1-3. (a) Hao nao iumi savve iumi tu savve fren witim God? (b) Hu nao bae iumi storyim long disfala study?

THRIFALA taem nao Bible sei Abraham hem fren bilong God. (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; Jas. 2:23) Bible no storyim eni nara man or woman long wei olsem. Waswe, Abraham nomoa hem fren bilong Jehovah? Nomoa. Bible showimaot iumi evriwan savve kamap fren bilong God.

² Bible storyim staka man and woman wea faithful, olketa fraet long Jehovah, and olketa fren gud witim Hem. (Readim Psalm 25:14.) Aposol Paul story abaotem “bigfala sekson bilong olketa witness,” wea olketa fren gud witim God.—Heb. 12:1.

³ Distaem bae iumi story abaotem thrifala wea fren gud witim Jehovah wea Bible storyim: (1) Ruth, wea hem faithful widow woman from Moab, (2) Hezekiah, wanfala king long Judah wea faithful, and (3) Mary, mami bilong Jesus. Wanem nao iumi savve lanem from example bilong olketa?

4, 5. Wanem important disison nao Ruth mekem, and why nao hem no isi for Ruth disaedem datwan? (Lukim piksa long start bilong study.)

⁴ Naomi, and tufala dota-in-law bilong hem, Ruth and Orpah, lusim Moab for wakabaot go long Israel. Taem olketa long road, Orpah disaed for go bak long Moab. Bat Naomi barava laek for go bak long hom bilong hem long Israel. Waswe long Ruth? Waswe, hem disaed for go hom long Moab for stap witim famili bilong hem, or hem go long Bethlehem witim mami-in-law bilong hem Naomi? Datwan hem barava important disison for Ruth mekem.—Ruth 1:1-8, 14.

⁵ Famili bilong Ruth stap long Moab. Hem savve go bak long olketa, and maet olketa savve lukaftarem hem. Hem savve long pipol long Moab, languis bilong olketa, and kastom bilong olketa tu. Bat Ruth no savve long pipol, languis, and kastom bilong olketa long Bethlehem. And Naomi wari from hem tingse bae hem no savve faendem eni hasband for Ruth or eni ples for Ruth hem stap. So Naomi talem Ruth for go bak long Moab. Bible sei Orpah “go bak long pipol bilong hem and olketa god bilong hem.” (Ruth 1:9-15) Bat Ruth disaed for no go bak long pipol bilong hem and olketa false god bilong olketa.

6. (a) Wanem gud samting nao Ruth disaed for duim? (b) Why nao Boaz sei Ruth kam for haed andanit long wing bilong Jehovah?

⁶ Hem luk olsem Ruth lane abaotem Jehovah from hasband bilong hem or from Naomi. Hem luksavve Jehovah hem no olsem olketa god bilong pipol long Moab. Hem lovem Jehovah, and hem savve hem shud worshipim Hem. So Ruth mekem wanfala gud disison. Hem sei long Naomi: “Pipol bilong iu bae pipol bilong mi tu, and God bilong iu bae God bilong mi tu.” (Ruth 1:16) Iumi tinghae long wei wea Ruth showimaot hem lovem Naomi. Bat samting wea iumi barava tinghae long hem nao hem wei wea Ruth showimaot hem lovem Jehovah. Boaz tu hem tinghae long datwan and hem praisem Ruth from hem ‘kam for haed andanit long wing bilong Jehovah.’ (Readim Ruth 2:12.) Toktok wea Boaz talem maet mekem iumi tingim hao wanfala baby bird hem lukaotem ples for haed andanit long wing bilong mami bird. (Ps. 36:7; 91:1-4) Long sem wei, Jehovah protectim and blessim Ruth from hem showimaot faith. Ruth no sorre from hem mekem datfala disison.

7. Why nao iumi shud no hol bak for dedicate and baptaes?

⁷ Staka pipol lane abaotem Jehovah bat olketa no disaed for worshipim hem. Olketa hol bak for dedicate and baptaes. Sapos iu hol bak for baptaes, ting raonem why nao iu hol bak. Iumi evriwan mas chusim god wea iumi bae worshipim. (Josh. 24:15) Iumi wise sapos iumi chus for worshipim trufala God. Taem iumi dedicate long Jehovah, iumi showimaot iumi trustim wei wea God bae protectim iumi. And Jehovah bae helpem iumi for gohed worshipim hem nomata maet eni hard taem kasem iumi. Hem nao samting wea God duim for Ruth.

