URuthe ISAHLUKO 1 1 Kwathi ezinsukwini zokubusa kwabahluleli kwaba khona indlala ezweni. Umuntu othile waseBetlehema Juda waya ukugogobala ezweni lakwaMowabi, yena nomkakhe, namadodana akhe amabili. 2 Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, namagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMahaloni noKiliyoni, ama-Efrata aseBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona. 3 Wafa u-Elimeleki indoda kaNawomi; wasala yena namadodana akhe amabili. 4 Bazithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lomunye lalingu-Orpa, igama lomunye lalinguRuthe; bahlala khona cishe iminyaka eyishumi. 5 OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane wasala emadodaneni akhe amabili nendoda yakhe. 6 Wayesesuka kanye nawomalokazana bakhe ukuba abuye ezweni lakwaMowabi, ngokuba wayezwile esezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova ubahambele abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla. 7 Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona kanye labomalokazana bakhe ababili kanye laye; bahamba ngendlela yokubuyela ezweni lakwaJuda. 8 UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili: "Hambani nibuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini kanina; uJehova makanenzele umusa, njengalokho nenze kwabafileyo nakimi." 9 UJehova makaninike ukuba nithole ukuphumula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yendoda yakhe. Wabe esebanga; baphakamisa izwi labo, bakhala. 10 Bathi kuye: "Impela siyakubuyela nawe kubantu bakini." 11 UNawomi wathi: “Buyani, madodakazi ami; asekhona amadodana esiswini sami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu na? 12 Buyani, madodakazi ami, hambani; ngoba mina sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngingaba lendoda. Uma bengingathi: Nginethemba, uma ngiba nendoda kulobu busuku, futhi ngizale amadodana; 13 Niyakuwalinda aze akhule na? ningabahlalela ningabayeni na? Cha, madodakazi ami; ngokuba kubuhlungu kimi kakhulu ngenxa yenu ukuthi isandla sikaJehova siphumele kimi. 14 Baphakamisa izwi labo, bakhala futhi; u-Orpa wamanga uninazala; kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye. 15 Wathi: "Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakubo; 16 URuthe wathi: "Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, ngibuye, ngingakulandeli; ngokuba lapho uya khona, ngiyakuya khona nami; lalapho ulala khona, ngizalala khona; abantu bakho bazakuba ngabantu bami, loNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami; 17 Lapho ufela khona, ngiyakufela khona nami, ngimbelwe khona; 18 Lapho ebona ukuthi uzimisele ngempela ukuhamba naye, wayeseyeka ukukhuluma naye. 19 Base behamba bobabili baze bafika eBetlehema. Kwathi sebefike eBetlehema, umuzi wonke wanyakaza ngabo, bathi: "Lo unguNawomi na?"
20 Wathi kubo: "Ningangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi; 21 Ngaphuma ngigcwele, uJehova wangibuyisela ngize; pho, ningibizelani ngokuthi uNawomi, lokhu uJehova ufakazile ngami, futhi uSomandla ungihluphile? 22 UNawomi wabuya kanye noRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe, bebuya ezweni lakwaMowabi, bafika eBetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali. ISAHLUKO 2 1 UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, indoda enamandla onothileyo emndenini ka-Elimeleki; igama lakhe lalinguBhowazi. 2 URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: "Ake ngiye ensimini, ngikhothoze izikhwebu emva kwalowo engiyakufumana umusa emehlweni akhe." Wathi kuye: "Hamba, ndodakazi yami." 3 Wahamba, wafika, wakhothoza ensimini emva kwabavuni; kwase kwenzeka ukuthi wehlele esiqeshini sensimu kaBhowazi ongowomndeni ka-Elimeleki. 4 Bheka, uBhowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kubavuni: “UJehova makabe nani. Basebephendula bathi kuye: INkosi ikubusise. 5 UBhowazi wayesethi encekwini yakhe eyayiphezu kwabavuni: “Ngekabani le ntombazana na? 6 Inceku eyayiphezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: “Yintombi yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi bephuma ezweni lakwaMowabi; 7 Wathi: “Ake ngikhothoze, ngibuthe phakathi kwezithungu emva kwabavuni; 8 UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe: Uyezwa yini, ndodakazi yami? Ungayi ukukhothoza kwenye insimu, ungasuki lapha, kepha hlala lapha eduze kwamantombazana ami; 9 Amehlo akho mawabe sensimini abazoyivuna, wena ubalandele; lapho womile, ngena ezitsheni, uphuze okudotiwe yizinsizwa. 10 Wawa ngobuso bakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: “Ngitholeni umusa emehlweni akho ukuba ungazise, lokhu ngingowezizwe na? 11 UBhowazi waphendula wathi kuye: "Sekutshengisiwe kimi konke okwenzile kunyokozala selokhu kwafa umyeni wakho nokuthi ushiye kanjani uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lokuzalwa kwakho. , futhi usufikile kubantu obungasazi ngaphambili. 12 UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, uphiwe umvuzo opheleleyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuthemba phansi kwamaphiko akhe. 13 Wathi: "Mangithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami; ngokuba ungiduduzile, nangokukhuluma kwakho okuhle nencekukazi yakho, noma ngingenjengenye yezincekukazi zakho. 14 UBhowazi wathi kuye: “Ngesikhathi sokudla woza lapha, udle isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga. Wahlala ngaseceleni kwabavuni; wamnika amabele akhanyisiweyo; wadla, wasutha, washiya. 15 Esevukile ukukhothoza, uBhowazi wayala izinsizwa zakhe, wathi: “Myekeni akhothoze naphakathi kwezithungu, ningamkhuzi; 16 Futhi mnikeni ezinye zezandla ezigcwele izandla, nizishiye, ukuze azikhothoze, ningamkhuzi. 17 Wakhothoza ensimini kwaze kwahlwa, wabhula lokho akukhothozayo, kwaba kungathi i-efa lebhali.