complete verse (Ruth 3:1 - 3:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:1-5:

  • Noongar: “Later, Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you so someone can look after you. Now, this man, Boaz, is our relative. You have been working beside his young women. Boaz will thresh his wheat at his threshing floor tonight. Go, wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Go to the threshing floor, but don’t let him see you until he stops eating and drinking. When he sleeps, watch where he is lying, then go and uncover his feet and lie there. He will tell you what you must do.’ Ruth said to her, ‘Everything you say, I will do.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “After that, Naomi told Ruth: ‘Child! It is good for me to seek a husband for you, so that you can have a family and be well/at peace like others. Now you know Boaz because you have been following the women who work for him. Boaz is really of our clan and very close. And this evening he is coming to guard the place where they thresh his grain. So you bathe and put on perfume and wear new clothing. Then you go to the place where they are threshing Boaz’s grain. But don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. When he goes to sleep, you watch where that is. When he is sleeping soundly, then you go and lift the blanket from his legs/feet. Then you sleep near his feet. And whatever he tells you, you do that.’ Then Ruth answered her mother-in-law: ‘All that you have instructed me, surely I will follow all your words.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “One day, Noemi said to Ruth, ‘Child, I want you(sg) to marry now for your(sg) good. There-is [is-it-not-so] Boaz our(incl) relative, whose female servants you(sg) have-been- working -with. You(sg) know (what), tonight he will-be-winnowing/[lit. causing/allowing-wind-to-blow-through] the barley. Therefore take a bath, put-on-perfume, and wear your(sg) best clothes. Then go to the place-of-threshing, but do- not -show-(yourself) to him until he has-finished eating and drinking. When he is-going-to-sleep, you(sg) watch/observe where he will-lie-down. And when he is asleep, go-to him and lift-up the blanket at his feet and you sleep there. Then he will-tell you(sg) what you(sg) will-do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will-do all what you(sg) have-said.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, I think that I should try to arrange for you to have a husband who will take care of/provide for you. Boaz, the man with whose servant girls you have been gathering grain, is a close relative of our dead husbands. Listen carefully. Tonight he will be at the ground where the barley has been threshed. He will be separating the barley grain from the chaff. Bathe yourself and put on some perfume. Put on your best clothes. Then go down to the ground where they have threshed the grain. But do not let Boaz know that you are there while he is eating supper and drinking. When he has finished eating, notice where he lies down to sleep. Then when he is asleep, take the blanket off his feet and lie close to his feet. When he wakes up, he will tell you what to do.’ Ruth replied, ‘I will do everything that you have told me to do.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ruth 3:5

The Hebrew text has simply “and she said….” However, in view of the fact that there is a change in the one who is speaking, it is often better to make the subject (Ruth) explicit: “Ruth answered” or “Ruth responded” (see New American Bible, New English Bible, and Good News Translation).

In a number of Hebrew manuscripts and in various versions, the pronoun “me” is added. This variant reading is found in Q, in a number of manuscripts Kennicott de Rossi, and in the Ginsburg text. Moreover, it is also found in many Targum and Syriac manuscripts. Hence the statement of Ruth may be rendered as “I will do everything you have told me” or “… whatever you tell me” (New English Bible).

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Ruth. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

respectful form of "say/speak" (ossharu )

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, ossharu (おっしゃる), the respectful form of iu (言う) or “say / speak” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:5

3:5

This verse gives Ruth’s reply to Naomi. In Hebrew, verse 5 begins with a common conjunction that introduces the next event. The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this conjunction here.

Here are some ways to begin this sentence:

And (English Standard Version)
-or-
Then (New Century Version)

“I will do everything you say,” Ruth answered: In many languages, it is more natural to put the quote introducer at the beginning of the sentence. For example:

Ruth answered, “I will do everything you say.” (Good News Translation)

I will do everything you say: There is a minor textual issue here. Many Hebrew manuscripts include a word that means “to me” at the end of this clause. Here are the two options:

(1) The words “to me” should not be included.

(2) The words “to me” should be included. For example:

I shall do everything you tell me. (New Jerusalem Bible)

The Notes will follow option (1), but there is little practical difference in meaning. In some languages, it may be more natural to follow a wording like the New Jerusalem Bible.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I will do everything you say. (New Century Version)
-or-
All that you say I will do (English Standard Version)
-or-
I will do what/as you say.

Ruth: The Hebrew text does not use Ruth’s name here but refers to her by the pronoun “she.” You should follow whatever approach is natural in your language.

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