Di Relative Wey Redeem

Midnight for one threshing floor. Dem don gather di harvest, di workers don sleep, and one man wake up sharp. Somebody lie down for im leg side. Who you be? e whisper. And one quiet voice answer: Na me, Ruth.

Di barley and wheat harvest don finish. All di season, Ruth dey glean for Boaz farm, and e don dey kind to her. But grain wey she gather for few weeks no go last forever. Naomi don dey think. Her husband family bin get land near Bethlehem before, and Boaz na close relative, one of di family redeemers. For Israel, redeemer na relative wey get right to buy back family land and rescue im people wey dey suffer. So Naomi plan something. My daughter, she talk, I no suppose find home for you, where e go better for you?

Tonight, Naomi talk, Boaz go dey winnow barley for di threshing floor. Baff, wear your best cloth, and go down. When e lie down to sleep, go open di cloth for im leg and lie down there. E go tell you wetin to do. Ruth answer, I go do everything wey you talk. So she go. Boaz chop, e drink, and e lie down with belle full for di end of di grain heap. Ruth come softly lie down for im leg side. For midnight e wake up, e shock. Who you be? Na me Ruth, your servant, she talk. Spread your cloth cover your servant, because you be close relative. Na bold request wey get respect, wey use di language of marriage: take me under your protection, as your wife.

Di thing touch Boaz. Make di Lord bless you, my daughter, e talk. Dis kindness big pass di first one. You no follow young men, whether dem rich or poor. No fear. I go do everything wey you ask, because di whole town know say you be woman of worth. But one problem dey. One relative dey wey close pass me. If e go redeem you, fine. If e no gree, as di Lord dey alive, I go do am. Stay until morning. Before day break, before anybody fit recognise her, Boaz pour six measures of barley inside her wrapper and send her home. Naomi hear everything and she smile. Wait, my daughter. Dis man no go rest until e settle di matter today.

Boaz go up to di town gate and siddon. Di relative wey close pass come pass, and Boaz call am. Then e gather ten elders as witness. Naomi dey sell di land wey belong to Elimelech, e talk. If you go redeem am, do am. I go redeem am, di man talk. Then Boaz add: di day wey you buy di farm, you go also take Ruth di Moab woman, di dead man widow, to keep im name alive for im inheritance. Di man hold back. Then I no fit, e talk, make I no spoil my own inheritance. You redeem am. E pull im sandal comot and give Boaz. And Boaz announce to di elders and all di people: una be witness today. I don buy everything wey be Elimelech own. And Ruth go be my wife. Di people answer: we be witness. Make di Lord make her like Rachel and Leah, wey build di house of Israel.

Di sandal na di book own detail. Ruth chapter four stop di story to explain am: for old time for Israel, to confirm say right don change hand, one man go pull im sandal comot give di other one. Na so dem dey take witness for Israel. To waka on top land na picture of say you own am, so to give your sandal mean say, I don give up my right to waka here. And di town gate na where dem dey do dat kind business. Di elders dey siddon there, di whole town dey pass there, and anybody fit be witness.

You go find dis story for Ruth chapter three and four. One relative step in, pay di price, and bring one outsider enter di family. Since long time, Christians dey see Boaz as picture of Jesus, wey born for di same town, wey come to redeem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin e mean to you say somebody go gladly pay di cost to bring you home?