Amatjhwa wakaNawomi kwaMowabi
1Eminyakeni yokubusa kwabagwebi, kwaba nendlala enarheni, kwathi indoda ethileko egade ihlala eBhethe-Lehema kwaJuda yakhamba nomkayo namadodana amabili yayokugogobala enarheni yakwaMowabi. 2Ibizo lendoda le gade kungu-Elimeleki, ibizo lomkakhe bekunguNawomi, kanti amabizo wamadodanakhe amabili wona gade kunguMarhaloni kanye noKiliyoni. Abantwaba gade bama-Efrata bavela ngeBhethe-Lehema lakwaJuda. Baya enarheni yakwaMowabi bahlala khona.
3U-Elimeleki, umyeni kaNawomi wahlongakala, watjhiya uNawomi namadodana amabili. 4Amadodana la athatha abafazi kwaMowabi, ibizo lowokuthoma bekungu-Oripa lowesibili kunguRute. Bahlala lapho iminyaka elitjhumi. 5UMarhaloni noKiliyoni nabo bahlongakala batjhiya unina uNawomi angasenabani.
UNawomi ubuyela ekhaya noRute
6UNawomi wezwa asesekwaMowabi bonyana uSomnini uhlenge abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, wazilungiselela nabomalukazana bakhe ukubuyela ekhabo. 7Yena nabomalukazana bakhe basukela indawo ebebahlala kiyo babamba indlela enqombe enarheni yakwaJuda.
8UNawomi wathi kibomalukazana bakhe ababili: “Buyelani emuva, omunye nomunye aye kwabo. Kwanga uSomnini angaba nomusa kini njengombana nani naba nomusa kimi nemadodanenami. 9Kwanga uSomnini anganipha ukuhlala ngokuthula nabayeni enizabathola.” Wabamanga bathoma barhahlawula isililo, 10bathi kuye: “Awa, sizakubuyela nawe ebantwini bekhenu.” 11Kodwana uNawomi wathi: “Buyelani emakhaya, madodakazami. Nizakuthi niyaphi nami nanginje? Kghani ninomkhumbulo wokobana ngingabeletha amanye amadodana; okuzakuthi nasele akhulile abe bayeni benu na? 12Buyelani emakhaya, madodakazami. Sengimdala khulu kobanyana ngingaba nendoda. Ngitjho nanyana bengisesenethemba lokuba nendoda, ngingene nayo emabhayini namhlanje ebusuku bese ngibeletha amadodana, 13nizawalinda bonyana akhule na? Nizakuhlala ningendi nilinde wona na? Awa, madodakazami, ngilisizi mina kunani ngombana isandla sakaSomnini sijamelene nami!”
14Barhahlawula isililo godu. U-Oripa wamanga unosokanakhe wamlayelisa. Kodwana uRute wanamathela kunosokanakhe. 15UNawomi wathi: “Yelela, umncayenu ubuyela emuva kebakwabo nakibosingazimu bekhabo. Nawe mlandele.” 16Kodwana uRute waphendula wathi: “Ungangikateleli bonyana ngikutjhiye ngikuhlamuke. Ngizokukhamba nawe lapho uya khona, ngihlale nawe lapho uyokuhlala khona. Abantu bekhenu nami bazakuba ngebekhethu bese kuthi uZimakho abe nguZimami. 17Ngizokufela lapho uyokufela khona, bengingcwatjwe khona lapho. Ngiyafunga ngithi, dumbana uSomnini angihlunguphaze nange kungaba nento engihlukanisa nawe ngaphandle kokufa.”
18Kuthe bonyana uNawomi abone ukuthi uRute uncamile ngokukhamba naye, walisa ukumkatelela. 19Yeke abafazi ababili laba bakhamba bebafika eBhethe-Lehema. Ekufikeni kwabo eBhethe-Lehema umuzi woke wabararekela. Abafazi bomuzi lowo bathi: “Kungaba nguNawomi lo na?” 20Yena wathi kibo: “Ningangibizi ngoNawomi, ngibizani nithi Mara, ngombana uSomandla wenze ipilwami yaba munyu khulu. 21Ngakhamba nginesami, kodwana uSomnini ungibuyisa ngidududu. Alo-ke nizakuthi ningibizelani ngoNawomi na? USomnini ungifulathele, uSomandla ungehlisele ubumbi bodwa.”
22Leyo-ke yindlela uNawomi abuyela ngayo enarheni yakwaMowabi akhambisana nomalukazanakhe uRute uMowabikazi. Bafika eBhethe-Lehema ekuthomeni kokuvunwa kwebhali.
