyɔnuwo gblɔ na Naomi be, “Woakafu Yehowa, ame si megblẽ wò ɖi le egbeŋkekea dzi, ale be ƒometɔ manɔ asiwò o; ɖevia naxɔ ŋkɔ le Israel blibo la me,

And the women said to Naomi, A blessing on the Lord, who has not let you be this day without a near relation, and may his name be great in Israel.

15 nena wò agbenɔnɔ nazu yeye, eye wòakpɔ dziwò le wò nyagãkuku me, elabena lɔ̃xoyɔviwò, ame si lɔ̃ wò, ame si sɔ gbɔ na wò wu ŋutsuvi adre lae dzii na wò.”

He will be a giver of new life to you, and your comforter when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who, in her love for you, is better than seven sons, has given birth to him.

16 Naomi xɔ ɖevi la da ɖe atata, eye wòkpɔ edzi.

And Naomi took the child and put her arms round it, and she took care of it.

17 Nyɔnu siwo nɔ afi ma la gblɔ be, “Naomi dzi viŋutsu.” Wona ŋkɔe be Obed. Eyae dzi Yese, David fofo.

And the women who were her neighbours gave it a name, saying, Naomi has a child; and they gave him the name of Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Perez ƒe dzidzimeviwo yi ale: Perez dzi Hezron,

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron;

19 Hezron dzi Ram, Ram dzi Aminadab, eye

And Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab;

20 Aminadab dzi Nahson, Naheson dzi Salma,

And Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon;

21 Salma dzi Boaz, eye Boaz dzi Obed,

And Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed;

22 Obed dzi Yese, eye Yese dzi David.

And Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.