UGWALO

LUKARUTHE

URuthe loNawomi

1Kwasekusithi ensukwini abahlulelia abahlulela ngazo kwaba khona indlalab elizweni. Umuntu weBhethelehema-Judac wasehamba ukuyahlala njengowezizwe elizweni lakoMowabi, yena lomkakhe lamadodana akhe amabili.

2 Njalo ibizo lalowomuntu lalinguElimeleki, lebizo lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, lebizo lamadodana akhe amabili lalinguMaheloni loKiliyoni, amaEfrathad eBhethelehema-Juda. Basebesiza elizweni lakoMowabie, baba khona.

3 UElimeleki umkaNawomi wasesifa, wasetshiywa yena lamadodana akhe womabili.

4 Asezithathela abafazi amaMowabikazi, ibizo lomunye lalinguOpha, lebizo lomunye lalinguRuthe. Basebehlala khona phose iminyaka elitshumi.

5 Basebesifa labo bobabili oMaheloni loKiliyoni; owesifazana wasetshiywa ngabantwana bakhe bobabili layindoda yakhe.

6 Wasesukuma yena labomalokazana bakhe wabuyela esuka eselizweni lakoMowabi, ngoba wayesezwile elizweni lakoMowabi ukuthi iNkosi ihambele abantu bayof ngokubanika ukudlag.

7 Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona labomalokazana bakhe bobabili kanye laye, bahamba endleleni ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda.

8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili: Hambani libuyele ngulowo lalowo endlini kanina; iNkosi kayilenzele umusah njengoba lenza kwabafileyoi lakimi.

9 INkosi kayilinike ukuthi lithole ukuphumulaj, ngulowo lalowo endlini yomkakhe. Wasebanga, basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.

10 Basebesithi kuye: Isibili, sizabuyela lawe ebantwini bakini.

11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi: Buyelani, madodakazi ami, lizahambelani lami? Kambe ngiselamadodana esiswini sami ukuthi abe ngomkenuk?

12 Buyelani, madodakazi ami, zihambeleni, ngoba sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngibe lendoda. Loba ngingathi ngilethemba lokuthi lami ngalobubusuku ngibe lendoda, njalo ngizale amadodana,

13 belingawalindela yini aze akhule? Belingazivimbela lingabi lendoda yini? Hatshi, madodakazi ami, ngoba kuyababa kakhulu kimi kulakini ukuthi isandla seNkosi siphume ukumelana lamil.

14 Basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi futhi. UOpha wasemanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.

15 Wasesithi: Khangela, umkamfowenu usebuyele ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela umlandele umkamfowenum.

16 Kodwa uRuthe wathi: Ungangincengi ukuthi ngikutshiye, ngibuyele ngiyekele ukukulandela; ngoba lapho oya khona, ngizakuya khona, lalapho olala khona, ngizalala khona. Abantu bakho bangabantu bamin, loNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu wami;

17 lapho ozafela khona, ngizafela khona, ngingcwatshelwe lapho. INkosi kayenze njalo kimio ngokunjalo yengezelele, ngoba yikufa kuphela okuzakwehlukanisa phakathi kwami lawe.

18 Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uzimiselep ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukukhuluma kuye.

19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bafika eBhethelehema. Kwasekusithi sebefikile eBhethelehema umuzi wonke wayaluzela ngenxa yaboq, bathi: Lo nguNawomi yini?

20 Wasesithi kibo: Lingangibizi ngokuthi Nawomi, lingibize ngokuthi Mara; ngoba uSomandla ungiphethe ngokubaba okukhulur.

21 Mina ngasuka ngigcwele, njalo iNkosi ingibuyise ngingelaluthos. Lingibizelani ngokuthi Nawomi lokhu iNkosi ifakaze imelane lami, loSomandla ungihluphile?

22 Wabuyela ngokunjalo uNawomi loRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe kanye laye, owabuyela evela elizweni lakoMowabi. Bona-ke bafika eBhethelehema ekuqaliseni kwesivuno sebhali*t.

URuthe ukhothoza emasimini kaBhowazi

2Njalo uNawomi wayelesihlobo somkakhea, umuntu oliqhawe onothileyo owosendo lukaElimeleki, lebizo lakhe lalinguBhowazib.

2 URuthe umMowabikazi wasesithi kuNawomi: Ake ngiye emasimini, ngiyekhothoza okwezikhwebu ngemva kwalowo engizathola umusa emehlweni akhec. Wasesithi kuye: Hamba, ndodakazi yami.

3 Wasehamba wafika wakhothoza ensimini ngemva kwabavuni. Waqabuka efika kungxenye yensimu kaBhowazi owayengowosendo lukaElimeleki.

4 Khangela-ke, uBhowazi wafika evela eBhethelehema, wasesithi kubavuni: INkosi ibe lanid. Basebesithi kuye: INkosi ikubusise.

5 UBhowazi wasesithi encekwini yakhe eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni: Le yintombi kabani?

6 Inceku eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni yasiphendula yathi: Yintombi umMowabikazi eyabuya loNawomi evela elizweni lakoMowabie.

7 Yasisithi: Ake ngikhothoze ngibuthe phakathi kwezithungo ngemva kwabavuni. Ngakho ifikile, iqhubekile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube khathesi; lokuhlala kwayo endlini kuncinyane.

