URuthe 1:1-22

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. Base behamba bobabili baze bafika eBetlehema. Futhi lapho befika eBhetlehema, umuzi wonke waxokozela, wathi: Ingabe lo uNawomi? Wathi kubo: “Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi; ngibizeni ngokuthi uMara, ngokuba uSomandla ungiphathe kumunyu kakhulu.” Ngaphuma ngigcwele, uJehova wangibuyisa ngize; ningibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi, lokhu uJehova efakaza ngami, nokuthi uSomandla ungicindezele na? Wayesebuya uNawomi, noRuthe wakwaMowabi, umalokazana wakhe, ababebuyile ezweni lakwaMowabi; bafika eBetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.