“Ples Iu Go lo Hem, Bae Mi Go Tu”

1, 2. (a) Storyim gogo blo Ruth and Naomi and sorre feeling wea tufala mas deal witim. (b) Hao nao situation blo Ruth hem difren from Naomi?

RUTH wakabaot witim Naomi followim wanfala long road lo flat ples blo Moab. Tufala seleva nomoa wakabaot lo datfala big waed open area. Imaginim, Ruth lukim dat sun start for gogo daon, then hem luk lo mami-in-law blo hem and ting raonem sapos olketa savve faendem wanfala ples for rest lo datfala naet. Ruth lovem tumas Naomi and willing for duim eni samting for lukaftarem Naomi.

² Tufala woman hia deal witim wei for sorre tumas. Naomi hem wanfala widow for staka year finis. Bat hem deal witim nara samting moa, tufala son blo hem Chilion and Mahlon just dae. Mahlon nao hasband blo Ruth and Ruth mas deal witim sorre feeling bihaen hasband blo hem dae. Ruth and Naomi tufala travel go for sem ples wea hem taon blo Bethlehem lo Israel. Bat, situation blo tufala no semsem. Naomi go bak lo hom blo hem. Bat Ruth go for wanfala ples wea hem no bin kasem bifor. Hem lusim famili blo hem, hom blo hem, evri kastom blo hem, and lusim tu olketa god blo hem.—Readim Ruth 1:3-6.

3. Olketa wanem kwestin nao bae iumi kasem ansa blo hem wea bae helpem iumi for garem sem faith olsem Ruth?

³ Wat nao muvim datfala young woman for mekem big change olsem? Hao nao Ruth kasem strong wea helpem hem for startim wanfala niu laef and for lukaftarem Naomi? Taem iumi lane abaotem datwan, bae iumi lukim staka wei blo Ruth, datfala woman blo Moab, and datwan bae mekem iumi laek for garem sem faith olsem hem. (Lukim tu box “Smol Buk wea Garem Naesfala Story.”) Firstaem, bae iumi storyim hao nao gogo, tufala woman hia followim datfala long road for go lo Bethlehem.

Famili wea Divaed Bikos lo Dae

4, 5. (a) Why nao famili blo Naomi muv lo Moab? (b) Olketa wanem challenge nao Naomi feisim lo Moab?

⁴ Ruth grow ap lo Moab, wea hem wanfala smol kantri lo east blo Dead Sea. Datfala flat area hem no garem staka tree bat hem fulap lo staka grass and olketa smol valley. Olketa land lo “Moab” barava naes tumas for plantim kaikai, nomata taem wea bigfala hangere kasem Israel. Really, bikos lo bigfala hangere wea kasem Israel, Mahlon and famili blo hem mas muv and hem nao hao Ruth meetim olketa.—Ruth 1:1.

⁵ Datfala hangere wea kasem Israel mekem Elimelech, hasband blo Naomi, for tekem waef and tufala son blo hem for go stap olsem foreigner lo Moab. Datwan hem wanfala challenge for faith blo each famili member, bikos olketa Israelite need for evritaem worship lo ples wea Jehovah markem for olketa. (Deut. 16:16, 17) Naomi gohed for garem strong faith. Nomata olsem, hem barava sorre tumas taem hasband blo hem dae.—Ruth 1:2, 3.

6, 7. (a) Why nao maet Naomi hem wari taem olketa son blo hem maritim olketa woman lo Moab? (b) Why nao Naomi fit for kasem praise lo wei wea hem treatim olketa dota-in-law blo hem?

⁶ Taem tufala son blo hem maritim tufala woman lo Moab, maet Naomi kasem nara challenge moa. (Ruth 1:4) Naomi savve Abraham, wea hem laen dadi blo hem, duim best blo hem for faendem waef for son blo hem Isaac, from pipol wea worshipim Jehovah. (Gen. 24:3, 4) Law blo Moses tu remindim olketa Israelite for no letem olketa son and dota blo olketa for maritim eni foreigner, bikos datwan bae mekem pipol blo God for worshipim idol.—Deut. 7:3, 4.

