Ruth for di Barley Farm

Early morning for di farms wey dey outside Bethlehem. Di reapers dey swing dia sickle. Behind dem, one young foreign woman bend down, dey pick di stalks wey dem drop, one by one. She no know say dis farm go change her life.

Dis na di time of di judges, long before Israel get king. Hunger bin drive one family from Bethlehem go di land of Moab, for di other side of di Dead Sea. For there, di papa, Elimelech, die. Im two sons marry Moab women, Orpah and Ruth, and then di sons die too. Naomi, di mama, decide to go back home. Ruth refuse to leave her. Where you go, na there I go go, she talk. Your people go be my people, and your God go be my God. Now di two widows don reach Bethlehem as di barley harvest dey start, and dem no get anything. No husband, no land wey dem fit farm, no food.

Ruth tell Naomi, make I go di farm go glean, make I pick di grain wey remain behind anybody wey go show me kindness. Go, my daughter, Naomi talk. And di book of Ruth talk, almost like say e dey smile, say she just land for one part of di farm wey belong to Boaz. E just happen like dat. Boaz na rich man wey people respect, and e be relative of Naomi late husband. Small time after, Boaz imself arrive from Bethlehem. E greet im workers: make di Lord dey with una. And dem answer: make di Lord bless you. Then e notice di stranger. Who get dat young woman? Na di Moab woman wey come back with Naomi, im supervisor talk. She ask make she glean, and she don dey work since morning, she almost no rest.

Boaz waka go meet Ruth. Listen, my daughter, e talk. No go glean for any other farm. Stay near my young women. I don tell di men make dem no touch you. And when thirst catch you, drink from di water pots. Ruth bow reach ground. Why I find favour for your eye, she ask, wey make you notice me, when I be foreigner? Boaz answer say e don hear everything wey she do for Naomi since her husband die, how she leave her papa and her mama and her own country come meet people wey she no know before. And e bless her. Make di Lord pay you for wetin you do, and make di Lord God of Israel, wey you don come hide under im wings, give you full reward.

When time to chop reach, Boaz invite her make she siddon with di reapers. E give her roasted grain, and she chop until she belle full, and some still remain. Then, quietly, e tell im young men: make she glean even among di bundles. Pull some stalks comot from di bundles on purpose and leave dem for her. Dat evening Ruth beat wetin she gather, and e reach about one ephah of barley, big quantity for one day. Naomi eye open wide. Where you glean today? Blessed be di man wey notice you! And when she hear di name Boaz, Naomi heart lift up. Di Lord never stop to show kindness, she talk. Dis man na one of our close relatives, one of our redeemers. Ruth continue to glean for im farm until di barley and wheat harvest finish.

Gleaning no be charity wey depend on di farmer mood. Na part of God law. Leviticus tell Israel farmers make dem no harvest reach di very edge of dia farm, and make dem no go back pick wetin fall. Di leftover na for di poor and for di foreigner. Deuteronomy add di widow and di orphan, and e talk say if you forget one bundle for di farm, you must leave am. Ruth na poor foreign widow. Di law bin dey think about people like her. Boaz go pass wetin di law talk.

Ruth day for di barley farm dey di book of Ruth, chapter two. Dis farms dey around Bethlehem, di same farms where, many hundred years after, shepherds go hear angels dey sing. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Boaz notice one person wey other people fit ignore, and e quietly make space for her. Who you fit notice, and how you fit leave small extra for dem?