URuthe 4

₁UBowazi wenyukela esangweni, wahlala phansi khona; bheka, umhlengi akhuluma ngaye uBowazi, wadlula; wathi kuye: “We wena sibanibani, phambuka, uhlale lapha.” Waphambuka, wahlala phansi. ₂Wathatha amadoda ayishumi kuwo amalunga omuzi, wathi: “Hlalani phansi lapha.” Ahlala. ₃Wayesethi kuye umhlengi: “UNawomi obuyile ezweni lakwaMowabi uyathengisa ngesiqephu sezwe esasingesika-Elimeleki; ₄bengithi ngiyakukwambulela kuwe, ngithi: Lithenge phambi kwabahleziyo lapha naphambi kwamalunga abantu bakithi; uma ulithenga, lihlenge; kepha uma ungalithengi, ngitshele ukuba ngazi, ngokuba akakho ongalihlenga ngaphandle kwakho, mina ngisemva kwakho.”

Wayesethi: “Ngiyakulihlenga.”

₅Wathi uBowazi: “Msukwana ulithenga izwe esandleni sikaNawomi, ulithenga nakuRuthe wakwaMowabi umkamufi ukuba ulivuse igama lofileyo efeni lakhe.”

₆Umhlengi wathi: “Anginakuzihlengela lona, funa ngone ifa lami; zihlengele wena, ngokuba anginakukuhlenga.”

₇Lokhu kwakunje ngokuhlenga nokwenana endulo kwa-Israyeli ukuba kuqiniswe izindaba zonke: umuntu wakhumula isicathulo sakhe, wasinika umakhelwane wakhe; lokho kwakungubufakazi kwa-Israyeli.

₈Umhlengi wayesethi kuBowazi: “Zithengele.” Wakhumula isicathulo sakhe.

₉UBowazi wayesethi kumalunga nakubantu bonke: “Ningofakazi namuhla ukuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokuka-Elimeleki, nakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni nokukaMahaloni esandleni sikaNawomi. ₁₀NoRuthe wakwaMowabi umkaMahaloni ngimthengile abe ngumkami ukuvusa igama lofileyo efeni lakhe ukuba igama lofileyo linganqunywa phakathi kwabafowabo nasesangweni lendawo yakhe; nina ningofakazi namuhla.”

₁₁Bonke abantu ababesesangweni namalunga bathi: “Singofakazi; uJehova makenze lowo wesifazane ongene endlini yakho abe njengoRaheli noLeya abakha bobabili indlu yakwa-Israyeli, ucebe e-Efratha, ube nodumo eBetlehema; ₁₂indlu yakho mayibe njengendlu kaPheresi uTamari amzalela uJuda ngenzalo uJehova ayakukunika yona ngale ntombazana.”

₁₃UBowazi wayesemthatha uRuthe, waba ngumkakhe; wangena kuye; uJehova wamnika ukuba akhulelwe; wazala indodana. ₁₄Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi: “Makabusiswe uJehova ongakushiyanga namuhla ungenamhlengi; igama lakhe malidume kwa-Israyeli. ₁₅Uyakuba ngumbuyisi wokuphila kuwe, nomondli ebudaleni bakho, ngokuba umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, omuhle kuwe kunamadodana ayisikhombisa umzele.”

₁₆UNawomi wamthatha umntwana, wamgona esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumzanyana wakhe. ₁₇Abesifazane abakhelene naye bametha igama, bathi: “Kuzelwe indodana kuNawomi.” Baqamba igama lakhe ngokuthi u-Obede; yena unguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavide.

₁₈Nazi izizukulwane zikaPheresi: uPheresi wazala uHesironi; ₁₉uHesironi wazala uRamu; uRamu wazala u-Aminadaba; ₂₀u-Aminadaba wazala uNaheshoni; uNaheshoni wazala uSalimoni; ₂₁uSalimoni wazala uBowazi; uBowazi wazala u-Obede; ₂₂u-Obede wazala uJese; uJese wazala uDavide.