⁷ Nomata olsem, Mahlon and Chilion maritim tufala woman from Moab. Iumi no savve sapos Naomi maet wari or feel nogud, bat hem showimaot hem lovem and barava kaen lo olketa dota-in-law blo hem, Ruth and Orpah. Maet hem hope dat wanday, bae olketa woman hia worshipim Jehovah tu olsem hem. Samting iumi sure lo hem nao, Ruth and Orpah barava lovem Naomi. Gudfala wei wea olketa fren tugeta helpem olketa for deal witim hard taem wea olketa kasem. Taem tufala young woman hia no garem pikinini yet, tufala kamap widow.—Ruth 1:5.

8. Wat nao mekem Ruth for laek lane abaotem Jehovah?

⁸ Waswe, religion blo Ruth nao redyim hem for olketa hard taem hia? Nomoa, bikos olketa Moabite worshipim staka god, main wan nao hem Chemosh. (Num. 21:29) Religion blo Moab hem semsem nomoa olsem olketa nara religion lo datfala taem, wea olketa savve killim pipol and duim olketa barava nogud samting, olsem wei for sakrifaesim olketa pikinini. Wanem Ruth hem lanem from Mahlon or Naomi abaotem Jehovah, God blo Israel wea garem love and showimaot mercy, helpem hem for luksavve Jehovah hem barava difren from olketa god blo hem. Jehovah rulim pipol blo hem witim love and hem no mekem pipol blo hem for fraet. (Readim Deuteronomy 6:5.) Taem hasband blo Ruth dae, datwan mekem hem moa klos lo Naomi. And hem willing for lisin lo datfala olo woman taem hem story abaotem olmaeti God Jehovah, olketa nambawan waka blo hem, and wei wea hem garem love and showimaot mercy taem hem deal witim pipol blo hem.

9-11. (a) Wat nao Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah disaedem? (b) Wat nao iumi savve lanem from olketa hard taem wea kasem Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah?

⁹ Naomi hem barava laek for herem eni nius from hom blo hem. Wanday, hem herem nius from wanfala bisnisman wea travel kam, hao hangere lo Israel hem finis nao. Jehovah blessim moa pipol blo hem. Bethlehem wea nem blo hem minim “Haos blo Bred,” garem staka kaikai moa. So Naomi disaed for go bak hom.—Ruth 1:6.

¹⁰ Wat nao Ruth and Orpah duim? (Ruth 1:7) From hard taem wea olketa go thru lo hem, tufala barava klos lo Naomi. Especially Ruth hem barava klos lo Naomi bikos lo wei wea Naomi hem kaen and faithful lo Jehovah. Thrifala widow hia redi for go lo Judah tugeta.

¹¹ Story blo Ruth remindim iumi hao olketa hard taem and dae savve kasem olketa gud and honest pipol, and olketa nogud pipol tu. (Eccl. 9:2, 11) Hem showimaot tu dat taem iumi feisim olketa hard taem olsem, hem wise for iumi kasem comfort and help from olketa narawan, especially olketa wea trustim Jehovah, datfala God wea Naomi worshipim.—Prov. 17:17.

Loyal Love blo Ruth

12, 13. Why nao Naomi laekem Ruth and Orpah for go bak lo hom blo tufala and for no followim hem, and firstaem wat nao tingting blo tufala young woman hia?

¹² Taem thrifala widow hia start for go farawe nao from Moab, Naomi hem start for warim nara samting. Hem tingim tufala young woman hia wea wakabaot witim hem and love wea tufala showimaot for tufala son blo hem. Hem no laek for addim moa hard taem wea tufala kasem finis. Sapos tufala lusim hom blo tufala and go witim hem, wat nao bae hem duim lo Bethlehem for helpem tufala?

¹³ Then Naomi sei lo tufala: “Iutufala go bak and stay witim mami blo iutufala. Jehovah bae showim loyal love lo iutufala olsem hao iutufala showim loyal love lo tufala hasband blo iutufala wea dae, and lo mi tu.” Naomi talem tufala tu hao Jehovah bae blessim tufala witim olketa niu hasband and niu famili. Bible sei: “Hem kissim tufala, and evriwan krae big.” Hem isi nomoa for iumi minim why Ruth and Orpah feel klos lo Naomi bikos hem wanfala woman wea kaen and showim love. Tufala evriwan sei lo hem: “Nomoa, mitufala bae go witim iu lo olketa pipol blo iu.”—Ruth 1:8-10.

