1 Pea naʻe ʻia Naomi ha kāinga ʻo hono ʻunoho, ko e tangata koloaʻia lahi ʻaupito, ʻi he fale ʻo ʻElimeleki, pea ko hono hingoa ko Poasi. 2 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Lute ko e fefine Moape kia Naomi, “Ke ke tuku au ke u ʻalu ni ki he ngoue, pea tufi ʻae ngaahi ʻuluʻi uite ʻo muimui ʻiate ia, ʻaia te u maʻu ai ʻae fiemālie ʻi hono ʻao.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, “ʻĀ ʻeku tama, ke ke ʻalu.” 3 Pea naʻe ʻalu ia, pea hoko ʻo tufi ʻi he ngoue ʻo muimui ʻi he kau tuʻusi: pea tā ne mālie ʻia ʻene hoko ki he potu ʻoe ngoue naʻe ʻia Poasi, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he kāinga ʻo ʻElimeleki.

4 ¶ Pea, vakai, naʻe haʻu ʻa Poasi mei Petelihema, ʻo ne pehē ki he kau tuʻusi, “Ke ʻiate kimoutolu ʻa Sihova.” Pea naʻa nau tali ia ʻo pehē, “Ke tāpuaki koe ʻe Sihova.” 5 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Poasi ki heʻene tamaioʻeiki naʻe fakanofo ki he kau tuʻusi, “Ko e fefine ʻo hai eni?” 6 Pea leaange ʻe he tamaioʻeiki naʻe fakanofo ki he kau tuʻusi ʻo ne pehē, “Ko e fefine Moape ia naʻe haʻu mo Naomi mei he fonua ko Moape:” 7 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, tuku au ke u tufi ʻo tānaki muimui ʻi he kau tuʻusi ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe ngaahi ū: ko ia naʻe haʻu ai ia, pea kuo ne fai maʻuaipē ia, talu mei he pongipongi ki he feituʻulaʻā ni kuo ne afe siʻi pe ia ki he fale.” 8 Pea naʻe pehē ai ʻe Poasi kia Lute, “ʻE hoku ʻofefine, ʻoku ʻikai te ke fanongo? ʻOua naʻa ke ʻalu ki ha ngoue kehe ke tufi, pea ʻoua naʻa ke ʻalu mei heni, ka ke nofomaʻu pe ʻo ofi ki hoku kau fefine: 9 Ke ke sio pe ki he ngoue ʻoku nau tuʻusi, pea ke muimui ʻiate kinautolu: ʻikai kuo ʻosi ʻeku fekau ki he kau talavou ke ʻoua naʻa nau ala kiate koe? Pea ʻoka ke ka fieinu, ʻalu ki he ngaahi ʻaiʻanga inu ʻo inu, pea inu ʻaia kuo ʻutu ʻe he kau talavou.” 10 Pea naʻe tōmapeʻe ia ki hono mata, pea punou ia ki he kelekele, ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “Ko e hā kuo u ʻilo ai ʻae ʻofa ʻi ho ʻao, koeʻuhi ke ke fie tokanga ai kiate au, he ko e muli au?” 11 Pea naʻe tali ʻe Poasi ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “Kuo fakahā ʻo lahi kiate au, ʻaia kotoa pē kuo ke fai ki hoʻo faʻē ʻi he fono, talu ʻae pekia ʻa ho ʻunoho: pea mo hoʻo liʻaki hoʻo tamai mo hoʻo faʻē, pea mo e fonua naʻa ke tupu ai, pea kuo ke haʻu ki ha kakai naʻe ʻikai te ke tomuʻa ʻilo. 12 Ke totongi ʻe Sihova ʻa hoʻo ngāue, pea ke foaki kiate koe ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻae totongi lahi, ʻaia ko e kapakau ʻoʻona kuo ke haʻu ke falala ki ai.” 13 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Tuku ke u ʻilo ʻae ʻofa ʻi he ʻao ʻo hoku ʻeiki; he kuo ke fakafiemālieʻi au, pea kuo tau hoʻo lea ki he loto ʻo hoʻo kaunanga, neongo ʻoku ʻikai te u hangē ha taha ʻi hoʻo kaunanga.” 14 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Poasi kiate ia, ʻI he feituʻulaʻā kai ke ke haʻu ki heni, “Pea kai ʻi he mā, pea peke hoʻo konga mā ʻi he vaimahi.” Pea naʻe nofo ofi ia ki he kau tuʻusi: pea naʻa ne ʻatu kiate ia ʻae uite tunu, pea kai ʻe ia, pea mākona, pea naʻe toe. 15 Pea ʻi heʻene tuʻu hake ke tufi, naʻe fekau ʻe Poasi ki heʻene kau talavou, ʻo pehē, “Tuku ia ke tufi ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe ngaahi ū, pea ʻoua naʻa fakamā ia: 16 pea tuku ke ngangana ʻae ngaahi faluku koeʻuhi ke ne maʻu ia, pea tuku ai pe ia, koeʻuhi ke ne tufi ia, pea ʻoua naʻa valoki ia.” 17 Ko ia ne tufi ai ia ʻi he ngoue ko ia ʻo aʻu ki he efiafi pea naʻe tuki ʻe ia ʻaia kuo ne tufi: pea ko e efa nai ʻe taha ʻoe paʻale.

18 ¶ Pea naʻa ne toʻo hake ia, ʻo ʻalu ki he kolo: pea naʻe mamata ʻene faʻē ʻi he fono ki he meʻa naʻa ne tufi: pea ne ʻomi ia ʻo ʻatu ia kiate ia, ʻaia naʻa ne fakatoe, hili ʻene kai ʻo mākona. 19 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe heʻene faʻē ʻi he fono kiate ia, “Naʻa ke tufi ki fē he ʻaho ni? Pea naʻa ke ngāue ki fē koe?” Ke monūʻia pe ia ʻaia naʻa ne tokangaʻi koe. Pea naʻa ne fakahā ki heʻene faʻē ʻi he fono ʻaia naʻa ne ngāue mo ia, ʻo ne pehē, “Ko e tangata naʻaku ngāue ʻi ai he ʻaho ni ko Poasi hono hingoa.” 20 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Naomi ki heʻene tama ʻi he fono, “Ke monūʻia pe ia ʻia Sihova, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai tuku ʻene fai angaʻofa ki he moʻui, pea mo e mate.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Naomi kiate ia, “Ko e tangata kāinga ofi ia kiate kitaua, ko e tokotaha ʻo hota kāinga ʻoku ofi lahi.” 21 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Lute ko e fefine Moape, naʻa ne pehē foki kiate au, “Ke ke fai maʻu pe ke ofi ki heʻeku kau talavou, ke ʻoua ke ʻosi ʻeku tuʻusi ʻeku taʻu kotoa.” 22 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Naomi kia Lute ko ʻene tama ʻi he fono, “ʻA ʻeku tama, ʻOku lelei ia, koeʻuhi ke ke ʻalu kituʻa mo ʻene kau kaunanga, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa ʻilo koe ʻi ha ngoue kehe ʻe taha.” 23 Ko ia naʻe ʻalu maʻu pe ia mo e kau kaunanga ʻa Poasi, ke fai ʻene tufi ke ʻoua ke hili ʻae fetuku ʻae taʻu paʻale mo e taʻu uite: pea naʻe nofo ia mo ʻene faʻē ʻi he fono.