Rut 4
1 Boas kɔɔ kurow no pon ano kɔtenaa ase wɔ hɔ. Bere a obusuani gyefo titiriw a ɔkaa ne ho asɛm no baa hɔ no, Boas frɛɛ no kae se, “Mʼadamfo, mesrɛ wo bra na mepɛ sɛ me ne wo twetwe nkɔmmɔ.” Enti wɔtenaa ase.
[Meanwhile], Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. [That was the place where people met together to decide important matters]. When the man that Boaz had mentioned came there, the close relative of Ruth and Naomi’s dead husbands [who had a responsibility to take care of Naomi and Ruth], Boaz said to him, “My friend, come over here and sit down.” So the man went and sat down.
2 Na Boas frɛɛ kurow no mu ntuanofo du sɛ wɔmmɛtena ase sɛ nnansefo.
Boaz then gathered ten of the elders of the town and asked them to sit down [there also]. After they sat down,
3 Na Boas ka kyerɛɛ obusuani gyefo titiriw no se, “Wunim Naomi a ofi Moab bae no. Ɔretɔn asase a na ɛyɛ yɛn busuani Elimelek dea no.
he said to the man who had the responsibility to take care of Naomi, “Naomi has returned from Moab [region]. She wants to sell the field that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
4 Misusuw sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ, me ne wo di ho nkɔmmɔ na sɛ wopɛ a, woagye. Sɛ wopɛ asase no a, tɔ no ha yi ara wɔ saa nnansefo yi anim. Na sɛ wompɛ nso a, ma mente no mprempren ara, efisɛ sɛ woantumi annye a, me ne onipa a midi wʼakyi wɔ abusua no mu a ɛsɛ sɛ migye.” Na ɔbarima no buae se, “Megye.”
I thought that I should tell you about that, and suggest that you buy it, while these elders who are sitting here are listening. If you are willing to buy the property, do that. But if you do not want to buy it, tell me, so that I will know. I am suggesting this to you because you are the one who has the first right to buy it, and I am the one who has the second/next right to buy it.” The man replied, “I will buy it!”
5 Afei, Boas ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛ wotɔ asase no fi Naomi nkyɛn a, na ɛsɛ sɛ woware Moabni okunafo Rut no. Sɛ ɛba saa a, ɔbɛwo mma a ne kunu din bɛda wɔn so na asase no bɛtena abusua no mu.”
Then Boaz told him, “When you buy the land from Naomi, you will also be taking Ruth, [the woman] who is from Moab, [to be your wife], in order that she may [give birth to a son who will] inherit the property of her dead husband [MTY].”
6 Ɛhɔ ara na abusua mu gyefo titiriw no kae se, “Ɛno de, merentumi ntɔ asase no, efisɛ ɛbɛhaw mʼankasa mʼagyapade. Tɔ asase no na merentumi ntɔ.”
Then the close relative [of Ruth’s dead husband] said, “[If that is so], I do not [want to] buy the field, because then my own [children] would not inherit the property; [Ruth’s children would inherit it]. You buy the property!”
7 Saa bere no, na ɛyɛ Israel amanne sɛ, sɛ obiara redan nʼade bi a watɔ no ɔkwan pa so ama obi foforo a, ɔworɔw ne mpaboa de ma nea ɔtɔ no. Wɔyɛ saa wɔ bagua mu de hyɛ adetɔ no mu den.
At that time, it was the custom in Israel, when a person bought property that belonged to another person, that the man who was selling the property would take off one of his sandals and give it to the one who was buying the property. That was the way they finalized sales in Israel.
8 Enti abusua gyefo titiriw no worɔw ne mpaboa ka kyerɛɛ Boas se, “Wo ara tɔ asase no.”
So that close relative said to Boaz, “You buy the field yourself!” And he took off [one of] his sandals [and gave it to Boaz].
9 Na Boas ka kyerɛɛ ɔman no ntuanofo no ne dɔm a wɔatwa ahyia hɔ no se, “Nnɛ matɔ Elimelek, Kilion ne Mahlon agyapade a ɛwɔ Naomi nsam, na moyɛ ɛho nnansefo.
Then Boaz said to the elders and all the [other] people [who were there], “Today you have all seen that I have bought from Naomi all the property that belonged to [her dead husband] Elimelech and [his dead sons] Mahlon and Chilion.