14, 15. (a) Wat nao mekem Orpah for go bak? (b) Wat nao Naomi duim for trae mekem Ruth for go bak?

¹⁴ Nomata olsem, tingting blo Naomi hem no change. Hem trae for talem tufala hao lo Israel, hem bae no savve duim staka samting for tufala from hem no garem eni hasband, no eni son moa for tufala maritim and hem no savve mekem eni arrangement for tufala. Hem talem tufala hao hem no fit for lukaftarem tufala, datwan nao mekem hem sorre tumas. Taem Orpah herem samting wea Naomi talem, datwan kasem tingting blo hem. Hem garem famili lo Moab, mami blo hem lo there and hem garem ples for stap tu. So hem olraet nomoa for hem stap lo Moab. So nomata hem sorre tumas, hem kissim Naomi, baebae lo hem and hem go bak nao.—Ruth 1:11-14.

¹⁵ Waswe lo Ruth? Wanem Naomi talem hem fitim Ruth tu. Nomata olsem, Bible sei: “Bat Ruth no laek for lusim Naomi.” Luk olsem, Naomi hem gohed wakabaot and hem lukim dat Ruth hem gohed for wakabaot kam bihaen hem. Hem talem hem moa: “Lukim! Sista-in-law blo iu hem go bak lo pipol blo hem and olketa god blo hem. Iu go bak witim sista-in-law blo iu.” (Ruth 1:15) Toktok blo Naomi hem garem wanfala important information insaed for iumi evriwan. Orpah hem no just go bak nomoa lo pipol blo hem, bat hem go bak tu lo “olketa god blo hem.” Hem hapi nomoa for gohed worshipim Chemosh and olketa nara false god. Waswe, Ruth hem ting olsem tu?

16-18. (a) Hao nao Ruth showimaot loyal love? (b) Wat nao iumi savve lanem from Ruth abaotem loyal love? (Lukim piksa blo tufala woman hia.)

¹⁶ Taem Ruth and Naomi rest followim road, lo heart blo Ruth, hem barava sure lo disison blo hem. Hem lovem tumas Naomi and hem lovem God wea Naomi worshipim. So Ruth sei: “Plis, iu no talem mi for lusim iu, and for go bak. Ples iu go lo hem, bae mi go tu, and ples wea iu sleep lo hem, bae mi sleep lo hem tu. Pipol blo iu bae pipol blo mi, and God blo iu bae God blo mi. Ples wea iu dae, bae mi dae lo hem tu, and lo there nao bae olketa berem mi. Dae nomoa bae separatem iumi tufala. Sapos mi brekem disfala promis bae Jehovah mas panisim mi.”—Ruth 1:16, 17.

¹⁷ Toktok wea Ruth talem, hem barava important bikos nomata winim 3,000 year bihaen hem dae, pipol still savve lo wanem hem talem. Tufala barava showimaot disfala nambawan wei, loyal love. Strong love wea Ruth garem and wei wea hem loyal nao mekem hem stap witim Naomi nomata wea nao hem go. Dae nomoa savve separatem tufala. Pipol blo Naomi kamap pipol blo hemseleva tu, Ruth hem willing for lusim evriting wea hem savve abaotem Moab, even olketa Moabite god tu. Ruth hem no olsem Orpah, Ruth laekem Jehovah, God blo Naomi, for kamap God blo hemseleva tu.a

¹⁸ So tufala seleva nomoa gohed for wakabaot, lo datfala long road for kasem Bethlehem. Olketa estimatem hao datfala gogo maet hem savve tekem samting olsem wan week. Nomata tufala evriwan sorre tumas, tufala evriwan kasem comfort from each other.

19. Lo tingting blo iu, hao nao iumi savve showimaot loyal love olsem Ruth, insaed lo famili, witim olketa frens, and insaed kongregeson?

