URuthe ukhothoza ensimini kaBowazi
1UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, umuntu ocebileyo, owomndeni ka-Elimeleki, igama lakhe linguBowazi.
2URuthe 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 ka-Elimeleki.
4Bheka, uBowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kwabavunayo: “UJehova makabe nani.”
Bathi kuye: “UJehova makakubusise.”
5Wayesethi uBowazi encekwini yakhe eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni: “Ngekabani le ntombazana na?”
6Inceku eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: “Kuyintombazana yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi ezweni lakwaMowabi; 7ithe: ‘Ake ngikhothoze, ngibuthe ezithungwini emva kwabavuni.’ Selokhu ifikile, iqhubekile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube manje, ihlale 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. 12UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, uphiwe umvuzo opheleleyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuba uphephele phansi kwamaphiko akhe.”
13Wathi: “Mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, ngokuba ungiduduzile nangokuba ukhulume 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 i-efa* 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: “Lowo muntu 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.
