< Ruthu 3 >

1 Mũthenya ũmwe-rĩ, Naomi, nyaciarawe wa Ruthu, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mwarĩ wakwa, githĩ ndiagĩrĩirwo ngũcarĩrie mũciĩ waku, kũrĩa wee ũngĩona maũndũ mega?
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek a resting place for you, that it may be well with you?
2 Githĩ Boazu ũcio wee ũkoretwo na ndungata ciake cia airĩtu ti mũndũ wa rũrĩra rwitũ? Ũtukũ ũyũ nĩguo ekũhuha cairi kĩhuhĩro-inĩ.
Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3 Wĩthambe na wĩhake maguta mekũnunga wega, ningĩ wĩhumbe nguo ciaku iria njega mũno. Ũcooke ũikũrũke ũkinye kĩhuhĩro-inĩ, no ndũkeyonithie mũndũ ũcio nginya arĩkie kũrĩa na kũnyua.
Therefore wash yourself, put on perfume, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but do not let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 Rĩrĩa arĩkoma, wone harĩa akoma. Ningĩ ũthiĩ ho na ũhumbũrie magũrũ make, ũkome ho. Nake nĩegũkwĩra ũrĩa wagĩrĩirwo nĩ gwĩka.”
When he lies down, note the place where he lies. Then go in and uncover his feet, and lie down, and he will explain to you what you should do.”
5 Ruthu akĩmũcookeria, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Maũndũ macio mothe wanjĩĩra no mo ngwĩka.”
“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered.
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩikũrũka agĩkinya kĩhuhĩro-inĩ kĩu, na agĩĩka ũrĩa wothe nyaciarawe aamwĩrĩte eeke.
So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.
7 Na rĩrĩa Boazu aarĩkirie kũrĩa na kũnyua, na agĩkorwo arĩ mũkenu, agĩthiĩ agĩkoma mũthia-inĩ biũ wa hĩba ya cairi. Nake Ruthu agĩthiĩ acemete, akĩmũhumbũria magũrũ, agĩkoma ho.
After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth went in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 Ũtukũ gatagatĩ, kĩndũ gĩkĩhahũra Boazu, nake egarũra, agĩkora nĩ mũndũ-wa-nja wakomete magũrũ-inĩ make.
At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman!
9 Akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩwe ũ?” Nake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ niĩ ndungata yaku Ruthu. Tambũrũkia gĩcurĩ kĩa nguo yaku ũũhumbĩre, nĩ ũndũ wee nĩwe ũngĩtũmenyerera.”
“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
10 Nake akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova arokũrathima mwarĩ wakwa. Ũtugi ũrĩa wonania nĩũkĩrĩte ũrĩa wonanirie kĩambĩrĩria-inĩ, nĩ ũndũ ndũnenda kũrũmanĩrĩra na aanake, marĩ athĩĩni kana marĩ itonga.
Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
11 Na rĩrĩ, mwarĩ wakwa, ndũgetigĩre. Nĩngũgwĩkĩra ũrĩa wothe ũkũũhooya. Andũ othe a itũũra rĩĩrĩ riitũ nĩmooĩ atĩ wee ũrĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ngatha.
And now do not be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character.
12 O na gũtuĩka ndĩ ũmwe wa arĩa mangĩkũmenyerera-rĩ, nĩ harĩ mũndũ ũngĩ ũngĩkũmenyerera wa hakuhĩ kũngĩra.
Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I.
13 Rĩu kĩraare haha ũtukũ ũyũ, na rũciinĩ gwakĩa angĩkorwo nĩekwenda gũkũmenyerera, nĩ wega; nĩagakũmenyerera. No angĩkorwo ndekwenda, o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo, nĩngakũmenyerera. Kĩraare haha nginya rũciũ rũciinĩ.”
Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie here until morning.”
14 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ruthu agĩkoma hau magũrũ-inĩ make nginya rũciinĩ, no akĩroka gũũkĩra rũciinĩ tene kũrĩ mairia, nake Boazu akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndũkareke kũmenyeke atĩ nĩ kũrĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũrokĩte kĩhuhĩro-inĩ.”
So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her. Then Boaz said, “Do not let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 Ningĩ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Rehe nguo ĩyo wĩigĩrĩire wanĩrĩrie.” Rĩrĩa eekire ũguo, Boazu agĩitĩrĩra ibaba ithathatũ cia cairi, akĩmũigĩrĩra. Nake Ruthu agĩcooka itũũra-inĩ.
And he told her, “Bring the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl. Then he went into the city.
16 Na rĩrĩa Ruthu aacookire kũrĩ nyaciarawe-rĩ, Naomi akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mwarĩ wakwa, kũraathiire atĩa?” Nake akĩmwĩra maũndũ marĩa mothe Boazu aamwĩkĩire.
When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had done for her.
17 Ningĩ agĩcooka akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ibaba ici ithathatũ cia cairi nĩwe ũũheire, na anjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Tiga kũinũkĩra nyaciaraguo moko matheri.’”
And she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, ‘Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Nake Naomi akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Eterera o ro ũguo, mwarĩ wakwa, nginya ũmenye ũrĩa ũhoro ũcio ũgũthiĩ, nĩgũkorwo mũndũ ũcio ndangĩhurũka nginya rĩrĩa aniine ũhoro ũcio ũmũthĩ.”
“Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go, for he will not rest unless he has resolved the matter today.”

< Ruthu 3 >