< Ruth 4 >

1 Ndipo Boazi akaenda kwenye lango la Bethelehemu na kukaa chini. Muda mfupi tu akaja ndugu wa karibu ambaye Boazi alimuongelea. Boazi akamwambia, “Rafiki yangu, njoo hapa na uketi. Kisha mtu huyo akaja na kuketi.
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down.
2 Ndipo Boazi akakusanya viongozi kumi wa mji na kusema, “Katini hapa.” Hivyo wakaketi.
Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down.
3 Boazi alimwambia yule jamaa wa karibu, “Naomi aliyerudi kutoka mji wa Moabu, anauza sehemu ya aridhi ambayo ilikuwa ni miliki ya kaka yetu Elimeleki.
He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s.
4 Nilifikiria kukujulisha na kukwambia, 'Inunue mbele ya hawa waliokaa hapa, na mbele ya viongozi wa watu wangu.' Ikiwa utapenda kuikomboa, ikomboe. Lakini ikiwa hauhitaji kuikomboa, uniambie, ili nijue, kwa kuwa hakuna mwingine wa kuikomboa isipokuwa wewe, na mimi ni mdogo wako.” Ndipo huyo mtu mwingine akasema, “Nitalikomboa.”
I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Kisha Boazi akasema, “Ile siku utakayonunua shamba kutoka mkononi mwa Naomi, yakupasa pia kumchukua Ruth Mmoabu, mjane wa mtoto wa Elimeleki, ili kuliinua jina la marehemu kama urithi wake.”
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”
6 Ndipo yule jamaa wa karibu akasema, “Mimi siwezi kuikomboa ardhi kwa ajili yangu bila kuleta athari kwenye urithi wangu binafsi. Nakupa wewe haki ya kuikomboa kwa ajili yako mwenyewe, kwa kuwa mimi sitoweza.”
The near kinsman said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Hii ilikuwa ni desturi ya zamani ya Israeli kuhusu ukombozi na kubadilishana mazuri. Kudhibitisha mambo haya yote, mtu huyu alivua kiatu chake na kumpatia jirani yake; hii ilikuwa ni namna ya kufanya makubaliano ya kisheria katika Israeli.
Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel.
8 Kwa hiyo huyu jamaa wa karibu akamwambia Boazi, “Inunue mwenyewe.” Kisha akavua kiatu chake.
So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal.
9 Ndipo Boazi akawaambia viongozi na watu wote, “Ninyi ni mashaidi kuwa nimenunua kila kilichokuwa cha Elimeleki na kila kilichokuwa na Kileoni na Mahilon kutoka kwenye mikono ya Naomi.
Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.
10 Zaidi ya hayo kumhusu Ruth Mmoabu, mke wa Mahlon: nimempa kibali cha kuwa mke wangu, ili kuendeleza jina na urithi wa marehumu, ili kwamba jina lake lisipotee kati ya ndugu zake na lango la watu wake. Ninyi ni mashahidi leo.”
Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”
11 Watu wote na viongozi waliokuwa katika lango, walisema, “Tu mashahidi. Yahweh amfanye mwanamke huyu ambaye amekuja nyumbani kwako kama Raheli na Leya, ambao wawili hawa wameijenga nyumba ya Israeli. Na ubarikiwe katika Efrata na kuwa mashuhuri katika Bethelehem.
All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.
12 Na nyumba yako kama nyumba ya Peres, ambaye Tamari alimzalia yuda, kupitia uzao ambao Yahweh atakupatia pamoja na msichana huyu.”
Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”
13 Hivyo Boazi alimchukua Ruth, na akawa mke wake. Boazi alilala naye, na Yahweh alimruhusu kupata mimba, na alizaa mtoto wa kiume.
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.
14 Wanamke huyu akamwambia Naomi, “Yahweh abarikiwe, ambaye hajakuacha bila ndugu wa karibu, yaani mtoto huyu. Jina lake na liwe maarufu katika Israeli.
The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel.
15 Na awe kwako mrutubishaji wa maisha na mwenye ruzuku uzeeni mwako, kwa kuwa mtoto wako mkwe, ambaye anakupenda, ambaye ni bora kwako kuliko watoto wa kiume saba, amemzaa.
He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
16 Kisha naomi akamchukua mtoto, akamlaza kifuani pake, na kumhudumia.
Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.
17 Na majirani wa yule mwanamke, wakampa jina, wakisema, “Mtoto amezaliwa kwa Naomi.” Wakawita Obedi. Ambaye alikuja kuwa baba yake na Jese, ambaye alikuja kuwa baba yake na Daudi.
The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Hiki kilikuwa ni kizazi cha Peresi: Peres alimzaa Hezroni,
Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,
19 Hezroni akamzaa Ram, Ram akamzaa Aminadabu,
and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,
20 Aminadabu akamzaa Nashon, Nashon akamzaa Salmon,
and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,
21 Salmon akamzaa Boazi, Boazi akamzaa Obed,
and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,
22 Obedi akamzaa Jese, na Jese akamzaa Daudi.
and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

< Ruth 4 >