UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, u-Elimelekhi, esasicebe kakhulu, igama laso kunguBhowazi.
URuthi wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Ngivumele ngihambe ngiye ensimini ukuze ngikhothoze emva kwalowo oyokuba nomusa kimi.”
UNawomi wathi kuye: “Hamba ndodakazi yami.”
URuthi wayesehamba wafike wakhothoza ensimini lapho kwase kuvunwe khona. Kwenzeka nje wazithola esekhothoza esiqeshini sensimu kaBhowazi, owayengowomndeni ka-Elimelekhi.
Esekhona lapho, bheka kwafika uBhowazi evela eBhethlehema wathi kubavuni: “USimakade makabe nani.”
Bamphendula bathi: “USimakade makakubusise.”
UBhowazi wayesebuza encekwini yakhe eyayiphethe abavuni wathi: “Ingekabani le ntombazane, na?”
Inceku yamphendula yathi: “Yintombazane yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi ezweni lakhona. Ithe: ‘Ake ungivumele ngikhothoze ezithungweni emva kwabavuni.’ Selokhu ifike ekuseni kuze kube manje isaqhubeka, iyaqala ukuthi gozololo edlangaleni.”
UBhowazi wayesethi kuRuthi: “Lalela lapha ndodakazi yami. Ungayi ukuyokhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungasuki lapha; sondelana nezincekukazi zami. Amehlo akho awanamathele ensimini eziyivunayo; ngibadonse ngendlebe abafana ukuthi bangakuthinti. Uma womile ubokuya ezitsheni uphuze lokho okukhiwe ngabafana.”
URuthi wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wathi kuBhowazi: “Yini ukuba ube nomusa ongaka, uze unginakekele kangaka ngibe ngingowezizwe, na?”
UBhowazi wamphendula wathi: “Ngizwile ngakho konke okwenzele unyokozala emva kokufa komyeni wakho. Uze washiya uyihlo nonyoko nezwe owazalelwa kulo, weza kubantu ongakaze uhlale nabo phambilini. Sengathi uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuzokhosela phansi kwamaphiko akhe angakubusisa ngakho konke okwenzileyo, akuphe umvuzo opheleleyo.”
URuthi wayesethi: “Ungiphathe kahle mnumzane, wangiduduza ngokukhuluma kahle nami, nakuba ngingeyena omunye wezincekukazi zakho.”
Ngesikhathi sekudliwa uBhowazi wathi kuye: “Woza lapha uzokudla isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho ewayinini elitshodile.”
Wahlala eduze kwabavuni, wamnika utshwele, wadla wasutha kwaze kwasala. Wayesesukuma eyokhothoza. UBhowazi wayala izinceku zakhe wathi: “Mvumeleni akhothoze nasezithungweni, ningamthethisi. Nimkhiphele nokunye ezithungweni, nimshiyele khona ukuze akhothoze, ningamthethisi.”
URuthi wakhothoza ensimini kwaze kwahlwa, wayesebhula lokho ayekukhothozile. Kwaba yibhali elinesisindo se-efa elilodwa. Wakuthwala ayekukhothozile waya nakho ekhaya. Uninazala wakubona ayekukhothozile; uRuthi wakhipha lokho kudla okwakusale edla wakunika uninazala.
Uninazala wambuza wathi: “Ubukhothoza kuphi namuhla, na? Usebenze kuphi, na? Makabusiswe lowo okunakekele.”
Wamtshela uninazala ukuthi ubesebenza kubani, wathi: “Namuhla bengisebenza kumuntu okuthiwa nguBhowazi.”
UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakwakhe: “USimakade makambusise lowo muntu ongakaze ayeke ukubenzela umusa abaphilayo nabafileyo.”
UNawomi wayeseqhubeka ethi kuRuthi: “Leyo ndoda iyisihlobo sethu esisondele; ingomunye wabahlengi bethu.”
URuthi wakwaMowabi wathi: “Impela ithe kimi: ‘Ubonamathela eduze kwezinceku zami kuze kuphele ukuvuna.’ ”
UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakwakhe: “Kuhle ndodakazi yami, ubohamba nezincekukazi zakhe ukuze ungahlaselwa ngamadoda kwamanye amasimu.”
URuthi wanamathela ezincekukazini ezazivunela uBhowazi, wakhothoza kwaze kwaba sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali nokolo; wayesehlala noninazala.
Uhlelo Lokusebenza lweBhayibheli
Uhlelo Lokusebenza LweBhayibheli yezingane
