< Ruth 4 >

1 Boazi akakwea mpaka kwenye lango la mji, akaketi pale. Yule mtu wa jamaa aliyekuwa wa karibu wa kukomboa, ambaye Boazi alimtaja, akaja. Boazi akasema, “Njoo hapa, rafiki yangu. Karibu uketi.” Naye akakaribia, akaketi.
Then Booz went up to the gate, and sat there. And when he had seen the kinsman going by, of whom he had spoken before, he said to him, calling him by his name: Turn aside for a little while, and sit down here. He turned aside, and sat down.
2 Boazi akatwaa watu kumi miongoni mwa wazee wa mji, akawaambia, “Ketini hapa.” Nao wakaketi.
And Booz taking ten men of the ancients of the city, said to them: Sit ye down here.
3 Kisha akamwambia yule jamaa wa karibu wa kukomboa, “Naomi, aliyerudi hapa kutoka nchi ya Moabu, anauza sehemu ya ardhi iliyokuwa mali ya ndugu yetu Elimeleki.
They sat down, and he spoke to the kinsman: Noemi, who is returned from the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4 Nami niliwaza nikujulishe wewe na kukuambia uinunue mbele ya hawa waliopo hapa, na mbele ya wazee wa watu wangu. Kama wewe utaikomboa, haya fanya hivyo. Lakini kama hutaikomboa, uniambie, ili nijue. Kwa kuwa hakuna mtu mwingine mwenye haki ya kuikomboa ila wewe na baada yako ni mimi.” Naye akasema, “Nitaikomboa mimi.”
I would have thee to understand this, and would tell thee before all that sit here, and before the ancients of my people. If thou wilt take possession of it by the right of kindred: buy it and possess it: but if it please thee not, tell me so, that I may know what I have to do. For there is no near kinsman besides thee, who art first, and me, who am second. But he answered: I will buy the field.
5 Ndipo Boazi akasema “Siku utakaponunua hiyo ardhi kutoka kwa Naomi na Ruthu, Mmoabu, itakubidi kumchukua pia huyo mjane, ili kudumisha jina la marehemu pamoja na mali yake.”
And Booz said to him: When thou shalt buy the field at the woman’s hand, thou must take also Ruth the Moabitess, who was the wife of the deceased: to raise up the name of thy kinsman in his inheritance.
6 Aliposikia hili, yule jamaa wa karibu wa kukomboa akasema, “Basi mimi sitaweza kuikomboa, kwa sababu inaonekana nitauhatarisha urithi wangu. Wewe ikomboe mwenyewe. Mimi sitaweza.”
He answered: I yield up my right of next akin: for I must not cut off the posterity of my own family. Do thou make use of my privilege, which I profess I do willingly forego.
7 (Basi katika siku za kale huko Israeli, ili kukamilisha tendo la kukomboa na kukabidhiana mali, mmoja huvua kiatu chake na kumpatia mwingine. Hii ilikuwa ni njia ya kuhalalisha mabadilishano katika Israeli.)
Now this in former times was the manner in Israel between kinsmen, that if at any time one yielded his right to another: that the grant might be sure, the man put off his shoe, and gave it to his neighhour; this was a testimony of cession of right in Israel.
8 Basi yule jamaa wa karibu wa kukomboa akamwambia Boazi, “Wewe inunue mwenyewe.” Naye huyo jamaa akavua kiatu chake.
So Booz said to his kinsman: Put off thy shoe. And immediately he took it off from his foot.
9 Kisha Boazi akawatangazia wazee na watu wote waliokuwepo, “Leo ninyi ni mashahidi kwamba mimi nimenunua kutoka kwa Naomi yote yaliyokuwa mali ya Elimeleki, Kilioni na Maloni.
And he said to the ancients and to all the people: You are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and Chelion’s, and Mahalon’s, of the hand of Noemi:
10 Nimemchukua pia Ruthu, Mmoabu, mjane wa Maloni, awe mke wangu, ili kuendeleza jina la marehemu pamoja na mali zake, ili jina lake marehemu lisitoweke miongoni mwa jamaa yake, wala katika kumbukumbu za mji wake. Leo hivi ninyi ni mashahidi!”
And have taken to wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahalon, to raise up the name of the deceased in his inheritance lest his name be cut off, from among his family and his brethren and his people. You, I say, are witnesses of this thing.
11 Kisha wazee pamoja na watu wote waliokuwa langoni wakasema, “Sisi ni mashahidi. Bwana na amfanye mwanamke huyu aingiaye nyumbani mwako kuwa kama Raheli na kama Lea, wale wanawake wawili ambao pamoja waliijenga nyumba ya Israeli. Nawe ufanikiwe katika Efrathi na uwe mashuhuri katika Bethlehemu.
Then all the people that were in the gate, and the ancients answered: We are witnesses: The Lord make this woman who cometh into thy house, like Rachel, and Lia, who built up the house of Israel: that she may be an example of virtue in Ephrata, and may have a famous name in Bethlehem:
12 Kupitia kwa watoto ambao Bwana atakupa kutokana na huyu mwanamwali, jamaa yako na ifanane na ya Peresi, ambaye Tamari alimzalia Yuda.”
And that the house may be, as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore unto Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.
13 Basi Boazi akamwoa Ruthu, naye akawa mke wake. Alipoingia kwake, Bwana akamjalia Ruthu, naye akapata mimba, akamzaa mtoto wa kiume.
Booz therefore took Ruth, and married her: and went in unto her, and the Lord gave her to conceive and to bear a son.
14 Wanawake wakamwambia Naomi: “Ahimidiwe Bwana, asiyekuacha bila kuwa na jamaa wa karibu wa kukomboa. Na awe mashuhuri katika Israeli yote!
And the women said to Noemi: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not suffered thy family to want a successor, that his name should be preserved in Israel.
15 Atakurejeshea uhai wako na kukuangalia katika siku za uzee wako. Kwa maana mkweo ambaye anakupenda, na ambaye kwako ni bora zaidi ya watoto wa kiume saba, ndiye alimzaa.”
And thou shouldst have one to comfort thy soul, and cherish thy old age. For he is born of thy daughter in law: who loveth thee: and is much better to thee, than if thou hadst seven sons.
16 Basi Naomi akamchukua yule mtoto, akampakata na akawa mlezi wake.
And Noemi taking the child laid it in her bosom, and she carried it, and was a nurse unto it.
17 Wanawake waliokuwa jirani zake wakasema, “Naomi ana mtoto wa kiume.” Wakamwita jina lake Obedi. Yeye ndiye baba yake Yese, aliye baba yake Daudi.
And the women her neighbours, congratulating with her and saying: There is a son born to Noemi: called his name Obed: he is the father of Isai, the father of David.
18 Hivi ndivyo vizazi vya Peresi: Peresi alimzaa Hesroni,
These are the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esron,
19 Hesroni akamzaa Ramu, Ramu akamzaa Aminadabu,
Esron begot Aram, Aram begot Aminadab,
20 Aminadabu akamzaa Nashoni, Nashoni akamzaa Salmoni,
Aminadab begot Nahasson, Nahasson begot Salmon,
21 Salmoni akamzaa Boazi, Boazi akamzaa Obedi,
Salmon begot Booz, Booz begot Obed,
22 Obedi akamzaa Yese, na Yese akamzaa Daudi.
Obed begot Isai, Isai begot David.

< Ruth 4 >