URuthe ukhothoza ensimini kaBowazi
1UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, umuntu ocebileyo, owomndeni kaElimeleki, igama lakhe linguBowazi.
2 URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: Mangihambe, ngiye ensimini, ngikhothoze ezikhwetshini emva kwalowo engiyakufumana umusa emehlweni akhe. Wathi kuye: Hamba, ndodakazi yami.
3Wahamba, waya wakhothoza ensimini emva kwabavuni; kwase kwenzeka ukuba afike esiqeshini sensimu sikaBowazi womndeni kaElimeleki.
4Bheka, uBowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kwabavunayo: UJehova makabe-nani. Bathi kuye: UJehova makakubusise.
5Wayesethi uBowazi encekwini yakhe eyayibekwé phezu kwabavuni: Ngekabani lentombazana na?
6Inceku eyayibekwé phezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: Kuyintombazana yakwaMowabi ebuyé noNawomi ezweni lakwaMowabi;
7ithé: Ake ngikhothoze, ngibuthe ezithungwini emva kwabavuni. Selokhu ifikile, iqhubekile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube-manje, ihlalé kancane endlini kuphela.
8UBowazi wayesethi kuRuthe: Angithi uyezwa, ndodakazi yami? Ungayi ukukhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungasuki lapha, kepha namathela kuwo amantombazana ami lapha.
9Amehlo akho mawabe-sensimini ayivunayo, uwalandele; angithi ngiyalile abafana ukuba bangakuthinti na? Nxa womile, yana ezitsheni, uphuze lokho abakukhileyo abafana.
10Wayesewa ngobuso bakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: Ngifumaneleni umusa emehlweni akho ukuba unginake, lokhu ngingowezizwe, na?
11UBowazi waphendula, wathi kuye: Kubikiwe kimi konke omenzele khona unyokozala selokhu afa umyeni wakho nokuthi ushiyile uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lokuzalwa kwakho, weza kubantu ongabazanga ngaphambili.
12 UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, uphiwe umvuzo opheleleyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ozé ukuba uphephele phansi kwamaphiko akhe.
13Wathi: Mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, ngokuba ungiduduzile nangokuba ukhulumé kahle kuyo incekukazi yakho, noma ngingenjengenye yezincekukazi zakho.
14Ngesikhathi sokudla uBowazi wathi kuye: Woza lapha, udle isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga. Wahlala eceleni kwabavuni, wamnika utshwele, wadla wasutha, washiya phansi.
15Esesukile ekukhothozeni uBowazi wayala abafana bakhe, wathi: Makakhothoze nasezithungwini, ningamkhathazi.
16Anoke nimkhiphele nokuthile ezithungwini, nikushiye ukuba akukhothoze, ningamsoli.
17Wakhothoza-ke ensimini kwaze kwahlwa; wakubhula lokho abekukhothozile, kwakungathi iefa* lebhali*.
18Wakuthatha, wangena emzini; uninazala wabona lokho abekukhothozile; wakhipha, wamnika lokho akushiyile esesuthile.
19Uninazala wathi kuye: Ukhothozephi namuhla na? Usebenzephi? Makabusiswe lowo okunakileyo. Wamtshela uninazala ukuthi ubesebenza kubani, wathi: Igama lomuntu engisebenzile kuye namuhla linguBowazi.
20UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: Makabusiswe nguJehova ongayekanga umusa wakhe kwabaphilileyo nakwabafileyo. UNawomi wathi kuye: Lowomuntu uyisihlobo sethu, ungowabahlengi bethu.
21URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi: Yebo, wathi kimi: Wonamathela kubafana bami, baze baqede konke ukuvuna kwami.
22UNawomi wayesethi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: Kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuba uphume namantombazana akhe, ungafikelwa kwenye insimu.
23Wayesenamathela-ke kuwo amantombazana kaBowazi ukukhothoza kwaze kwaba-sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali* nokukakolweni; wahlala-ke noninazala.
