Marit wea Luk Olsem No Savve Kamap Bilong Boaz and Ruth
BIGFALA waka go ahed long floor for separatem grain klosap long Bethlehem. Olketa bin waka hard long datfala day. Naesfala smel bilong grain wea olketa bonem long fire mekem olketa wakman savve hem taem for kaikai. Each wan bae enjoyim olketa frut bilong hard waka bilong hem.
Boaz, wanfala rich landowner, kaikai and drink go kasem taem hem satisfae and rest klosap wanfala big hip bilong grain. Bihaen datwan, datfala day bilong harvest hem finis nao, and each wan go faendem ples for rest. Boaz tu satisfae, kavarem hemseleva and sleep.
Isisi Kam Insaed
Long midolnaet, Boaz wekap from hem cold and seksek. Samwan hem aotem kava from leg bilong hem, and leidaon klosap long leg bilong hem! From hem dark, Boaz no luksavve hu nao hem so hem ask: “Hu nao iu?” Voice bilong woman ansa olsem: “Mi Ruth, slave girl bilong iu, and iu mas spreadim aot kaleko bilong iu ovarem slave girl bilong iu, from iu wanfala man for baem bak samting.”—Ruth 3:1-9.
Tufala story seleva long dark. Olketa woman no savve kam olsem long floor for separatem grain. (Ruth 3:14) Nomata olsem, Boaz letem Ruth for go ahed leidaon klosap long leg bilong hem go kasem taem hem start for daylaet bifor hem getap and go, mekem no eniwan savve garem rong tingting long diswan.
Waswe, diswan hem love midolwan man and woman? Waswe, Ruth—wanfala poor, young widow woman from wanfala heathen kantri—iusim kleva wei for switim disfala rich olo man? Or waswe, Boaz hem mekius long poor living bilong Ruth and wei wea hem feel lonely datfala naet? Nomoa, samting wea happen showimaot example bilong loyal fasin and love bilong God. And tru story bilong diswan really muvim man.
Bat hu nao Ruth? Wanem nao muvim hem? And hu nao disfala rich man, Boaz?
“Wanfala Nambawan Woman”
Samfala year bifor disfala samting happen, bigfala hangre kasem Judah. Wanfala Israelite famili wea garem fofala member insaed—Elimelech; waef bilong hem, Naomi; and tufala son bilong olketa, Mahlon and Chilion—go for stap long land bilong Moab wea garem staka kaikai. Tufala son hia maritim tufala woman bilong Moab, Ruth and Orpah. Bihaen long dae bilong thrifala man hia long Moab, thrifala woman hia herem hao living long Israel kamap moabeta. So Naomi—wea hem widow woman distaem, wea sorre, no garem pikinini or granpikinini—disaed for go bak long homland bilong hem.—Ruth 1:1-14.
Taem olketa still gogo for Israel, Naomi encouragem Orpah for go bak long pipol bilong hem, and hem duim. Then Naomi sei long Ruth: “Lukim! Widow sista-in-law bilong iu go bak long pipol bilong hem and olketa god bilong hem. Go bak witim widow sista-in-law bilong iu.” Bat Ruth sei: “No ask strong for mi lusim iu, . . . from ples wea iu go mi bae go . . . Pipol bilong iu bae kamap pipol bilong mi, and God bilong iu bae God bilong mi. Ples wea iu dae mi bae dae, and long there nao olketa bae berem mi.” (Ruth 1:15-17) So tufala poor widow woman hia go bak long Bethlehem. Long there, wei wea Ruth lovem and kea for mami-in-law bilong hem mekem olketa neiba barava sapraes dastawe olketa ting long hem olsem “moabeta long [Naomi] winim sevenfala son.” Olketa narawan storyim hem olsem “wanfala nambawan woman.”—Ruth 3:11; 4:15.
Long Bethlehem, taem barley harvest hem start, Ruth sei long Naomi: “Letem mi go, plis, long field and kolektem olketa leftova grain bihaenem eniwan wea maet showimaot favor long mi.”—Ruth 2:2.
Gogo hem kam long field bilong Boaz, wanfala relative bilong dadi-in-law bilong hem, Elimelech. Hem askem overseer bilong datfala field for letem hem kolektem olketa leftova grain. Hard waka bilong hem for kolektem olketa leftova barava nambawan, and datfala overseer praisem waka bilong hem long Boaz.—Ruth 1:22–2:7.
