Ruth and Boaz: Di Redeemer

Midnight for one threshing floor outside Bethlehem. Di harvest don enter. One man wake up sharp for dark, and e realise say somebody dey lie down for im feet.

Di barley and wheat harvests don finish. Ruth, di young widow from Moab, don spend weeks dey pick grain for di fields of Boaz, one kind relative of her mother-in-law Naomi wey people respect. And Naomi don dey think. My daughter, she talk, I no suppose find you home, where you go settle and people go take care of you? Boaz na our relative. Tonight e go dey winnow barley for di threshing floor. Then she tell Ruth wetin she go do. Wash your body, put perfume and your best clothes, and go down to di threshing floor. Notice where e lie down. Then go, open di cloth for im feet, and lie down there. E go tell you wetin you go do. Ruth answer simple. I go do everything wey you talk.

So Ruth go down for dark. Boaz chop and drink, and as im mind dey happy, e lie down for di far end of di grain heap. Ruth come quietly, open di cloth for im feet, and lie down. For midnight Boaz move, turn, and see one woman dey lie down for im feet. Who you be? Na me Ruth, your servant. Spread di corner of your cloth cover me, because you be redeemer. Na bold request, and na request wey get respect. Most readers understand am as marriage proposal. Before, Boaz don pray say Ruth go find refuge under God wings. Di Hebrew word for wings fit also mean di corner of cloth. Ruth dey ask Boaz make e become di answer to im own prayer.

Dis one touch Boaz heart. Make Di Lord bless you, my daughter. Dis kindness big pass di first one. You no follow young men, whether dem rich or poor. Now, no fear. I go do everything wey you ask. Everybody for town know say you be woman wey get good character. But one problem dey. E true say I be redeemer. But another relative dey wey close pass me. Stay here tonight. For morning, if e go redeem you, good. If e no go, as Di Lord dey alive, I go do am. Before day break, Ruth get up. Boaz pour six measures of barley inside her shawl and send her go house. Naomi hear di whole story and smile. Wait, my daughter. Dat man no go rest until e settle di matter today.

Boaz go straight to di town gate come sit down. And di same relative wey e talk about come pass. Di book never give im name. Boaz call am, like say, My friend, come here, sit down. Then e gather ten elders of di town as witnesses. Naomi dey sell di piece of land wey belong to our relative Elimelech, Boaz talk. You get di first right to buy am back. If you go redeem am, talk am. If no, tell me, because na me dey next. I go redeem am. Then Boaz add, Di day wey you buy di field from Naomi, you also take Ruth di Moabite, di dead man widow, to keep im name alive for im land. Di man draw back quick. Then I no fit redeem am. E fit spoil my own inheritance. I no fit do am. And e pull im sandal comot give Boaz.

Boaz turn to di elders and all di people. Una be witnesses today. I don buy from Naomi everything wey belong to Elimelech and im sons. And I don also take Ruth di Moabite as my wife, so dat di dead man name no go disappear. We be witnesses, dem answer, and dem bless am. Make Di Lord make dis woman like Rachel and Leah, wey together build di house of Israel. So Boaz marry Ruth, and Di Lord give her son. Di women of Bethlehem gather round Naomi. Praise Di Lord, wey no leave you without redeemer today! Dis child go renew your life and take care of you when you old. Because your son wife, wey love you, better for you pass seven sons. Naomi carry di baby for her arms and take care of am. Di neighbours name am Obed. Obed become di papa of Jesse, and Jesse become di papa of David, di greatest king for Israel. Di woman wey come back empty don full again.

Di sandal na di paperwork. Di book of Ruth stop to explain am, because even by di time wey dem write di story down, di custom don old. For di old days for Israel, e talk, when people settle matter of redeeming or exchanging property, one man go pull im sandal comot give di other one. And everything happen for di town gate. For ancient Israel, di gate na far pass door. Na there di elders dey sit, na there people dey meet, and na there dem dey settle business and court case for open, for front of witnesses.

Ruth and Boaz. You go find am for di book of Ruth, chapter three and four. One foreign widow, one generous redeemer, and one grandmama wey carry baby wey go be di grandpapa of King David. Matthew Gospel call Ruth name for di family line of Jesus. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you don see God dey work quietly through ordinary kindness?