URute emasimini akwaBhowazi
1Kwakukho mfo uthile ogama linguBhowazi owayesisizalwane sasemzini kaNawomi. Wayengowesiduko sikaElimeleki, engumfo owaziwayo.
2UmMowabhikazi uRute wathi kuNawomi: “Mandikhe ndiye emasimini, ndibhikice kulaa ngqolowa ivunwayo, ndikhwahlaze emva komntu ondivumelayo.”
“Hayi kulungile, ungahamba, mntwan' am,” watsho uNawomi.
3Wanduluka ke uRute ukuya emasimini. Wafika walandela abavuni, ehamba ebhikica. Kwathi kanti loo nto uyenza entsimini kaBhowazi owayezalana noElimeleki.
4Ke wafika uBhowazi, evela eBhetelehem. Wababulisa abavuni, esithi: “UNdikhoyo ubenga angaba nani!”
Baphendula bathi bona: “Camagu! Akuthamsanqelise nawe uNdikhoyo!”
5Emva koko uBhowazi ubuze kwinduna ephethe abavuni, wathi: “Kanene yintombi yasemanini leya ndiyibonayo?”
6Yona ithe: “NgumMowabhikazi lowa, lo ufike noNawomi ukubuya kwakhe kwelamaMowabhi. 7Ucele ukuba ndimvumele abhikice, akhwahlaze phakathi kwezithungu, elandela abavuni. Kudala elapha; akakhange aphumle oko kusile – usandula ukuyeka ngoku umbona ehleli phaya endaweni yokuphumla nje.”
8UBhowazi wathi kuRute: “Uyabona ke, ntombi yam, uzungemki apha, ungabi saya kubhikica kumasimi abanye abantu. Uze uncamathele kwiintombi ezi zisebenza kula masimi am. 9Uze uzilandele, ubhikice apho zivuna khona. Ndibaxelele abafana aba ukuba bangakukhathazi. Ukuba unxaniwe uze uye kusela kwezaa ngqayi zamanzi akhiwe ngabafana.”
10Waqubuda phambi koBhowazi uRute, wathi: “Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba undenzele ububele obungaka undihoye ndingowelinye ilizwe nje?”
11UBhowazi wathi: “Ndivile ngawe ukuba ubumphethe kakuhle unyoko-zala, naxa umyeni wakho selengasekho. Ude washiya uyihlo nonyoko, nditsho namawenu la embala, weza kuhlala phakathi kwabantu obungazani nabo. 12Ubenga ke uNdikhoyo angakuvuza ngomsebenzi wakho. Ewe, ubenga uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, lo wena uze kuzifaka phantsi kwamaphiko akhe, angakubuyekeza kanobom.”
13URute wathi: “Ngenene, mhlekazi, unenceba; undithobe uvalo xa wenjenje ukuthetha nam ngobubele, mna sicakakazi sakho, naxa ndingoyena unganeno nakwizicakakazi zakho.”
14Kuthe xa kutyiwayo, uBhowazi wathi kuye: “Yiz' apha, uthathe isonka, usithi nkxu kwiwayini.” Ke uRute wahlala phantsi kunye neentombi ezingabavuni; waza uBhowazi wamnika ugcado, watya wahlutha, kwada kwasala. 15Ubuye waya kubhikica kwakhona uRute. UBhowazi yena wayalela izicaka zakhe, wathi: “Ze nimyeke ningamnqandi nokuba selebhikica ngasezithungwini. 16Ngaphaya koko ze nide nimrhutyele nasezithungwini ingqolowa, nishiye abhikice, ningamkhalimeli.”
17Kwada kwatshona ilanga uRute ekhwahlaza. Uthe akuyibhula wafumana malunga neshumi leekhilogram zengqolowa. 18Wayithwala wagoduka nayo, wayibonisa uninazala. Wamnika nokutya awayembekele kona kwisidlo sasemini. 19UNawomi wambuza wathi: “Ubhikice phi namhlanje? Ubusebenza kwabani? Wanga angasikeleleka lowo ukwenzele ububele.”
URute wamxelela uninazala ukuba ubebhikica kumasimi kabani, esithi: “Ndisebenze entsimini yomfo ekuthiwa nguBhowazi.”
20Wavakala uNawomi esithi kumolokazana: “UNdikhoyo ozibele zihlala zihleli kwabaphilayo nabafileyo makamthamsanqelise uBhowazi!” Uqokele wathi: “Loo mfo usisizalwane esisondeleyo kuthi. Ungomnye wabantu esijonge kubo njengomkhululi.”
21Ke uRute umMowabhikazi wathi: “Kananjalo uBhowazi uthe mandincamathele kubasebenzi bakhe de kugqitywe ukuvunwa.”
22UNawomi uthe: “Ewe, mntwan' am, kuhle uhambe neentombi zaphaya kwaBhowazi. Usenokuhlelwa yinto embi kumasimi abanye abantu.”
23URute wancamathela kwezo ntombi zakwaBhowazi, ekhwahlaza kwada kwagqitywa ukuvunwa kwerhasi nengqolowa. Wayehlala no ninazala ngalo lonke elo xesha.
