¹Zvino Naomi, vamwene vake, akati kwaari, Mwanasikana wangu, handifaniri kukutsvakira zororo, kuti ufare here?

¹And Naomi her mother-in-law saith to her, `My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest, that it may be well with thee?

²Zvino Bhowasi, kwawakanga uri kuvasikana vake, haizi hama yedu here? Tarira iye ucharudza bhari madekwana ano paburiro.

²and now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women thou hast been? lo, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley to-night,

³Zvino chizvishambidza, uzore mafuta, ufuke nguvo dzako, ndokuburukira kuburiro, asi usazviratidza kumurume uyo, kusvikira apedza kudya nokumwa.

³and thou hast bathed, and anointed thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and gone down to the threshing-floor; let not thyself be known to the man till he complete to eat and to drink;

⁴Zvino kana iye achindovata, iwe unofanira kucherechedza paanondovata, ugoenda wondofukura tsoka dzake, wovatapo pasi; iye achakuudza zvauchafanira kuita.

⁴and it cometh to pass when he lieth down, that thou hast known the place where he lieth down, and hast gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down, — and he doth declare to thee that which thou dost do.`

⁵Akati kwaari, Zvose zvamunondiudza ndichazviita.

⁵And she saith unto her, `All that thou sayest — I do.`

⁶Ipapo akaburukira kuburiro, akandoita zvose zvaakanga arairwa navamwene vake.

⁶And she goeth down [to] the threshing-floor, and doth according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her

⁷Zvino Bhowasi wakati apedza kudya nokumwa, moyo wake ukafara, akandovata pamucheto womurwi wezviyo; ipapo iye akanyatsosvika, akafukura tsoka dzake, ndokuvata pasi.

⁷And Boaz eateth and drinketh, and his heart is glad; and he goeth in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she cometh in gently, and uncovereth his feet, and lieth down.

⁸Pakati pousiku murume akavhunduka, akapinduka, onei mukadzi avete patsoka dzake.

⁸And it cometh to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembleth, and turneth himself, and lo, a woman is lying at his feet.

⁹Akati, Ndiwe aniko? Akapindura akati, Ndini Rute, murandakadzi wenyu; fukidzai murandakadzi wenyu nenguvo yenyu, nekuti muri hama yomumba.

⁹And he saith, `Who [art] thou?` and she saith, `I [am] Ruth thy handmaid, and thou hast spread thy skirt over thy handmaid, for thou [art] a redeemer.`

¹⁰Ipapo iye akati, Uropafadzwe naJehovha, mwanasikana wangu, nekuti pakupedzisira wakaita nokunaka kupfuura pakutanga; nekuti hauna kutevera majaya, kunyange aiva varombo kana vafumi.

¹⁰And he saith, `Blessed [art] thou of Jehovah, my daughter; thou hast dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning — not to go after the young men, either poor or rich.

¹¹Zvino mwanasikana wangu, usatya hako; ndichakuitira zvose sezvaunotaura; nekuti vose veguta rangu vanoziva kuti uri mukadzi wakanaka kwazvo.

¹¹And now, my daughter, fear not, all that thou sayest I do to thee, for all the gate of my people doth know that thou [art] a virtuous woman.

¹²Zvino zvirokwazvo kuti ini ndiri hama yomumba, asi kune imwe hama iri pedo kupfuura ini.

¹²And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.

¹³Vata hako usiku hwuno; zvino mangwana, kana iye achida kukuitira zvinofanira kuitwa nehama, ndizvo hazvo; ngaaite zvinofanira kuitwa nehama; asi kana asingadi kukuitira zvinofanira kuitwa nehama, ini ndichakuitira zvinofanira kuitwa nehama, ndinopika naJehovha mupenyu; chivata hako kusvikira mangwana.

¹³Lodge to night, and it hath been in the morning, if he doth redeem thee, well: he redeemeth; and if he delight not to redeem thee, then I have redeemed thee — I; Jehovah liveth! lie down till the morning.`

¹⁴Iye akavata patsoka dzake kusvikira mangwanani, akamuka vanhu vachigere kunatsoona. nekuti wakati, Ngazvirege kuzikamwa, kuti mukadzi wakauya paburiro.

¹⁴And she lieth down at his feet till the morning, and riseth before one doth discern another; and he saith, `Let it not be known that the woman hath come into the floor.`

¹⁵Akati, Uya nenguvo yawakafuka, uibate, akaibata, iye akayera zviyero zvitanhatu zvebhari, akamutakudza akapinda muguta.

¹⁵And he saith, `Give the covering which [is] on thee, and keep hold on it;` and she keepeth hold on it, and he measureth six [measures] of barley, and layeth [it] on her; and he goeth into the city.

¹⁶Zvino wakati achisvika kuna vamwene vake, ivo vakati, Zvazodiniko mwana wangu? Akavaudza zvose zvaakanga aitirwa nomurume uya.

¹⁶And she cometh in unto her mother-in-law, and she saith, `Who [art] thou, my daughter?` and she declareth to her all that the man hath done to her.

¹⁷Akati, Iye wandipa zviyero izvi zvitanhatu zvebhari, nekuti wakati, Usaenda kuna vamwene vako usina chinhu.

¹⁷And she saith, `These six [measures] of barley he hath given to me, for he said, Thou dost not go in empty unto thy mother-in-law.`

¹⁸Zvino vakati, Chigara hako, mwana wangu, kusvikira waona mugumo weshoko iri, nekuti murume uyu haangazorori kusvikira apedza shoko iri nhasi.

¹⁸And she saith, `Sit still, my daughter, till thou dost know how the matter falleth, for the man doth not rest except he hath completed the matter to-day.`