1KEKALOKU u‐Nahomi ebenomlamane wendoda yake, umntu omkulu ngobutyebi, owesizalwane sika‐Elimeleki; negama lake ngu‐Bohazi. 2Waza u‐Rute um‐Mowabikazi wati ku‐Nahomi: Makendiye entsimini, ndibikice pakati kwezikwebu emva kwalowo endiya kufumana ufefe emehlweni ake. Wayesiti kuye: Yiya, ntombi yam! 3Waya ke, weza, wabikica entsimini emva kwabavuni: wati ukuhla kwake wahla wafika esahlulweni sentsimi esisesika‐Bohazi, obengowesizalwane sika‐Elimeleki.
4Kekaloku bona ke, u‐Bohazi wavela e‐Beteleheme, wati kubo abavuni: Uyehova makabe nani! Bati nakuye: Uyehova makatamsanqele wena! 5Waza wati u‐Bohazi kwisicaka sake esasimisiwe pezu kwabavuni: Yekabanina inkazana le? 6Sapendula isicaka esasimisiwe pezu kwabavuni, sati: Yinkazana engum‐Mowabikazi, eyabuyayo no‐Nahomi ezweni le‐Mowabi; 7yaka yati: Makendibikice ndibute pakati kwezitungu emva kwabavuni; yaselisiza ke, yamana ukubako kuseloko kwasayo kwada kwakaloku nje, wahlala endlwini umzuzwana kwapela.
8Wandula wati u‐Bohazi kuye u‐Rute: Akuvanga na, ntombi yam? Ungayi ukubikica kwenye intsimi, kanjako ungesuki kulendawo, uti unamatele apa ndawonye nezicakazana zam: 9amehlo ako makabe sentsimini evunwa zizo, uzilandele: andibayalelanga abafana na ukuba mabangakucukumisi? nxa unxaniweyo, yiya emipandeni, usele koko bakele kona abafana. 10Waza wawa ngobuso, waziqubuda ngasemhlabeni, wati kuye: Kunganina ukuba ndifumene ufefe emehlweni ako, ukuze ube nokundazi, ndingowasemzini nje? 11Wapendula u‐Bohazi wati kuye: Kukolisile ukushunyayelwa kum konke ukwenzileyo kunondoda wako emveni kwokufa kwendoda yako; nokokuba wabushiya uyihlo nonyoko, nelizwe lokuzalwa kwako, waya ebantwini wafudula ungabazanga: 12wanga uyehova angakuvuza ukwenza kwako! maunikwe umvuzo ozalisekileyo nguyehova, utixo wo‐Sirayeli, lowo uze kutemba ngapantsi kwamapiko ake. 13Waza wati: Mandifumane ufefe emehlweni ako, nkosi yam! ngenxa yokuba unditutuzele, nangenxa yokuba utetile kwintliziyo yesicakakazi sako, nangona ndingenjengaso esinye sezicakakazi zako. 14Wati kanjalo u‐Bohazi kuye: Ngexesha lokudla, sondela apa, udle kwisonka, uncinde umtanyana wako kuyo iyasine.
Waza wahlala pantsi ngasecaleni labavuni; wamnikela amaqashu; wadla, wahluta, wasalisa nokusalisa. 15Wati akusuka ukuya kubikica, wandula u‐Bohazi wabayalela abafana bake, esiti: Makabikice kwa pakati kwezitungu, ningamdanisi: 16nakanjako nike nimwisele intwana yokubanjwayo zizandla, niyishiye, ayicole ke, nize ningamkalimeli. 17Kwa njalo wabikica entsimini kwada kwahlwa, wayibula into abeyicolile, yanga yayiyefa yeṙalasi. 18Wandula wayitabata, wangena esixekweni; waye unondoda wake wayibona into ebicoliwe nguye: waza wakupa, wanika kuye oko abekusalisile emva kwokuhluta kwake.
19Wayesiti unondoda wake kuye: Wabikica pina namhla? ubusebenza pina? makatanyusanqelwe lowo obenokukwazi! Waza wamshumayeza unondoda wake lowo ubesebenza naye, wati: Igama lendoda bendisebenza nayo namhla ngu‐Bohazi. 20Wandula u‐Nahomi wati kumolokazana wake: Makatanyusanqelwe yena nguyehova, ongayekanga ububele bake kubo abapilileyo nakubo abafileyo! Walekela u‐Nahomi wati kuye: Lendoda iyalamana nati, ingowabakululi betu. 21Waza wati u‐Rute um‐Mowabikazi: Kanjako, wati kum: Uya kuti nama kwizicaka zam, zide zigqibe sonke isivuno sam. 22Waza wati u‐Nahomi kuye u‐Rute umolokazana wake: Kulungile, ntombi yam! ukuba upume nezicakazana zake, baze bangahlangani nawe kwenye intsimi. 23Kwa njalo wanamatela kuzo izicakazana zika‐Bohazi, ukuba abikice, kwada kwagqitywa ukuvunwa kweṙalasi nokuvunwa kwenqolowa; wahlala ke nonondoda wake.
