Mumazuva aitungamirirwa navatungamiriri vainzi vatongi kwakaitika nzara munyika yeIsiraeri. Mumwe murume wokuBheterehemu rokwaJudha, akaenda kumbondogara kunyika yeMoabhu nomukadzi wake navana vake vaviri vakomana. Murume uyu ainzi Erimereki, mukadzi wake achinzi Naomi, vana vake vachinzi Mahironi naKirioni. Vaiva vemhuri yekwaEfurati, vokuBheterehemu rokwaJudha. Vakaenda kune rimwe dunhu reMoabhu vakamboita musha ikoko. Zvino Erimereki, murume waNaomi akafa, Naomi ndokusiyiwa aine vana vake vakomana vaviri. Vanakomana ivava vakaroora vakadzi vechiMoabhu. Mumwe mukadzi wacho ainzi Oripa, mumwe achinzi Rute. Vakapedza makore anenge gumi vagereko, ndokubva Mahironi naKirioni vazofawo. Saka Naomi akarasikirwa navana vake vakomana vaviri nomurume wake.
Naomi navaroora vake vakagadzirira zvokudzokera kuti vachibva zvavo munyika yeMoabhu nokuti vari munyika yeMoabhu imomo vakanzwa zvichinzi Tenzi akanga azoshanyira vanhu vake akavawanisa chokudya. Iye navaroora vake vaviri vakasimuka vakabva kwavaigara, vakapinda munzira vodzokera kunyika yokwaJudha. Asi Naomi akataurira varoora vake vaviri vaya achiti, “Zvino imi mochitodzokera zvenyu kumusha kwanaamai venyu. Tenzi ngaakuratidzei kutendeseka mwoyochena wake sezvamakaitira vakatisiya nezvamakaitawo kwandiri. Tenzi ngaakubatsirei kuti muroorwezve mugogara zvenyu zvakanaka mudzimba dzavarume venyu.”
Naomi akavatsvoda, ivowo vakahwihwidza kuchema vakati, “Aiwa, chiripo ndechokuti tinofanira kudzokerawo nemi kuvanhu vokwenyu.”
Asi Naomi akati, “Dzokerai zvenyu vanangu, chii chamuchaenderawo neni? Munoti ndichine vana vakomana vandingabereke vokuzokuroorai here? Dzokerai vanangu muende zvenyu nokuti ikoku uku kutochembera kwandaita, hazvichaiti kuti ndiroorwe zvakare. Kunyange dai ndanga ndichine chitarisiro chembereko uye kunyange ndikava nomurume usiku hwanhasi ndikabereka vana vakomana, ndopamungazovamirira here kusvikira vakura? Ndozvamungazvimisire kuroorwa navamwe here? Kweteka vanangu, nhamo yenyu inondirwadza mumwoyo chaizvo nokuti zvenhamo yangu iyi ndiTenzi akazvida.”
Vakahwihwidza kuchema zvakare ndokubva Oripa atsvoda vamwene vake achionekedzana navo, asi Rute akaramba angoti dzvemere navo. Naomi akati, “Tarira uone mukadzin'ina wako adzokera kune vokwake nokune vamwari vake. Iwe dzokerawo sezvaita mukadzin'ina wako.”
Asi Rute akapindura achiti,
“Regai zvenyu kunditeterera
kuti ini ndikusiyei
kana kuti ndidzokere.
Kwamuchaenda ndokwandichaendawo,
kwamuchange mugere ndokwandichagarawo,
vanhu vokwenyu vachavawo vokwangu,
Mwari wenyu ndiye achavawo Mwari wangu.
Kwamunofira ndokwandichafirawo,
ikoko ndokwandichavigwawo.
Kunyange rufu chairwo harufanire kutiparadzanisa;
kana ndadaro Tenzi ngaandione,
ngaandirege ndichiwirwa,
nezvakatoomesesa.”
Naomi paakaona kuti Rute atsungirira kuenda naye akabva anyarara zvake. Saka vose vari vaviri vakaramba vachienda kudzamara vasvika kuBheterehemu. Pavakasvika kuBheterehemu, guta rose rakazevezana nezvavo. Vakadzi vaiti, “NdiNaomi here uyu chokwadi?”
Ivo vakati kwavari, “Regai zvenyu kunditi Naomi, isvai zvenyu manditi Mara nokuti Samasimbaose akaita kuti upenyu hundiipire.
“Ndakaenda ndakapfumawo
Asi Tenzi andidzora ndachiti dano,
ndisisina kana chinhu muchanza.
Chamunonditi Naomi, ndechipi ipapa,
kana Tenzi achindipa nhamo kudai,
kana iye Samasimbaose achitondirwadzisa kudai?”
Ndiwo madzokero akaita Naomi kubva kuMoabhu aina Rute muroora wake wechiMoabhu. Vakasvika kuBheterehemu iri nguva yokutanga kukohwa bhari.