Ngezinsuku lapho kusaphethe abehluleli, kwaba khona indlala enkulu ezweni. Indoda ethile yaseBhethlehema kwaJuda nomkayo namadodana ayo amabili, basuka bayohlala kwaMowabi. Igama laleyo ndoda kwakungu-Elimelekhi, umkayo kunguNawomi, amadodana ayo amabili kunguMahaloni noKhiliyoni; babengama-Efratha aseBhethlehema kwaJuda. Bafika kwaMowabi bahlala khona.
U-Elimelekhi, umyeni kaNawomi, wafela lapho; uNawomi wasala namadodana akhe amabili. Lawo madodana azithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi, owokuqala kwakungu-Orpha owesibili kunguRuthi; bahlala nabo iminyaka ebalelwa eshumini. Bobabili oMahaloni noKhiliyoni bafa. UNawomi wayesefelwe ngumyeni wakhe namadodana akhe omabili.
Kuthe eselapho kwaMowabi, uNawomi wezwa ukuthi uSimakade ubahambele abantu bakhe wabapha ukudla, wayeselungiselela ukusuka lapho nomalokazana bakhe. Wasuka endaweni ayehlala kuyo nomalokazana bakhe bobabili, bangena indlela bebuyela kwaJuda.
UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili: “Hambani nibuyele emuva, yilowo nalowo abuyele endlini kanina; sengathi uSimakade anganenzela umusa, njengalokhu nani nenzile kubayeni benu, nakimi. Sengathi uSimakade anganenza nifumane ukuphumula, yilowo nalowo emzini womyeni wakhe.”
Wabe eseyabanga, base bedazuluka bekhala. Bathi kuye: “Qha, sizohamba nawe sibuyele nawe kubantu bakini!”
UNawomi wabaphendula wathi: “Buyelani emuva madodakazi ami, nizohambelani nami, na? Asekhona yini amadodana ezibilini zami angaba ngabayeni benu, na? Buyelani emuva madodakazi ami, hambani, ngokuba sengimdala ukuba ngisengagana ngibe nomyeni. Noma ngabe belikhona ithemba lokuba ngingathola indoda ngilale nayo namhlanje ebusuku bese ngiyakhulelwa ngizale amadodana, beningawalinda yini akhule aze abe madala, na? Benizohlala ningagani ningabi nabayeni, na? Qha, madodakazi ami, owami umunyu mkhulu kakhulu kunowenu, ngokuba isandla sikaSimakade simelene nami.”
Baphinda badazuluka bakhala; u-Orpha wamanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthi wanamathela kuye.
UNawomi wathi kuye: “Uyabona ukuthi umnakwenu usephindele kwabakubo nakonkulunkulu bakhe, nawe mlandele ubuyele kwabakini.”
URuthi wathi: “Musa ukungincenga ukuba ngikushiye ngibuyele emuva, ngingahambi nawe, ngokuba lapho uya khona ngiyakuya khona nami, nalapho uhlala khona ngiyakuhlala khona nami. Abantu bakini bayakuba ngabakithi, noNkulunkulu wakho uyakuba nguNkulunkulu wami. Lapho ufela khona, ngiyofela khona nami, ngingcwatshwe khona. USimakade akangiphe amandla kulesi sinqumo, angijezise ngokuphindiwe uma ngigudluka kuso; ngukufa kuphela okuyosehlukanisa.”
UNawomi wabona ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba naye, akabe esaqhubeka nokukhuluma.
Bahamba-ke bobabili baze bayofika eBhethlehema. Kuthe sebefikile eBhethlehema, umuzi wonke wanyakaza ngokufika kwabo. Abantu base bethi: “Kungabe nguNawomi lona, na?”
Wabaphendula wathi: “Ningangibizi ngoNawomi; ngibizeni ngoMara, ngokuba uSomandla ungenzele okubi. Ngahamba nginakho konke, kodwa uSimakade ungibuyise ngize. Pho ningibizelani ngoNawomi, lokhu uSimakade ufakazile wamelana nami, uSomandla wangenzela okubi, na?”
UNawomi nomalokazana wakwakhe uRuthi babuyela kwelakubo besuka kwaMowabi. Bafika eBhethlehema ngesikhathi kuqala ukuvunwa kwebhali.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
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