Rute un Boazs piedarbā
1 Viņas vīramāte Naomi sacīja: “Mana meita, vai lai meklēju tev rimtu vietu, kur tev būtu labi? 2 Un nu, vai tad Boazs, ar kura saimes meitām tu biji, nav mūsu rads? Redzi, šonakt viņš piedarbā vētī miežus! 3 Mazgājies, iesvaidies, tērpies un noej uz piedarbu! Nerādies tam vīram, līdz viņš būs beidzis ēst un dzert. 4 Kad viņš atgulsies, noskati to vietu, kur viņš guļ, pienāc, atsedz kājgali un apgulies. Viņš tev teiks, ko darīt.” 5 Un viņa tai atbildēja: “Es darīšu visu, ko tu man saki.”
6 Viņa gāja uz piedarbu un darīja visu, kā vīramāte tai bija piekodinājusi. 7 Boazs ēda un dzēra, un viņa sirdij bija labi. Viņš gāja atgulties kaudzes malā. Tad klusi nāca viņa, atsedza tam kājgali un apgūlās. 8 Nakts vidū viņš uztrūkās, pagriezās, un redzi – kāda sieva gulēja tam kājgalī! 9 Viņš prasīja: “Kas tu?” Viņa sacīja: “Es esmu Rute, tava verdzene. Izplet savu spārnu pār savu verdzeni, jo tu esi izpircējs!” 10 Viņš sacīja: “Kungs lai tevi svētī, mana meita! Vēl labāku par pirmo tu esi darījusi šo mīlestības darbu, neskriedama pakaļ jaunekļiem – vai nabagam vai bagātam. 11 Tad nu nebīsties, mana meita, visu, ko tu saki, es tev darīšu, jo visos manas tautas vārtos zina, ka tu esi varena sieva. 12 Tas gan tiesa, ka es esmu izpircējs, bet ir vēl kāds izpircējs, kas tuvāks par mani. 13 Pārlaid šo nakti, bet no rīta – ja viņš tevi izpērk, labi, lai izpērk, bet, ja viņš tevi negrib izpirkt, tad es būšu tavs izpircējs. Dzīvs Kungs! Guli līdz rītam!”
14 Un viņa gulēja tam kājgalī līdz rītam un piecēlās, pirms vēl var pazīt cits citu, jo viņš bija teicis: “Lai netop zināms, ka šī sieva ir nākusi uz piedarbu.” 15 Tad viņš sacīja: “Padod apmetni, kas tev mugurā, un pieturi to.” Viņa to turēja, un viņš iebēra sešus mērus miežu, uzlika to viņai un gāja uz pilsētu. 16 Bet viņa gāja pie savas vīramātes, un tā viņai prasīja: “Nu kā tev, mana meita?” Un viņa tai izstāstīja visu, ko tas vīrs viņai darījis. 17 Viņa sacīja: “Šos sešus mērus miežu viņš man ir devis, sacīdams: neatgriezies pie savas vīramātes tukšā!” 18 Un tā viņai sacīja: “Gaidi, mana meita, līdz tu zināsi, kā lieta iegrozās, jo šis vīrs nerimsies, iekams nenovedīs lietu galā šodien pat.”
Naomi Makes Plans for Ruth
1 One day, Naomi said to Ruth:
It's time I found you a husband, who will give you a home and take care of you.
2 You have been picking up grain alongside the women who work for Boaz, and you know he is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be threshing the grain. 3 Now take a bath and put on some perfume, then dress in your best clothes. Go where he is working, but don't let him see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Watch where he goes to spend the night, then when he is asleep, lift the cover and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do.
5 Ruth answered, “I'll do whatever you say.” 6 She went out to the place where Boaz was working and did what Naomi had told her.
7 After Boaz finished eating and drinking and was feeling happy, he went over and fell asleep near the pile of grain. Ruth slipped over quietly. She lifted the cover and lay down near his feet.
8 In the middle of the night, Boaz suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“Sir, I am Ruth,” she answered, “and you are the relative who is supposed to take care of me. So spread the edge of your cover over me.”
10 Boaz replied:
The Lord bless you! This shows how truly loyal you are to your family. You could have looked for a younger man, either rich or poor, but you didn't. 11 Don't worry, I'll do what you have asked. You are respected by everyone in town.
12 It's true that I am one of the relatives who is supposed to take care of you, but there is someone who is an even closer relative. 13 Stay here until morning, then I will find out if he is willing to look after you. If he isn't, I promise by the living God to do it myself. Now go back to sleep until morning.
14 Ruth lay down again, but she got up before daylight, because Boaz did not want anyone to know she had been there. 15 Then he told her to spread out her cape. And he filled it with grain and placed it on her shoulder.
When Ruth got back to town, 16 Naomi asked her what had happened, and Ruth told her everything. 17 She also said, “Boaz gave me this grain, because he didn't want me to come back without something for you.”
18 Naomi replied, “Just be patient and don't worry about what will happen. He won't rest until everything is settled today!”
