1 Nā, he whanaunga tō Naomi arā tō tāna tahu, he tangata taonga nui, nō te hapū o Erimereke; ko Poaha tōna ingoa.

2 Nā, ka mea a Rutu Moapi ki a Naomi, "Kia haere ahau ki te māra ki te hamu i ngā puku pārei i muri i te tangata e manakohia mai ai ahau."

Anō rā ko tērā, "Haere, e tāku tamāhine." 3 Nā, haere ana ia, ā, nō te taenga atu, ka hamu i te māra i muri i ngā kaikokoti; ā, tūpono noa ia ko te wāhi o te māra i a Poaha o te hapū o Erimereke.

4 Nā, ko te taenga o Poaha i Pēterehema, ka mea ki ngā kaikokoti, "Kia noho a Ihowā ki a koutou."

Anō rā ko rātou ki a ia, "Kia manaakitia koe e Ihowā."

5 Kātahi ka mea a Poaha ki tāna tangata i tohutohu nei i ngā kaikokoti, "Nā wai tēnei kōtiro?"

6 Nā, ka whakahoki te kaitohutohu i ngā kaikokoti, ka mea, "Ko te kōtiro Moapi tēnei i hoki tahi mai nei rāua ko Naomi i te whenua o Moapa. 7 I mea mai hoki ia, ‘Tukua ahau kia hamu, kia kohikohi i roto i ngā paihere, i muri i ngā kaikokoti.’ Heoi, haere ana ia, ā, i konei tonu ia o te ata iho anō ā tae mai ki nāianei; he iti nei tōna noho i te whare."

8 Nā, ka mea a Poaha ki a Rutu, "E kore rānei koe e rongo mai, e tāku tamāhine? Kaua e haere ki tētahi māra kē hamu ai; kaua anō e haere atu i konei; engari me noho tonu ki konei, ki āku kōtiro. 9 Kia matatau ōu kanohi ki te māra e kotia ana e rātou, ka whai i a rātou; kāhore ianei ahau i kī atu ki ngā taitamariki kia kaua rātou e pā ki a koe? E matewai hoki koe, haere ki ngā oko, inu ai i tā ngā taitamariki i utu mai ai."

10 Nā, ka tāpapa iho tērā, ka piko iho ki te whenua, ā, ka mea ki a ia, "Nā te aha koe i manako mai ai ki ahau, i mōhio ai hoki ki ahau, he manene nei hoki ahau?"

11 Nā, ka whakahoki a Poaha ka mea ki a ia, "Kua āta kōrerotia mai ki ahau ngā mea katoa i mea ai koe ki tōu hungawai i muri i te matenga o tāu tahu, tāu whakarerenga hoki i tōu pāpā, i tōu whaea, i te whenua anō i whānau ai koe, ā, haere mai ana ki te iwi kīhai i mōhiotia e koe i mua ake nei. 12 Mā Ihowā e utu tāu mahi; kia āta rite hoki te utu e hōmai ki a koe e Ihowā, e te Atua o Īharaira, kua tae mai nei hoki koe ki raro ki ōna parirau okioki ai."

13 Anō rā ko tērā, "Kia manakohia mai ahau, e tōku ariki; ka ora nei hoki tōku ngākau i a koe, he pai hoki tāu kupu ki tāu pononga; ko ahau ia kāhore e rite ki tētahi o āu pononga wāhine."

14 I mea anō a Poaha ki a ia i te wā i kai ai, "Haere mai ki konei, ki te kai taro māu, ka tuku hoki i tāu kongakonga ki roto ki te winika."

Nā, ka noho ia ki te taha o ngā kaikokoti, i hōmai anō e rātou he wīti pāhūhū māna. Nā, kai ana ia, ā, ka mākona, ā, toe ake. 15 Ā, i tōna whakatikanga ki te hamu, ka ako a Poaha i āna taitamariki, ka mea, "Kia hamu anō ia i roto i ngā paihere; kaua anō hoki ia e meinga kia whakamā. 16 Whakangahorotia anō ētahi kapunga māna, whakarērea atu kia kohia e ia, kaua hoki e rīria."

17 Nā, ka hamu ia i te māra ā ahiahi noa, ā, patupatua ana e ia āna i hamu ai; ā, me te mea kotahi te epa pārei. 18 Nā, tangohia ana e ia, ā, haere ana ki te pā, ā, ka kite tōna hungawai i āna i hamu ai; i whakaputaina anō e ia, i hōmai ki a ia ngā toenga i a ia kua mākona.

19 Nā, ka mea tōna hungawai ki a ia, "I hamu koe ki hea ināianei? I hea hoki, koe e mahi ana? Kia manaakitia te tangata i mōhio nā ki a koe."

Nā, kōrerotia ana e ia ki tōna hungawai te tangata i mahi nei ia ki a ia, ā, ka mea, "Ko te ingoa o te tangata i mahi nei ahau ki a ia ināianei ko Poaha."

20 Anō rā ko Naomi ki tāna hunaonga, "Kia manaakitia ia e Ihowā, kīhai nei tōna aroha i mahue ki te hunga ora, ki te hunga mate." Nā, ka mea a Naomi ki a ia, "He tata taua tangata ki a tāua, nō ō tāua whanaunga tupu."

21 Nā, ka mea anō a Rutu Moapi, "I mea mai anō hoki ia ki ahau, ‘Kia tata tonu koe ki āku tāngata, kia poto rā anō āku mea katoa te kokoti.’ "

22 Nā, ka mea a Naomi ki a Rutu, ki tāna hunaonga, "He pai, e tāku tamāhine, ki te haere tahi koe me āna kōtiro, kei rīria koe i te māra kē."

23 Nā, kei te whai tonu ia i ngā kōtiro a Poaha, ka hamu ā poto noa ngā pārei te kokoti, me te wīti hoki te kokoti; i tōna hungawai ia tōna nohoanga.