URuthi 2:4-17

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.