Ruth 3
1 Naomi, mama mkwe wake, alimwambia, “Mwanangu, hainilazimu kutafuta mahali pa wewe kupumzika, ili kwamba mambo yako yaende vizuri?
One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, should I not seek to secure a home for you where you will be happy and prosperous?
2 Naye Boazi, mtu ambaye umekuwa pamoja na wasichana wake wa kazi, yeye si jamaa yetu? Tazama, jioni hii atakuwa akikung'uta shairi katika sakafu ya kupuria.
Is not Boaz, with whose girls you have been, a relative of ours?
3 Kwa hiyo, oga, jipake mafuta, uvae nguo zako nzuri, na ushuke kwenda kwenye sakafu ya kupuria. Lakini usijulikane kwa mtu huyu mpaka atakapo maliza kula na kunywa.
Tonight he is going to winnow barley on the threshing-floor. So bathe and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 Na uhakikishe kuwa, atakapo lala chini, ukumbuke mahali alipo lala ili kwamba baadaye uende kwake, ufunue miguu yake, na ulale hapo. Kisha atakuambia cha kufanya.”
Then when he lies down, mark the place where he lies. Go in, uncover his feet, lie down, and then he will tell you what to do.’
5 Ruth alimwambia Naomi, “Nitafanya kila kitu ulicho sema.”
‘I will do as you say.’ Ruth said to her.
6 Alishuka kwenda kwenye sakafu ya kupuria, na alifuata maelekezo aliyopewa na mama mkwe wake.
So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her.
7 Boazi alipomaliza kula na kunywa na moyo wake ulikuwa na furaha, alienda kulala chini mwisho wa sehemu ya kuhifadhia nafaka. Kisha Ruth akaenda taratibu, akaaifunua miguu ya Boazi, na kulala hapo chini.
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in a happy mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth came quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
8 Panapo usiku wa manane Boazi alisituka. Akajigeuza, na hapo mwanamke alikuwa amelala katika miguu yake!
At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 Akamwambia, “Wewe ni nani?” Akajibu, “Mimi ni Ruth, mtumishi wako wa kike. Nifunike shuka lako mimi mtumishi wako wa kike, kwa kuwa wewe ni jamaa wa karibu.”
‘Who are you?’ he said. ‘I am Ruth your servant,’ she answered, ‘Spread your cloak over your servant, for you are a near relative.’
10 Boazi akamwambia, “Mwanangu, Yahweh akubariki. Umeonyesha wema mwishoni kuliko mwazoni, kwa sababu hukwenda kwa wanaume vijana, awe tajiri au masikini.
He said, ‘May you be blest by the Lord, my daughter. You have shown me greater favour now than at first, for you have not followed young men, whether poor or rich.
11 Na sasa, mwanangu, usiogope! Nitakufanyia yote unayosema, kwa sababu mji wa watu wangu wote wanajua kuwa wewe ni mwanamke unayestahili.
My daughter, have no fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for the whole town knows that you are a virtuous woman.
12 Nikweli kuwa mimi ni jamaa wa karibu; hata hivyo, kuna jamaa wa karibu kuliko mimi.
Now it is true that I am a near relative, but there is another man nearer than I.
13 Baki hapa usiku huu, na asubuhi, ikiwa atafanya jukumu lake la jamaa wa karibu, vizuri, muache afanye jukumu lake la kindugu. lakini kama hata fanya jukumu la kindugu kwako, ndipo mimi nitafanya, kama Yahweh aishivyo. Lala mpaka asubuhi.”
Stay here tonight, and then in the morning, if he will perform for you the duty of a kinsman, well, let him do it. But if he will not perform for you the duty of a kinsman, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will do it for you. Lie down until morning.’
14 Kwa hiyo Ruth alilala kwenye miguu ya Boazi hadi asubuhi. Lakini aliamka mapema kabla ya yeyote kuweza kumtambua mtu mwingine. Kwa kuwa alikwisha mwambia, “Isijulikane kuwa mwanamke alikuja kwenye sakafu ya kupuria.”
So she lay at his feet until morning, but rose before anyone could recognise her, for Boaz said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’
15 Kisha Boazi akamwambia, lete mtandio wako na uushikilie.” Alipo fanya hivyo, alipima vipimo vikubwa sita vya shairi katika mtandio na kumtwisha Ruth. Kisha Boazi akaenda mjini.
He also said, ‘Bring the cloak which you have on and hold it.’ So she held it while he poured into it six measures of barley and laid it on her shoulders. Then he went into the city.
16 Ruth aliporudi kwa mama mkwe wake, alisema, “Ulifanyaje, mwanangu?” Ndipo Ruth akamwambia mambo yote aliyotendewa na mtu huyo.
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘Is it you, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that the man had done for her.
17 Alimwambia, “Hivi vipimo sita vya shairi ni vile alivyonipa yeye, kwa kuwa alisema, 'Usiende mikono mitupu kwa mama mkwe wako.'”
‘He gave me these six measures of barley,’ she said, ‘for he said I should not go to my mother-in-law empty-handed.’
18 Kisha Naomi akasema, “Baki hapa, mwanangu, mpaka utakapojua yatakavyo kuwa, kwa kuwa Boazi hata pumzika mpaka atakapolimaliza jambo hili leo.”
‘Wait quietly, my daughter.’ Naomi said, ‘Until you know how the affair will turn out, for the man will not rest unless he settles it all today.’