8. Storyim laef bilong Hezekiah taem hem growap.

⁸ Laef bilong Hezekiah taem hem growap hem barava difren from laef bilong Ruth. Hezekiah born long wanfala nation wea olketa dedicate finis long Jehovah. Bat samfala Israelite no faithful long God. Dadi bilong Hezekiah, King Ahaz, hem wanfala nogud king. Hem nating respectim temple  bilong God, and hem switim olketa narawan for worshipim olketa idol. Ahaz sakrifaesim samfala brata bilong Hezekiah long wanfala laea god tu. Ahaz bonem olketa taem olketa laef yet. Hezekiah lukim staka nogud samting taem hem smol!—2 Ki. 16:2-4, 10-17; 2 Chron. 28:1-3.

9, 10. (a) Why nao maet hem isi for Hezekiah againstim Jehovah? (b) Why nao iumi shud no kros long Jehovah? (c) Why nao iumi savve chus for duim stret samting, nomata iumi growap long famili wea samfala duim nogud samting?

⁹ From Ahaz duim staka nogud samting, maet datwan savve mekem son bilong hem Hezekiah for kros long Jehovah or followim nogud wei bilong dadi bilong hem. Distaem, samfala tingse olketa garem gudfala reason for “kros long Jehovah” or organization bilong hem bikos long hard samting wea kasem olketa, nomata hem no olsem samting wea kasem Hezekiah. (Prov. 19:3) Olketa narawan tingse from olketa growap long famili wea samfala duim nogud samting, maet datwan spoelem laef bilong olketa and mekem olketa tu duim nogud samting. (Ezek. 18:2, 3) Bat waswe, kaen tingting olsem hem stret?

¹⁰ Example bilong Hezekiah showimaot kaen tingting olsem hem no stret! Iumi no garem eni reason for againstim Jehovah or kros long hem. Jehovah no kosim nogud samting for kasem pipol. (Job 34:10) Hem tru, olketa pikinini savve lanem gud samting or nogud samting from famili wea olketa growap long hem. (Prov. 22:6; Col. 3:21) Nomata olsem, Jehovah wakem iumi long wei wea iumi savve chus for duim gud samting or nogud samting. So nomata famili duim nogud samting, iumi savve chus for duim stret samting. (Deut. 30:19) Wanem nao Hezekiah chus for duim?

11. Why nao Hezekiah hem wanfala gud king long Judah?

¹¹ Nomata dadi bilong Hezekiah hem wanfala barava nogud king long Judah, Hezekiah hem wanfala gud king. (Readim 2 Kings 18:5, 6.) Hem chus for no followim nogud example bilong dadi bilong hem. Hem chus for lisin and ting raonem samting wea olketa profet bilong Jehovah  talem, olsem Isaiah, Micah, and Hosea, and hem followim wanem olketa talem. Hezekiah stretem olketa nogud samting wea dadi bilong hem duim, taem hem klinim temple, hem askem God for forgivim sin bilong olketa Israelite, and distroem olketa idol long evri ples. (2 Chron. 29:1-11, 18-24; 31:1) Taem King Sennacherib bilong Assyria kam for attakim Jerusalem, Hezekiah showimaot hem no fraet and hem garem strongfala faith. Hem trustim Jehovah for protectim olketa, and hem strongim olketa Israelite. (2 Chron. 32:7, 8) Wantaem Hezekiah kamap praod, bat taem Jehovah stretem hem, hem hambol and hem repent. (2 Chron. 32:24-26) Tru nao, Hezekiah showimaot nambawan example for iumi followim. Hem no letem samting wea famili bilong hem duim for spoelem laef bilong hem. Hezekiah fren gud witim Jehovah.

12. Hao nao staka distaem followim example bilong Hezekiah?

¹² Long disfala world, staka pipol raf and no showimaot love, and staka pikinini growap long famili wea dadi and mami no showimaot love and no lukaftarem olketa tu. (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Staka Christian distaem kam from olketa famili olsem, bat olketa chus for fren gud witim Jehovah. Olsem Hezekiah, olketa chus for duim stret samting, nomata samfala long famili bilong olketa duim nogud samting. God wakem iumi long wei wea iumi savve chus, and iumi savve chus for worshipim and mekhae long hem olsem Hezekiah.

13, 14. Wanem nao maet samfala samting wea Mary wari abaotem, bat wanem nao hem talem?

¹³ Staka handred year bihaen long taem bilong Hezekiah, wanfala hambol gele wea nem bilong hem Mary fren gud witim Jehovah and hem kasem spesol assignment. Hem babule and bornem and lukaftarem Son bilong God! Masbi Jehovah hem lovem and trustim Mary dastawe hem chusim Mary for kasem datfala nambawan privilege. Wanem nao Mary tingim taem angel talem hem datfala assignment?

