URuthe 2:1-23

UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, indoda enamandla aphilileyo, esomndeni ka-Elimeleki; igama lakhe lalinguBhowazi. URuthe umMowabi wasesithi kuNawomi: Ake ngiye elizweni, ngikhothoze emva kwalowo engizathola umusa emehlweni akhe. Wathi kuye: “Hamba, ndodakazi yami; Wahamba wafika wadobha ensimini ngemva kwabavuni; Bheka, uBhowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kubavuni: “UJehova makabe nani. Zathi kuye: “UJehova makakubusise; UBhowazi wayesethi encekwini yakhe ephethe abavuni: “Ngekabani le ntokazi na? Inceku eyayimiswe phezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: “Le yintombi yakwaMowabi eyabuya noNawomi ezweni lakwaMowabi.” Yathi: Ake ngicoshe, ngibuthe emva kwabavuni phansi kwezithungu; wafika wahlala kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba manje, wahlala kancane endlini. UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe: Uyezwa yini, ndodakazi yami? Ungayi ukuyokwakha kwelinye izwe, futhi ungasuki lapha, kodwa hlala lapha nezincekukazi zami. Amehlo akho mawabe sezweni abalivunayo, ubalandele; Angiziyalanga yini izinsizwa ukuba zingakuthinteli na? uma womile, hamba uye ezitsheni, uphuze okudotshwe yizinsizwa. Wawa ngobuso bakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: “Ngitholeni umusa emehlweni akho ukuba ungangazi, lokhu ngingowezizwe na?” UBhowazi waphendula, wathi kuye: “Sekubonakalisiwe kimi ngokugcwele konke okwenzile kunyokozala selokhu kwafa umyeni wakho, nokuthi washiya kanjani uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lokuzalwa kwakho, futhi wafika kubantu owawungabazi ngaphambili. UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, umvuzo opheleleyo uphiwe nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, othembele phansi kwamaphiko akhe. Wathi: “Mangithole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami; ngokuba ungiduduzile, wakhuluma kahle kuyo incekukazi yakho, nakuba ngingenjengenye yezincekukazi zakho. UBhowazi wathi kuye: “Woza lapha ngesikhathi sokudla, udle isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga.” Wahlala phansi eduze kwabavuni, wafika kuye amabele akhanyiwe, wadla, wasutha, wahamba. Esesukuma ukukhothoza, uBhowazi walaya izinsizwa zakhe, wathi: “Myekeni akhothoze naphakathi kwezithungu, ningamkhuzi.” Futhi-ke ezinye zezandla zabangamabomu maziwele kuye, zizishiye, ukuze azicoshe futhi angamkhuzi. Wakhothoza ensimini kwaze kwahlwa, wabhula ayekukhothozile, kwaba yi-efa lebhali. Wakuthatha, waya emzini, uninazala wakubona abekuthathile; Uninazala wathi kuye: “Uthathephi namuhla na?” kanti ubusebenza kuphi? ubusisiwe okunakile. Wasemtshela uninazala lowo asebenza kuye, wathi: Ibizo lendoda engisebenze layo lamuhla nguBhowazi; UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: “Makabusiswe lowo kuJehova ongayekanga umusa wakhe kwabaphilayo nakwabafileyo. UNawomi wathi kuye: “Lo muntu useduze nathi, omunye wegazi lethu.” URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi: “Naye wathi kimi: ‘Kumelwe ubambelele ezinsizweni zami zize ziqede zonke isivuno sami.’ UNawomi wayesethi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: “Kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuba uphume nezincekukazi zakhe, funa bahlangane nawe kwenye insimu. Ngakho wanamathela emadodakazini kaBowazi ukukhothoza, kwaze kwaba sekupheleni kokuvunwa kwebhali nokuvunwa kukakolweni; wahlala noninazala.