< Ruth 2 >

1 Basi Elimeleki mme wa Naomi, alikuwa na jamaa aitwaye Boazi, aliye kuwa tajiri, na mtu maarufu.
Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz.
2 Ruth, Mmoabu, alimwambia Naomi, “Ngoja niende nikakusanye mabaki ya chakula katika shamba. Nitamfuata yeyote ambaye nitapata kibali machoni pake.” Hivyo naomi akamwambia, “Nenda, mwanangu.”
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.”
3 Ruth alienda kuvuna kwenye shamba akiwafuata kwa nyuma wavunaji. Na kumbe ile sehemu ya shamba ilikuwa ni mali ya Boazi, aliyekuwa na mahusiano na Elimeleki.
She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4 Tazama, Boazi alikuja kutoka bethelehemu na kuwaambia wavunaji, “Yahweh awe nanyi.” Wakamjibu, “Yahweh akubariki.”
Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May the LORD be with you.” They answered him, “May the LORD bless you.”
5 Ndipo Boazi akamwambia mtumishi wake aliyekuwa akiwasimamia wavunaji, “Vipi bwana huyu msichana ni wa nani?”
Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?”
6 Mtumishi msimamizi wa wavunaji alijibu na kusema, “Ni msichana Mmoabu aliyerudi na Naomi kutoka nchi ya Moabu.
The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab.
7 Aliniambia, 'Tafadhali niruhusu kuvuna na kukusanya mabaki ya wavunaji.' Hivyo alikuja na ameendelea kuvuna toka asubuhi mpaka sasa, isipokuwa amepumzika kidogo katika nyumba.”
She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.”
8 Kisha Boazi akamwambia Ruth, “Unanisikiliza, mwanangu? Usiende kuvuna kwenye shamba lingine; usiondoke shambani kwangu. Badala yake, baki hapa na wasichana wangu wa kazi.
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field, and do not go from here, but stay here close to my maidens.
9 Yaelekeze tu macho yako kwenye shamba ambamo wanaume wanavuna na ufuatie nyuma ya wanawake wengine. Je, sikuwaelekeza wanaume wasikuguse? Na upatapo kiu, unaweza kwenda kunywa maji kwenye mtungi ambao wanaume wamejaza.”
Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Have not I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.”
10 Ndipo akapiga magoti mbele ya Boazi, na kugusisha kichwa chake chini. Akamwambia, “Kwa nini nimepata kibali machoni pako, hata unijali mimi mgeni?”
Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?”
11 Boazi akajibu na kumwabia, “Nimekwisha ambiwa, yote uliyo yafanya tangu mme wako afariki. Umewaacha baba yako, mama, na nchi uliyozaliwa kumfuata mama mkwe wako na kuja kwa watu usiowajua.
Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you did not know before.
12 Yahweh akulipe kwa matendo yako. Yahweh akulipe kwa wingi, Mungu wa Israeli, ambaye chini ya mbawa zake umepata kimbilio.”
May the LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
13 Ruth akasema, “Nipate kibali machoni pako, bwana wangu, kwa kuwa umenifariji, na umeongea wema kwangu, ingawa mimi sio mmoja wa watumishi wako wa kike.”
Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.”
14 Wakati wa chakula Boazi alimwambia Ruth, “Njoo hapa, ule baadhi ya mikate, na uchovye kipande katika divai.” Alikaa kando ya wavunaji, na Boazi akampatia kiasi cha nafaka zilizo kaangwa. Ruth alikula mpaka alipotosheka na kusaza.
At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it.
15 Alipoinuka kwenda kuvuna, Boazi aliamuru vijana wake, akisema, “Mwacheni avune hata katika masuke, na msimwambie lolote baya.
When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16 Na pia muachie baadhi ya masuke katika vifurushi kwa ajili yake, na muaache ili ayavune. Msimkemee.”
Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 Kwa hiyo alivuna mpaka jioni. Kisha akatenganisha nafaka na majani ambayo amevuna, nazo nafaka zilikuwa kama efa moja ya shairi.
So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 Akazibeba na kwenda katika mji. Ndipo mama mkwe wake aliona kile alichokivuna. Ruth pia alimletea mama mkwe wake nafaka zilizo kaangwa alizobakiza kwenye chakula chake.
She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough.
19 Mama mkwe wake akamwambia, “Umevunia wapi uliko vunia leo? Ulienda kufanyia wapi kazi? abarikiwe mtu aliye kusaidia.” Ndipo Ruth akamwambia mama mkwe wake kuhusu mtu aliye miliki shamba alilokuwa akifanya kazi. Alimwambia, “Jina la mtu ambaye alimiliki shamba nililokuwa nikifanya kazi ni Boazi.”
Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”
20 Naomi akamwambia Ruth, “Abarikiwe na Yahweh, ambaye hakuondoa uaminifu wake kwa walio hai na wafu.” Naomi akamwambia, “Huyo mtu ni jamaa wa karibu nasi, ni jamaa yetu mkombozi.”
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.”
21 Ruth Mmoabu akamwambia, “Ni kweli, aliniambia, 'Ukae karibu na vijana wangu wa kiume mpaka watakapo maliza mavuno yangu yote.'”
Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”
22 Naomi akamwambia Ruth mke wa mtoto wake wa kiume, “Ni vizuri, mwanangu, kuwa uende pamoja na wasichana wake wa kazi, ili kwamba usije pata madhara yeyote katika shamba lolote.”
Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.”
23 Kwa hiyo alikaa karibu na wafanyakazi wa kike ili avune mpaka mwisho wa mavuno ya shayiri na mavuno ya ngano. Na alikuwa akiishi pamoja na mama mkwe wake.
So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

< Ruth 2 >