10 Menam asase no tɔ so afa Rut a ɔyɛ Moabni a ɔyɛ Mahlon kunafo no sɛ me yere. Ne saa nti, sɛ ɔwo ɔbabarima a, ɔbɛfa ne kunu a wawu no abusua din na wafa abusua agyapade a ɛwɔ ne kurom ha nso. Nnɛ, mo nyinaa moyɛ nnansefo.”
I am also taking Ruth, [the woman] from Moab, Mahlon’s widow, to be my wife, in order that she may give birth to a son who will inherit the property of the dead man. In that way, Elimelech’s name will continue [LIT] among the members of his family and among all the people of this town. Today you all are witnesses [of what I have done].”
11 Afei, ntuanofo no ne ɔmanfo no nyinaa sɔre gyina kae se, “Yɛyɛ nnansefo! Awurade mmoa mma ɔbea a afei na ɔreba wo fi no nyɛ sɛ Rahel ne Lea a wɔn mu na Israel aman nyinaa fi no. Wobɛyɛ ɔkɛse wɔ Efrata na woagye din wɔ Betlehem.
All the elders and the [others] who were sitting at the [town] gate [agreed, and one of them] said, “[Yes, ] we are witnesses. We hope/desire that Yahweh will enable this woman, who will be coming into your home, to give birth to many children, as Rachel and Leah did. They are the women from whom all [us] people [MTY] of Israel are descended. We hope that you will become rich in the clan of Ephratah, and become famous [MTY] [here] in Bethlehem.
12 Na Awurade mfa ababaa yi so mma wo asefo a wɔbɛyɛ sɛ yɛn agya Peres a ɔyɛ Tamar ne Yuda babarima no.”
We hope/desire that Yahweh will enable you and this young woman to have many descendants. And we hope/desire that your family will be as important as the family of your ancestor Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar.”
13 Enti Boas waree Rut de no kɔɔ ne fi. Afei, ɔkɔɔ ne ho na Awurade ma onyinsɛnee na ɔwoo ɔbabarima.
So Boaz took Ruth [home], and she became his wife. He (slept with/had sexual relations with) her [EUP] and Yahweh enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son.
14 Na kurow no mu mmea ka kyerɛɛ Naomi se, “Anuonyam nka Awurade sɛ nnɛ da yi, wama woanya abusua gyefo! Ɔmmɛyɛ okunini wɔ Israel.
The women [of Bethlehem] said to Naomi, “Praise Yahweh! Now he has given [LIT] you a grandson who will be the one who will have the responsibility to take care of you. We hope that he will become famous [MTY] throughout Israel.
15 Akokoaa yi mma wo nsi wo mmabaabere mu na ɔnhwɛ wo wɔ wo mmerewabɔ mu. Efisɛ ɔyɛ wʼase a ɔdɔ wo na ɔsen mmabarima ason ma wo no babarima.”
He will make you feel young again, and he will take care of you when you become old. Your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to a son, who will (be better to/do more for) you than [if you had] seven sons [of your own].”
16 Na Naomi faa akokoaa no, na ɔhwɛɛ no te sɛ ɔno ankasa yafunu ba.
Then Naomi took the baby and put him on her lap, and took care of him.
17 Na mmea a wɔne no bɔ ofipam no kae se, “Afei de Naomi anya ɔbabarima bio.” Na wɔtoo no din Obed. Ɔno na ɔbɛyɛɛ Yisai agya ne Dawid nena.
The women who were living near her said, “[It is as though] Naomi [now] has a son!” And they named him Obed. [Later], Obed became the father of Jesse, and [later] Jesse became the father of [King] David.
18 Tete agya Peres awo ntoatoaso ni: Peres woo Hesron.
Here is [a list of] the ancestors of [King David]: Perez’s son was Hezron. Hezron’s son was Ram. Ram’s son was Amminadab. Amminadab’s son was Nahshon. Nahshon’s son was Salmon. Salmon’s son was Boaz. Boaz’s son was Obed. Obed’s son was Jesse. Jesse’s son was [King] David.
19 Hesron woo Ram, na Ram woo Aminadab.
20 Aminadab woo Nahson, na Nahson woo Salmon.
21 Salmon woo Boas, na Boas woo Obed.
22 Obed woo Yisai, na Yisai woo Dawid.