¹⁹ Lo disfala world, evriwan experiencem wei for sorre. Iumi stap lo taem wea Bible sei, “evri samting bae hard tumas,” iumi feisim olketa difren kaen hard taem, insaed diswan hem wei for sorre taem samwan dae. (2 Tim. 3:1) Hem barava important winim enitaem bifor, for iumi garem datfala wei blo Ruth. Loyal love, hem kaen love wea taem iumi garem for samwan, iumi bae laek for gohed faithful lo hem and no laek for let go. Hem wanfala fasin wea garem strong paoa and hem gud for garem datwan lo disfala nogud world. Iumi needim datwan lo marit blo iumi, insaed lo famili, taem iumi fren witim olketa narawan, and iumi needim insaed lo Christian kongregeson. (Readim 1 John 4:7, 8, 20.) Taem iumi mekem grow datkaen love, iumi followim nambawan example blo Ruth.

Ruth and Naomi Kasem Bethlehem

20-22. (a) Hao nao laef blo Naomi lo Moab hem affectim hem? (b) Naomi garem wat kaen tingting wea no stret abaotem olketa hard taem wea hem kasem? (Lukim tu James 1:13.)

²⁰ For storyim loyal love hem isi nomoa. Bat for duim samting for pruvim iumi garem datfala wei, hem no isi. Ruth garem chance for pruvim loyal love blo hem no just lo Naomi nomoa, bat lo Jehovah God tu, wea hemseleva chus for worshipim.

²¹ Tufala woman hia kasem Bethlehem, wanfala vilij wea stap 10 kilometer south lo Jerusalem. Luk olsem, pipol lo datfala smol taon tinghae lo famili blo Naomi bifor, bikos taem Naomi kam bak evriwan story abaotem hem. Olketa woman lo there luk strong lo hem and sei: “Naomi nao ia?” Luk olsem, samting wea happen lo Naomi lo Moab hem barava changem hem, maet lukluk blo hem and hao hem duim samting, hem showimaot lo olketa year wea go pas hem garem laef wea barava hard and hem sorre tumas.—Ruth 1:19.

²² Naomi story lo olketa relative and olketa neiba blo hem hao hem barava kasem olketa hard taem lo laef blo hem. Hem even laekem for olketa changem nem blo hem from Naomi wea minim “Samting wea Mekem Mi Hapi,” go lo Mara wea minim “Saoa.” Sorre lo Naomi! Gogo hem feel olsem Job bifor, hem tingse Jehovah God nao mekem olketa hard taem hia for kasem hem.—Ruth 1:20, 21; Job 2:10; 13:24-26.

23. Wat nao Ruth start for ting raonem, and wanem arrangement nao law blo Moses mekem for olketa wea poor? (Lukim tu footnote.)

²³ Taem tufala woman hia setol lo Bethlehem, Ruth start for ting raonem, wat nao hem savve duim for lukaftarem hemseleva and Naomi. Ruth faendaot dat insaed Law wea Jehovah givim lo pipol blo hem lo Israel, hem garem tu wanfala loving arrangement for olketa wea poor. Olketa savve go lo field lo taem blo harvest, and followim olketa pipol wea harvestim olketa kaikai. Then olketa savve kolektem olketa leftova wea stap lo saed blo field.b—Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19-21.

24, 25. Wat nao Ruth duim taem hem go lo farm blo Boaz, and wat nao insaed lo disfala waka for kolektem grain?

²⁴ Hem taem for harvestim barley, luk olsem datwan hem lo month blo April lo kalenda blo iumi distaem, and Ruth go lo field for lukim sapos olketa savve letem hem for kolektem kaikai followim datfala arrangement. Hem kasem farm blo wanfala man wea nem blo hem Boaz. Hem wanfala rich landowner and hem relative blo Elimelech, hasband blo Naomi. Nomata law givim hem raet for kolektem grain, hem no just go and duim datwan, hem askem firstaem wanfala young man wea lukaftarem olketa wea waka for harvestim grain. Taem datfala young man letem hem for waka, Ruth stretawe go and waka.—Ruth 1:22–2:3, 7.