Man for Protectim and Helpem
Boaz hem wanfala man wea strong for worshipim Jehovah. Evri morning, Boaz greetim olketa wea harvest for hem witim toktok: “Jehovah stap witim iufala,” and olketa savve ansarem hem olsem: “Jehovah blessim iu.” (Ruth 2:4) Bihaen hem lukim hard waka bilong Ruth and herem wei wea hem loyal long Naomi, Boaz mekem spesol arrangement for Ruth kolektem olketa leftova grain. Hem olsem Boaz sei olsem long Ruth: ‘Stap long field bilong mi; iu no need for go long olketa narawan. Stap klosap long olketa young woman bilong mi; iu bae sef witim olketa. Mi komandim finis olketa young man for no tasim iu. Taem iu thirsty, olketa bae kasem fresh wata for iu.’—Ruth 2:8, 9.
Ruth baodaon long graon and sei: ‘Hao nao mi kasem favor long eye bilong iu nomata mi from difren kantri?’ Boaz ansa olsem: ‘Mi herem full report abaotem evri samting wea iu duim long mami-in-law bilong iu bihaen long dae bilong hasband bilong iu—hao iu lusim dadi and mami bilong iu and land bilong olketa relative bilong iu for stap witim pipol wea iu no savve long olketa bifor. Letem Jehovah givim iu reward for samting wea iu duim. Letem hem givim iu perfect wages.’—Ruth 2:10-12.
Boaz no trae for switim Ruth for lovem hem. Hem praisem hem long honest wei. Ruth barava hambol, and thankiu long hem for olketa toktok bilong hem wea givim comfort. Hem tingse hem no fit for kasem olketa gudfala toktok olsem and hem waka hard moa. Bihaen, long taem for kaikai, Boaz kolem Ruth: ‘Kam klosap, kaikaim samfala bred and putim pis bred bilong iu insaed vinegar.’ Hem kaikai gogo hem satisfae and tekem go long haos samfala kaikai for Naomi.—Ruth 2:14.
Long end bilong datfala day, Ruth hem kolektem samting olsem 22 litre bilong barley. Hem tekem diswan witim olketa leftova kaikai long haos for Naomi. (Ruth 2:15-18) From hem hapi tumas long diswan, Naomi ask: “Wea nao iu kolektem grain tuday? . . . Letem man wea tingim iu kasem blessing.” Taem hem savve hao hem Boaz, Naomi sei: “Jehovah blessim hem, wea no lusim loving-kaeness bilong hem for olketa wea laef and olketa wea dae finis. . . . Datfala man hem relative bilong mifala. Hem wanfala long olketa wea fit for baem bak iumi.”—Ruth 2:19, 20.
Faendem “Wanfala Ples for Rest”
From hem laekem tumas wanfala “ples for stap,” or haos, for dota-in-law bilong hem, Naomi iusim disfala chance for arrangem wei for baem bak samting, fitim Law bilong God. (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5, 6) So Naomi talem Ruth wanem for duim, wanfala interesting samting—wanfala wei for kasholem interest bilong Boaz. Ruth, wea prepare gud and kasem instruction finis, go daon long floor for separatem grain bilong Boaz long naetaem. Ruth faendem hem sleep. Hem aotem from leg bilong Boaz kaleko wea hem kavarem long hem and weitim hem for wekap.—Ruth 3:1-7.
Taem Boaz wekap, for sure wanem Ruth duim helpem hem for luksavve long mining bilong wei wea Ruth askem hem for ‘spreadim aot kaleko bilong hem ovarem slave girl bilong hem.’ Samting wea Ruth duim mekem disfala olo man from Judah for luksavve long responsibility bilong hem olsem wanfala man for baem bak samting, from hem relative bilong hasband bilong Ruth wea dae finis, Mahlon.—Ruth 3:9.
Boaz no expectim disfala visit bilong Ruth long naet. Nomata olsem, samting wea Boaz duim showim hao hem expectim disfala wei for baem bak samting wea Ruth askem. Boaz hem willing for duim samting wea Ruth askem.
For sure voice bilong Ruth showimaot wari, wea hem nao muvim Boaz for strongim hem olsem: “And distaem, dota bilong mi, iu no fraet. Evri samting wea iu talem bae mi duim for iu, from evri pipol bilong mi insaed gate savve iu wanfala nambawan woman.”—Ruth 3:11.
Wei wea Boaz ting long samting wea Ruth duim olsem hem stret saed long fasin showaot long olketa toktok bilong hem: “Blessing for iu from Jehovah, dota bilong mi. Iu showimaot loving-kaeness bilong iu long wei wea moabeta long mek-tu taem winim long firstaem.” (Ruth 3:10) Long firstaem, Ruth showimaot loving-kaeness, or loyal love long Naomi. Mek-tu taem hem wei wea hem no selfish for showim hemseleva long Boaz, man wea olo, bikos hem man for baem bak samting. Hem willing for raisimap olketa pikinini for Mahlon, hasband bilong hem wea dae finis, and for Naomi.
