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 him down there, and lo! the kinsman, passing by, of whom Boaz had spoken, so he said—Turn aside! and sit down here, such a one! And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 Ndipo Boazi akakusanya viongozi kumi wa mji na kusema, “Katini hapa.” Hivyo wakaketi.

Then fetched he ten men of the elders of the city, and said—Sit ye 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.

Then said he to the kinsman, The parcel of land that was our brother Elimelech’s, is to be disposed of by Naomi, who hath returned out of the country of Moab;

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.”

and, I, thought, I would unveil thine ear, saying—Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but, if thou wilt not so act, only tell me—that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but, I, am after thee. And he said, I, will act as kinsman.

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 said Boaz, What day thou takest over the land from the hand of Naomi, also, of Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, dost thou take [it], to raise up the name of the dead upon 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.”

Then said the kinsman—I cannot act as kinsman for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance, —do, thou, for thyself act as kinsman in my right, for I cannot so redeem.

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 aforetime, [was the way] in Israel, at a redeeming, and at an exchanging, to confirm every word: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, —yea, this, was the way of taking to witness, in Israel.

8 Kwa hiyo huyu jamaa wa karibu akamwambia Boazi, “Inunue mwenyewe.” Kisha akavua kiatu chake.

So the kinsman said unto Boaz, Take it over for thyself, —and he drew off his shoe.

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.

Then said Boaz to the elders, and all the people—Witnesses, are ye to-day, that I have taken over 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, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over, to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off—from among his brethren, and from the gate of his dwelling- place, —Witnesses, are ye to-day!

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.

Then said all the people who were in the gate, and the elders—Witnesses!, —Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into thy house, to be as Rachel, and as Leah, which two of them did build the house of Israel. Do thou bravely, then, in Ephrathah, and proclaim thou a name in Bethlehem,

12 Na nyumba yako kama nyumba ya Peres, ambaye Tamari alimzalia yuda, kupitia uzao ambao Yahweh atakupatia pamoja na msichana huyu.”

And let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare to Judah, —of the seed which—may Yahweh give thee, of 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 unto her, —and Yahweh granted her conception, and she bare 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.

Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed, be Yahweh! who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day, —and may his name, be proclaimed, 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.

So shall he become a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, —for, thy daughter-in-law who loveth thee, hath borne him, even, she, who is better to thee than seven sons.

16 Kisha naomi akamchukua mtoto, akamlaza kifuani pake, na kumhudumia.

So Naomi took the boy, and laid him in her bosom, and she became his nurse.

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.

And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi, —So they called his name Obed, he, was, the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Hiki kilikuwa ni kizazi cha Peresi: Peres alimzaa Hezroni,

These, then, are the generations of Perez: Perez, begat, Hezron;

19 Hezroni akamzaa Ram, Ram akamzaa Aminadabu,

And, Hezron, begat, Ram, and, Ram, begat, Amminadab;

20 Aminadabu akamzaa Nashon, Nashon akamzaa Salmon,

And, Amminadab, begat Nahshon, and, Nahshon, begat, Salmon,

21 Salmon akamzaa Boazi, Boazi akamzaa Obed,

And, Salmon, begat, Boaz, and, Boaz, begat, Obed;

22 Obedi akamzaa Jese, na Jese akamzaa Daudi.

And, Obed, begat, Jesse, and, Jesse, begat, David.