²⁵ Imaginim, Ruth hem waka followim olketa wea harvestim barley. Taem olketa katem barley, Ruth bend daon and pikimap wat olketa dropim or lusim bihaen, then hem mekem lo bandol and hem karem go lo wanfala ples wea hem bae hamarem olketa barley hia for kasem grain. Hem wanfala waka wea slow, and mekem man taed and hem hard go moa taem hem gogo for midol day. Nomata olsem, Ruth hem gohed for waka. Hem savve stop only for waepem swet from feis blo hem, and for kaikaim lelebet kaikai lo ples for rest wea olketa wakem for olketa wakaman savve sidaon shade lo hem.

26, 27. Wanem kaen man nao Boaz, and hao nao hem treatim Ruth?

²⁶ Luk olsem, Ruth no tingim or expectim samwan bae laek for savve abaotem hem, bat Boaz lukim hem and askem datfala young man for savve hu nao datfala woman. Boaz wea garem faith, savve greetim olketa wakaman blo hem, samfala lo olketa stap klosap and kam labor nomoa, and olketa narawan maet foreigner. Hem savve sei lo olketa: “Jehovah stap witim iufala,” and olketa wakaman hia bae greetim hem olsem tu. Datfala spiritual mature man laek for duim gud samting for Ruth olsem wanfala dadi.—Ruth 2:4-7.

²⁷ Boaz kolem Ruth “gele blo mi.” Hem talem Ruth for no go lo eni nara farm moa for kolektem olketa leftova grain, bat hem shud waka klosap lo olketa young woman wea waka for hem, nogud eni man duim nogud samting lo hem. Hem mek sure Ruth hem garem kaikai lo lunch. (Readim Ruth 2:8, 9, 14.) Main samting nao, hem praisem and encouragem Ruth. Hao nao hem duim datwan?

28, 29. (a) Wanem kaen wei nao Ruth garem? (b) Hao nao iu savve olsem Ruth wea kasem protection from Jehovah?

²⁸ Taem Ruth askem Boaz why hem kaen tumas lo hem nomata hem wanfala foreigner, Boaz talem hem dat hem herem finis evri samting wea hem duim for mami-in-law blo hem, Naomi. Luk olsem, Naomi hem praisem Ruth taem hem story witim olketa woman lo Bethlehem and Boaz herem datfala story. Hem savve tu dat Ruth hem chus for worshipim Jehovah. So Boaz sei lo Ruth: “Jehovah bae blessim iu for olketa samting wea iu duim, and iu bae kasem bigfala reward from Jehovah wea hem God blo Israel, wea iu kam for hem protectim iu andanit lo wing blo hem.”—Ruth 2:12, ftn.

²⁹ Samting wea Boaz talem barava encouragem Ruth! Hem disaed strong for kasem protection anda lo wing blo Jehovah God, olsem hao wanfala smol bird kasem protection from parents blo hem. Ruth hem thankiu lo Boaz for wei wea hem encouragem hem. And hem gohed for waka go kasem evening.—Ruth 2:13, 17.

30, 31. Wat nao iumi savve lanem from Ruth abaotem wei for waka hard, tinghae, and for garem loyal love?

³⁰ Samting wea Ruth duim hem showimaot hem garem faith and hem wanfala nambawan example for iumi evriwan distaem wea stragol for deal witim taem wea selen hem hard. Ruth no tingse olketa narawan nao mas duim samting for hem, bat hem showimaot hem tinghae lo evri samting wea hem kasem. Hem no feel shame for duim waka wea pipol daonem and for waka for staka hour bikos hem duim datwan for lukaftarem olketa wea hem lovem. Ruth acceptim and followim olketa wise advaes wea hem kasem abaotem safety lo waka and for associate witim olketa gud pipol. Samting wea moa important nao, hem evritaem trustim Dadi wea protectim hem, Jehovah God.

³¹ Faith blo iumi bae hem kamap gudfala example for olketa narawan, sapos iumi showimaot loyal love olsem Ruth and followim example blo hem, lo wei for hambol, waka hard, and garem wei for tinghae. Nomata olsem, hao nao Jehovah provaed for Ruth and Naomi? Bae iumi storyim diswan lo next chapter.