¹⁴ Plande taem iumi story abaotem nambawan privilege wea Mary kasem. Bat wanem nao maet samfala samting wea Mary wari abaotem? Olsem example, angel Gabriel sei Mary bae babule nomata hem no sleep witim eni man. Bat Gabriel no sei hem bae talem famili and olketa neiba bilong Mary wanem nao mekem Mary for babule. Wanem nao bae tingting bilong olketa? Wanem nao bae hem talem long Joseph for Joseph bilivim hem no durong? And tu, Mary garem bigfala responsibility for lukaftarem Son bilong God long disfala earth! Iumi no savve long evri samting wea  Mary wari abaotem, bat iumi savve long wanem hem talem bihaen angel Gabriel story long hem. Hem sei: “Mi wanfala wakaman bilong Jehovah! Samting wea iu talem for mi mas olsem nao.”—Luke 1:26-38.

15. Why nao iumi tinghae long faith wea Mary showimaot?

¹⁵ Mary showimaot nambawan example long wei for garem strongfala faith! Hem willing for duim eni samting wea Jehovah askem hem for duim. Hem trustim Jehovah bae lukaftarem and protectim hem. Wanem nao mekem Mary for garem strongfala faith olsem? Faith hem no samting wea iumi born witim. Bat iumi savve waka hard for garem faith and askem God for blessim wanem iumi duim. (Gal. 5:22; Eph. 2:8) Mary waka hard for strongim faith bilong hem. Hao nao iumi savve? Distaem iumi bae storyim wei wea Mary hem lisin gud, and wanem hem story abaotem.

16. Wanem nao showimaot Mary lisin gud long olketa samting wea hem herem?

¹⁶ Mary hem lisin gud. Bible sei iumi “mas willing for lisin, no kwiktaem for toktok.” (Jas. 1:19) Mary savve lisin gud taem olketa narawan story. Bible showimaot Mary lisin gud long olketa samting wea hem herem, especially long olketa samting wea hem lanem abaotem Jehovah. Hem ting raonem gud olketa spiritual samting. Olsem example, taem Jesus hem born, olketa shepherd storyim long Mary message wea wanfala angel talem long olketa. Bihaen, taem Jesus hem 12 year, hem talem wanfala samting wea mekem Mary sapraes. Long tufala taem hia, Mary hem lisin, hem rememberim, and hem ting raonem gud olketa samting wea hem herem.—Readim Luke 2:16-19, 49, 51.

17. Wanem nao iumi lanem abaotem Mary from olketa samting wea hem storyim?

¹⁷ Wanem Mary story abaotem. Bible no story tumas abaotem olketa samting wea Mary talem. Iumi savve readim samfala toktok bilong Mary long Luke 1:46-55. Olketa verse hia showimaot Mary hem savve gud long olketa Hebrew Scripture. Toktok wea Mary talem hem klosap semsem olsem prea bilong mami bilong Samuel, Hannah. (1 Sam. 2:1-10) And hem luk olsem Mary storyim toktok wea kam from olketa Holy Raeting samting olsem 20-fala taem. Diswan showimaot Mary laek for story abaotem olketa tru samting wea hem lanem from nambawan fren bilong hem, Jehovah.

18. Long wanem wei nao iumi savve followim example bilong Mary?

¹⁸ Olsem Mary, maet iumi kasem samfala assignment from Jehovah wea iumi tingse hem hard tumas for iumi duim. Iumi laek for followim example bilong Mary, hambol and acceptim eni assignment wea iumi kasem, and trustim Jehovah bae helpem iumi. Iumi followim tu example bilong Mary taem iumi lisin gud long Jehovah and ting raonem wanem iumi lanem abaotem hem and olketa plan bilong hem. Then iumi savve hapi for storyim olketa samting hia long olketa narawan.—Ps. 77:11, 12; Luke 8:18; Rome 10:15.

19. Wanem blessing nao iumi bae kasem sapos iumi followim example bilong olketa wea garem strongfala faith?

¹⁹ Tru nao, Ruth, Hezekiah, and Mary fren gud witim Jehovah, olsem Abraham tu. Staka narawan tu garem privilege for fren gud witim God. Iumi laek for gohed followim example bilong olketa hia wea garem strongfala faith. (Heb. 6:11, 12) Sapos iumi duim olsem, iumi bae kasem nambawan blessing for fren gud witim Jehovah for olowe!