Ruth and Naomi: Where You Go, I Go Go

Three women stand for one dusty road, dem dey cry. All three na widows. One wan turn go back. One wan continue alone. And one wan talk words wey people still go dey repeat three thousand years after.

Dis story happen for di days when di judges dey rule Israel. Famine hit Bethlehem, and e pain well well, because Bethlehem mean house of bread. So one man wey dem dey call Elimelech carry im wife Naomi and dia two sons cross Jordan go di land of Moab, where food dey. Di sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then sorrow come, one after another. Elimelech die. About ten years after, di two sons die too. Naomi remain without husband, without sons, and far from home.

Then news come. Di Lord don come help im people for Judah and give dem food again. So Naomi start journey go back house, and her two sons wives go with her. But for road, Naomi stop. Make each of una go back to una mama house. Make Di Lord show una kindness as una don show kindness to di people wey don die and to me. She kiss dem, and dem cry loud. No, we go go with you to your people. Turn back, my daughters. Why una go follow me? I no get any more sons wey una go marry. Di hand of Di Lord don go out against me. Orpah cry, kiss her mother-in-law goodbye, and go house. Di book no blame her; na wetin Naomi ask. But Ruth hold Naomi and she no gree leave am.

No force me make I leave you, or make I turn back from following you. Where you go, I go go. Where you stay, I go stay. Your people go be my people, and your God go be my God. Where you die, I go die, and na there dem go bury me. Make Di Lord punish me, no matter how heavy, if anything apart from death separate you and me.

When Naomi see say Ruth don make up her mind, she no talk again. Di two of dem continue to waka until dem reach Bethlehem, and di whole town shake. Na Naomi be dis? Her name mean sweet. No call me Naomi, she talk. Call me Mara, wey mean bitter. I comot full, but Di Lord don bring me back empty. Empty. But for true, she no dey empty. Ruth dey stand beside her. And dem reach just as di barley harvest dey begin.

Di two women need food. So Ruth go out to pick di grain wey di harvesters leave behind. And she happen, di book talk, to enter di field of one man wey dem dey call Boaz, one relative of Elimelech. Happen. Boaz come from town come greet im workers. Make Di Lord dey with una! Make Di Lord bless you! dem answer. Then e notice Ruth. Who get dat young woman? Na di Moabite wey come back with Naomi. She don dey work since morning, she no rest at all. Boaz go meet her. Stay for my field. Stay near my young women. I don tell di men make dem no disturb you. When thirst catch you, drink from di water pots. Ruth bow reach ground. Why you dey kind to me like dis, me wey be stranger? I don hear everything wey you don do for your mother-in-law, Boaz talk. You leave your papa and mama and your own country to come live among people wey you no know. Make Di Lord pay you back. Make di God of Israel, wey you don come hide under im wings, reward you well well. For time to chop, e give her roasted grain, more than wetin she fit chop. And quietly e tell im workers, Make she pick even among di bundles. Pull some stalks comot for her on purpose, and leave dem.

Dat evening Ruth carry about one ephah of barley go house, one big amount for one day picking. Naomi just dey look. Where you go pick today? Blessed be di man wey notice you! Im name na Boaz. And for di first time after long time, Naomi voice rise. Di Lord never stop to show im kindness, to di living and to di dead! Dat man na our close relative. E be one of our redeemers. So Ruth continue to pick for Boaz fields until di barley and wheat harvests finish, and she live with her mother-in-law. Di story never finish. But hope don come back home to Bethlehem.

Why Ruth even fit pick grain for stranger field? Because God law make space for people like her. For di books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, God tell Israel farmers make dem no harvest reach di edge of dia fields, and make dem no go back for bundles wey dem forget. Di leftover na for di poor, di stranger, di orphan and di widow. Ruth na stranger and widow at di same time. Boaz do far pass wetin di law require. But di law itself don already open door for her.

Ruth and Naomi. You go find am for di book of Ruth, chapter one and two. Naomi talk say she come back empty. But God send her back with Ruth, and soon with hands wey full of grain. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who for your life need person wey go talk say, I dey stay with you?