URuthe 1:1-18

Kwasekusithi emihleni yokubusa kwabahluleli, kwaba khona indlala elizweni; Indoda ethile yaseBetlehema Juda yahamba yagogobala ezweni lakwaMowabi, yona nomkayo namadodana akhe amabili. Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, namagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMagiloni noKiliyoni, ama-Efrata aseBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona. Wafa u-Elimeleki, umyeni kaNawomi; wasala namadodana akhe amabili. Base bazithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lomunye lalingu-Orpa, igama lomunye lalinguRuthe; bahlala khona cishe iminyaka eyishumi. OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane wasala namadodana akhe amabili nomyeni wakhe. Wayeseqeda omalokazana bakhe ukubuya ezweni lakwaMowabi; ngokuba wezwa esezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova uhambele abantu bakhe ngokubapha isinkwa. Wayesephuma endaweni lapho ayekhona, omalokazana bakhe ababili kanye naye; basuka babuyela ezweni lakwaJuda. UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili: “Hambani nibuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini kanina; iNkosi inibonise okuhle, njengalokho nenza kwabafileyo nakimi. UJehova uyaninika ukuba nithole ukuphumula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yendoda yakhe. Wabe esebanga; badazuluka bakhala. Bathi kuye: “Impela siyakubuyela nawe kubantu bakini.” Wathi uNawomi: “Buyelani, madodakazi ami, niyakuhamba nami ngani na?” Asekhona amadodana esizalweni sami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu na? Phendukani, madodakazi ami, nihambe; ngoba mina sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngingaba lendoda. Uma bengingathi: Nginethemba, uma nami ngingaba nendoda kulobu busuku, ngizale amadodana; Ubungahlala yini labo baze bakhule? ungakujabulela ukuba namadoda? Cha, madodakazi ami; ngoba kubuhlungu kakhulu kimi ngenxa yenu ukuthi isandla sikaJehova siphumele phezu kwami. Basebephakamisa izwi labo, bakhala futhi, u-Orpa wamanga uninazala; kodwa uRuthe wamgcina. Wathi: “Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakubo; buyela emuva ulandele umakoti wakho. URuthe wasesithi: Ungangincengi ukuthi ngikutshiye, ngibuye ngikulandele; ngokuba lapho uya khona, ngiyakuya khona nami; nalapho nilala khona, nami ngiyakulala khona; abantu bakini bayakuba ngabantu bami, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami. Lapho ufela khona, ngiyakufela khona nami, ngimbelwe khona; kanjalo uJehova uyakwenza kimi, futhi kube njalo, uma kuphela ukufa kusehlukanisa mina nawe. Lapho ebona ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba naye, wayeka ukukhuluma naye.