Wanfala Man for Baem Bak Samting Changem Tingting Bilong Hem
Long next morning, Boaz kolem kam wanfala relative bilong hem, wea Bible no talem nem bilong hem, wea hem relative bilong Naomi wea moa klos long hem winim Boaz. Front long olketa pipol and olketa olo man bilong datfala taon, Boaz sei: ‘Mi ting for mi shud talem long iu right bilong iu for baem bak from Naomi datfala pis land bilong hasband bilong hem Elimelech, from hem mas sellim.’ Boaz go ahed for sei: ‘Waswe, bae iu baem? Sapos nomoa, then mi nao bae baem.’ Bihaen hem lisin long Boaz, man hia sei hem bae baem diswan.—Ruth 4:1-4.
Bat datfala man bae seke long wanem Boaz bae talem! Boaz sei front long evri witness hia: “Long day wea iu baem datfala field from Naomi, hem from Ruth tu datfala woman bilong Moab, waef bilong datfala dead man, wea iu mas baem diswan mekem nem bilong datfala dead man kamap long olketa samting bilong hem.” From hem fraet nogud hem spoelem olketa samting bilong hemseleva, datfala klos relative givim awe right bilong hem for baem bak datwan and sei: “Mi no fit for baem bak.”—Ruth 4:5, 6.
For followim kastom, man wea no laek for acceptim wei for baem bak samting mas tek aotem sandol bilong hem and givim long nara man. So taem datfala man for baem bak samting sei long Boaz, “Baem for iuseleva,” hem go ahed for aotem sandol bilong hem. Then Boaz sei long olketa olo man and evri pipol: “Iufala nao olketa witness tuday hao mi baem nao evri samting bilong Elimelech and evri samting bilong Chilion and Mahlon from hand bilong Naomi. And Ruth tu datfala woman bilong Moab, waef bilong Mahlon, mi baem for miseleva olsem waef for mekem nem bilong datfala dead man kamap long olketa samting bilong hem . . . Iufala nao olketa witness tuday.”—Ruth 4:7-10.
Evri pipol wea insaed datfala gate sei olsem long Boaz: “Letem Jehovah mekem waef wea kam insaed haos bilong iu kamap olsem Rachel and olsem Leah, wea tufala evriwan buildim haos bilong Israel; and iu pruvim wei wea iu fit long Ephrathah and mekem wanfala bignem long Bethlehem.”—Ruth 4:11, 12.
Witim blessing bilong olketa pipol hia, Boaz tekem Ruth olsem waef bilong hem. Hem bornem wanfala son long hem wea hem nemem Obed, and there nao Ruth and Boaz kamap laen dadi and mami bilong King David and wea gogo hem laen bilong Jesus Christ tu.—Ruth 4:13-17; Matthew 1:5, 6, 16.
“Perfect Wages”
Insaed full story hia, long evri samting wea hem duim, olsem wei wea hem tok hello long olketa wakman bilong hem and wei wea hem acceptim responsibility for mekem datfala famili nem bilong Elimelech go ahed, Boaz showimaot hem wanfala spesol man—man bilong paoa and akson. Long semtaem, hem wanfala man for kontrolem seleva and garem faithful fasin. Boaz hem man wea willing for give tu, hem kaen, garem klin fasin, and obeyim evribit olketa komandment bilong Jehovah.
Ruth hem barava spesol long love bilong hem for Jehovah, long loyal love bilong hem for Naomi, and for wei wea hem waka hard and hambol. Dastawe pipol ting long hem olsem “wanfala nambawan woman.” Hem no kaikaim “bred bilong lesy fasin,” and bikos long hard waka bilong hem, hem garem samting for sharem witim poor mami-in-law bilong hem. (Proverbs 31:27, 31) Long wei wea hem showimaot responsibility for Naomi, for sure Ruth mas feelim hapi wea kamaot from wei for give.—Acts 20:35;1 Timothy 5:4, 8.
Tru nao, iumi garem olketa nambawan example long buk bilong Ruth! Jehovah rememberim Naomi. Ruth kasem “perfect wages” olsem wanfala granmami bilong Jesus Christ. Jehovah blessim Boaz witim “wanfala nambawan woman.” And for iumi, iumi garem olketa nambawan example bilong faith long olketa man and woman olsem.
[Box long page 26]
Lelebet Hope wea Stap
Sapos iu enitaem feel hao iu stap long taem wea no garem hapi, story bilong Ruth savve givim hope. Hem showaot klia olsem wanfala important conclusion bilong buk bilong Judges. Buk bilong Ruth storyim wei wea Jehovah iusim wanfala hambol widow woman from nation bilong Moab for mekem kamap wanfala king for pipol bilong hem. Witim setting bilong buk bilong Judges, faith bilong Ruth hem shaen olsem wanfala laet bilong datfala taem.
From wei for readim story bilong Ruth, iu savve trustim hao nomata insaed olketa barava hard taem, God hem evritaem kea for pipol bilong hem and go ahed for fulfillim olketa purpose bilong hem.