< Ruth 2 >

1 Basi Naomi alikuwa na jamaa wa upande wa mume wake, kutoka ukoo wa Elimeleki, mtu maarufu ambaye aliitwa Boazi.
And Naomi had a relation of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
2 Ruthu, Mmoabu, akamwambia Naomi, “Nitakwenda mashambani nikaokote mabaki ya nafaka nyuma ya yule nitakayepata kibali machoni pake.” Naomi akamwambia, “Nenda, binti yangu.”
And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Let me, I pray, go to the field and glean among the ears of corn after [him] in whose sight I shall find favour. And she said to her, Go, my daughter.
3 Basi akaenda, akaokota mabaki ya nafaka mashambani nyuma ya wavunaji. Ikatokea kwamba alijikuta anafanya kazi kwenye shamba lililokuwa mali ya Boazi, ambaye alitoka kwenye ukoo wa Elimeleki.
And she went; and she came and gleaned in the fields after the reapers; and she chanced to light on an allotment of Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4 Papo hapo Boazi akarudi kutoka Bethlehemu, akawasalimu wavunaji, akasema, “Bwana awe nanyi!” Nao wakamjibu, “Bwana akubariki.”
And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem; and he said to the reapers, Jehovah be with you! And they said to him, Jehovah bless thee!
5 Boazi akamuuliza msimamizi wa wavunaji, “Je, yule mwanamwali ni wa nani?”
And Boaz said to his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose maiden is this?
6 Msimamizi akamjibu, “Ni yule Mmoabu aliyerudi kutoka nchi ya Moabu pamoja na Naomi.
And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish maiden who came back with Naomi out of the fields of Moab;
7 Yeye aliomba, ‘Tafadhali niruhusu niokote na kukusanya miongoni mwa miganda nyuma ya wavunaji.’ Naye ameshinda shambani tangu asubuhi pasipo kupumzika, isipokuwa kwa muda mfupi kivulini.”
and she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers. And she came, and has continued from the morning until now: her sitting in the house has been little as yet.
8 Kisha Boazi akamwambia Ruthu, “Binti yangu, nisikilize. Usiende kuokota mabaki ya mavuno katika shamba lingine, na usiondoke hapa. Kaa hapa na hawa watumishi wangu wa kike.
And Boaz said to Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from here, but keep here with my maidens.
9 Angalia shamba wanaume wanamovuna, ufuate nyuma yao. Nimewaamuru wanaume hawa wasikuguse. Wakati wowote ukiona kiu, nenda kwenye mitungi ukanywe maji waliyoyateka wanaume hawa.”
Let thine eyes be on the field which is being reaped, and go thou after them; have I not charged the young men not to touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go to the vessels and drink of what the young men draw.
10 Kwa ajili ya hili, akasujudu mpaka nchi, akamwambia, “Jinsi gani nimepata kibali machoni pako, hata ukanijali mimi mgeni?”
Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favour in thine eyes, that thou shouldest regard me, seeing I am a foreigner?
11 Boazi akamjibu, “Nimeambiwa yote uliyomtendea mama mkwe wako tangu mume wako alipofariki, na jinsi ulivyomwacha baba yako na mama yako na nchi yako ulimozaliwa, ukaja kuishi na watu ambao hukuwafahamu awali.
And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been shewn me, all that thou hast done to thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband; and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come to a people that thou hast not known heretofore.
12 Bwana na akulipe kwa yale uliyoyatenda. Ubarikiwe kwa wingi na Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye umekimbilia mabawani mwake.”
Jehovah recompense thy work, and let thy reward be full from Jehovah the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge.
13 Kisha Ruthu akasema, “Naomba niendelee kupata kibali machoni pako, bwana wangu. Kwa maana umenifariji na umezungumza kwa ukarimu na mjakazi wako, hata ingawa mimi si bora kama mmoja wa watumishi wako wa kike.”
And she said, Let me find favour in thine eyes, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken kindly to thy handmaid, though I am not like one of thy handmaidens.
14 Wakati wa chakula, Boazi akamwambia Ruthu, “Karibia hapa. Kula mkate na uchovye ndani ya siki.” Alipoketi pamoja na wavunaji, akampa nafaka zilizookwa. Akala kiasi alichotaka na kusaza.
And Boaz said to her at mealtime, Come hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers; and he reached her parched corn, and she ate and was sufficed, and reserved [some].
15 Alipoinuka ili kuokota mabaki ya nafaka, Boazi akawaagiza watu wake, “Hata kama atakusanya kati ya miganda, msimzuie.
And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and ye shall not reproach her.
16 Badala yake, toeni masuke katika miganda, mwachieni ayaokote, na msimkemee.”
And ye shall also sometimes draw out for her [some ears] out of the handfuls, and leave them that she may glean, and rebuke her not.
17 Basi Ruthu akaokota masazo shambani hata jioni. Akatwanga ile shayiri aliyokusanya, ikajaa efa moja.
And she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out what she had gleaned; and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 Akaibeba na kuelekea mjini, naye mama mkwe wake akaona jinsi alivyoweza kuokota nafaka nyingi. Pia Ruthu akachukua kile alichobakiza baada ya kula na kushiba, akampa.
And she took [it] up, and came into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought forth and gave to her that which she had reserved after she was sufficed.
19 Basi mkwewe akamuuliza, “Je, umeokota wapi leo? Umefanya kazi wapi? Abarikiwe mtu yule aliyekujali.” Ndipo Ruthu akamwambia mama mkwe wake juu ya yule ambaye yeye alikuwa amefanyia kazi katika shamba lake. Akasema, “Yule mtu niliyefanyia kazi kwake leo, anaitwa Boazi.”
And her mother-in-law said to her, Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? Blessed be he that did regard thee! And she told her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to-day is Boaz.
20 Naye Naomi akamwambia mkwewe, “Bwana ambariki! Hakuacha kuonyesha fadhili zake kwa walio hai na kwa waliokufa.” Pia akamwambia, “Huyo mtu ni mmoja wa jamaa yetu wa karibu anayestahili kutukomboa.”
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of Jehovah, who has not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead! And Naomi said to her, The man is near of kin to us, one of those who have the right of our redemption.
21 Kisha Ruthu, Mmoabu, akasema, “Hata aliniambia, ‘Kaa pamoja na watumishi wangu mpaka watakapomaliza kuvuna nafaka yangu yote.’”
And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said to me also, Thou shalt keep with my young men until they have ended all my harvest.
22 Kisha Naomi akamwambia Ruthu mkwewe, “Binti yangu, itakuwa vyema wewe ufuatane na wasichana wake, kwa sababu katika shamba la mtu mwingine wanaweza kukudhuru.”
And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
23 Kwa hivyo Ruthu akafuatana na watumishi wa kike wa Boazi, akaokota mpaka mwisho wa mavuno ya shayiri na ya ngano. Naye aliishi na mama mkwe wake.
So she kept with the maidens of Boaz to glean, until the end of the barley-harvest and of the wheat-harvest. And she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

< Ruth 2 >