< Rut 3 >

1 Otu ụbọchị, Naomi, nne di Rut, gwara ya okwu sị, “Nwa m nwanyị, ọ bụ na o rubeghị mgbe m ga-achọtara gị ụlọ nke aka gị, ebe a ga-anọ lekọtazie gị anya nke ọma?
A little later Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, don't you think I should find you a husband and a good home?
2 Ọ bụ na Boaz, onye gị na ụmụ agbọghọ ya so rụọ ọrụ ịchịkọta ọka abụghị onye agbụrụ anyị? Lee, nʼabalị taa ka ọ ga-afụcha ọka balị nʼebe ịzọcha ọka.
Don't ignore the fact that Boaz, whose women you worked with, is closely related to us. Now tonight he will be busy winnowing grain on the threshing floor.
3 Ugbu a, gaa saa ahụ gị, teekwa mmanụ isi ụtọ, yirikwa uwe mara mma. I mesịa, gaa nʼebe ịzọcha ọka, ma ekwekwala ka ọ hụ gị, tutu ruo mgbe o risiri nri ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ.
Have a bath, put on some perfume, wear your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor—but don't let him recognize you. Once he's finished eating and drinking,
4 Leziekwa anya chọpụta ebe ọ ga-edina rahụ ụra. Mgbe ị maara na ọ rahụla ụra nke ọma, gaa kpughepụ akwa o ji kpuchie ụkwụ ya, dinaakwa ala nʼebe ahụ. Ọ ga-agwa gị ihe ị ga-eme.”
watch where he goes to lie down. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.”
5 Rut zara sị, “Aga m eme ihe ọbụla ị sị m mee.”
“I'll do everything you told me,” said Ruth.
6 Ya mere, Rut pụrụ nʼabalị ahụ gaa nʼebe ịzọcha ọka ahụ, meekwa dịka nne di ya gwara ya.
She went down to the threshing floor and did what her mother-in-law had told her to do.
7 Mgbe Boaz risiri nri ma ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ, mmụọ ya dịkwa mma, ọ gara ka ọ dinaa ala na nsọtụ ebe atụkọtara akpa ọka. Rut jiri nwayọọ gaa nʼebe ahụ, kpughepụ akwa o ji kpuchie ụkwụ ya abụọ, dina nʼakụkụ ụkwụ ya.
After Boaz had finished eating and drinking, and was feeling contented, he went and lay down beside the grain pile. Ruth quietly approached him, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
8 Nʼetiti abalị Boaz kụjara teta na mberede, tụgharịa, ma lee o nwere nwanyị dina nʼala ala ụkwụ ya.
Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up. Bending forward he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet.
9 Ọ jụrụ ya sị, “Ị bụ onye?” Rut zara ya sị, “Abụ m Rut, ohu gị nwanyị, onyenwe m. Were ọnụ ọnụ akwa gị kpukwasị m, nʼihi na ị bụ onye agbụrụ mgbapụta m dị nso.”
“Who are you?” he asked. “I'm Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Please spread the corner of your cloak over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
10 Boaz zara sị ya, “Onyenwe anyị gọzie gị, nwa m nwanyị. Ịhụnanya i gosiri ugbu a akarịala nke i gosiri na mbụ, nʼihi na i gbasoghị ụmụ okorobịa, ma ha bụ ọgaranya maọbụ ogbenye.
“May the Lord bless you, my daughter,” he said. “You are showing even more loyalty and love to the family than before. You haven't gone looking for a younger man, of whatever social status.
11 Ma ugbu a, nwa m nwanyị, atụla ụjọ. Aga m emezuru gị dịka i si rịọọ, nʼihi na mmadụ niile maara na ị bụ onye nwere ezi agwa.
So don't worry, my daughter. I will do everything you ask—everyone in town knows you are a woman of good character.
12 Ọ bụ ezie na m bụ onye mgbapụta dị nso nke ezinaụlọ anyị, ma o nwere onye ọzọ dị ezi nso karịa m.
However, even though I'm one of your family redeemers, there's one who is more closely related than I am.
13 Nọdụ nʼebe a nʼabalị a. Nʼụtụtụ, ọ bụrụ na onye ahụ ekwere imezu ọrụ ya dịka onye mgbapụta, ya rụzuo ya. Ọ bụrụ na o kwere, ọ dị mma, ọ bụrụkwanụ na o kweghị, dịka Onyenwe anyị na-adị ndụ, aga m emezu ya. Ugbu a, dinara ala ruo ụtụtụ.”
Stay here tonight, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, then fine, let him do it. But if he doesn't, then I promise you in the name of the living Lord, I will redeem you. Lie down here until morning.”
14 Ya mere, Rut dinara nʼụkwụ ya ruo ụtụtụ. Ma chi abọzibeghị nke ọma mgbe o si nʼebe ahụ bilie nʼihi na Boaz sịrị ya, “Ekwela ka onye ọbụla mata na nwanyị bịara nʼebe ịzọcha ọka.”
So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up before it was light enough to recognize anyone because Boaz had told her, “No one must know that a woman came here to the threshing floor.”
15 O gwakwara Rut okwu sị ya, “Chịta akwa mgbokwasị gị, gbasaa ya.” Ya mere Rut gbasara akwa ya, Boaz manyere ya ọtụtụ ọka balị isii, bokwasị ya Rut, onye buuru ya banye nʼime obodo.
He also told her, “Bring me the cloak you're wearing and hold it out.” So she held it out and he poured out six measures of barley into it. He helped her put it on her back and she went back to town.
16 Mgbe Rut bịakwutere nne di ya, Naomi jụrụ ya sị, “Nwa m nwanyị, olee otu ihe si gaa?” Rut gwara ya ihe niile Boaz meere ya, sị,
Ruth went to her mother-in-law, who asked her, “How did it go for you, my daughter?” So Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her.
17 “Ọ manyeere m ọtụtụ ọka balị isii ndị a si m, ‘O kwesighị ka ị gbara aka lakwuru nne di gị.’”
“And he also gave me these six measures of barley,” she added. “He told me, ‘You mustn't go home to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”
18 Naomi zara si ya, “Chere, nwa m nwanyị, ruo mgbe ị ga-ahụ otu okwu a ga-esi bie. Nwoke a agaghị ezu ike tutu ruo mgbe o kwubiri okwu a taa.”
Naomi said to Ruth, “Wait patiently, my daughter, until you find out how it all works out. Boaz won't rest until he has it settled today.”

< Rut 3 >