8 UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe: Kawuzwa yini, ndodakazi yami? Ungayikhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungedluli usuke lapha, kodwa unamathele lapha emantombazaneni ami.

9 Amehlo akho kawabe sensimini ayivunayo, uwalandele. Angithi ngiwalayile amajaha ukuthi angakuthinti. Nxa usuwomile uye ezimbizeni, unathe kulokhu amajaha akukhileyo.

10 Khona wathi mbo ngobusof bakhe wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: Ngitholelani umusa emehlweni akho ukuthi unginanze lokhu ngingowezizweni?

11 UBhowazi wasephendula wathi kuye: Kutshengisiwe lokutshengiswa kimi konke owakwenzela unyokozala emva kokufa kwendoda yakhog, ukuthi utshiye uyihlo lonyoko lelizwe lokuzalwa kwakho, weza ebantwini owawungabazi ngaphambili.

12 INkosi kayiwuvuze umsebenzi wakhoh, sengathi umvuzo wakho opheleleyo kawuvele eNkosini uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, oze ngaphansi kwempiko zayo ukuphephelai.

13 Wasesithi: Ake ngithole umusa emehlweni akhoj, nkosi yami, ngoba ungiduduzile, njalo ngoba ukhulume enhliziyweni yencekukazi yakho, lanxa mina ngingenjengenye yencekukazi zakhok.

14 UBhowazi wathi kuye: Ngesikhathi sokudla sondela lapha, udle okwesinkwa, utshebe ucezu lwakho kuvinigal. Ngakho wahlala eceleni kwabavuni, wasemkhangeza amabele akhanzingiweyo; wadla wasutham watshiya.

15 Kwathi esukuma ukukhothoza, uBhowazi walaya amajaha akhe esithi: Myekeleni ukuthi akhothoze laphakathi kwezithungo, lingamyangisi,

16 laye limhwatshele-ke ngabomu okunye ezinyandeni, likutshiye ukuze akukhothoze, lingamkhuzi.

17 Wakhothoza-ke ensimini kwaze kwahlwa. Wabhula lokho ayekukhothozile, kwaba phose yi-efan yebhali*.

18 Wakuthwala wangena emzini, loninazala wabona akukhothozileyo; wakhupha wamnika akutshiya esesuthio.

19 Uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ubukhothoza ngaphi lamuhla? Usebenze ngaphi? Kabusiswe lowo okunanzeleleyop. Wasemtshela uninazala ukuthi usebenze kobani, wathi: Ibizo lalowomuntu engisebenze kuye lamuhla nguBhowazi.

20 UNawomi wasesithi kumalokazana wakhe: Kabusiswe yiNkosiq engayekelanga umusa wayo kwabaphilayo lakwabafileyor. UNawomi wathi kuye: Lowomuntu uyisihlobo sethu esiseduze kithi, ongomunye wabahlengi bethu.

21 URuthe umMowabikazi wasesithi: Ngoba laye uthe kimi: Uzanamathela emajahenis engilawo aze aqede sonke isivuno engilaso.

22 UNawomi wasesithi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: Kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuthi uphume lamantombazanat akhe, hlezi bakuhlangabeze kwenye insimu.

23 Wasenamathela emantombazaneni kaBhowazi, ekhothoza kwaze kwaphela isivuno sebhali* lesivuno sengqoloyi. Wasehlala loninazala.

UBhowazi uvuma ukuba ngumhlengi

3UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumulaa yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe?

2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobob zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhec? Khangela, wela ibhali* ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku.

3 Ngakho geza uzigcobed, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha.

4 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kiyo, ungene, ubususembula inyawo zakhe, ulale phansi; yena-ke uzakutshela ozakwenza.

5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.

6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala.

7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokozae, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenyaf, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.

8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo.

9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakhog, ngoba ungumhlengi.

10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosih, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqalai, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo.

11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqothoj.

12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengik, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulamil.

13 Hlala lobubusuku; kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni uba ezakwenza imfanelo yesihlobo esingumhlengim, kulungile, kakuhlenge; kodwa uba engathandi ukukuhlenga, mina-ke ngizakuhlenga, kuphila kukaJehovan. Lala kuze kuse.

14 Waselala enyaweni zayo kwaze kwasao; wavuka omunye engakananzeleli omunye. Yasisithi: Kakungaziwa ukuthi owesifazana ufikile ebaleni lokubhulela.

15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali*, yamethesa; wasengena emzini.

16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona.

17 Wathi: Ingiphe lezizilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, ngoba ithe kimi: Ungayi kunyokozala ungelalutho.

18 Wasesithi: Hlalap, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.

UBhowazi uthatha uRuthe abe ngumkakhe

4UBhowazi wasesenyukela esangwenia, wahlala phansi lapho. Khangela-ke, kwedlula isihlobo esingumhlengi leso uBhowazi ayekhulume ngasob. Wasesithi: Phambuka uhlale phansi lapha, we zibanibani. Wasephambuka, wahlala phansi.

2 Wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ebadaleni bomuzic, wathi: Hlalani phansi lapha. Asehlala phansi.

3 Wasesithi kulesosihlobo esingumhlengi: Isiqinti sensimu esasingesomfowethu uElimeleki, uyasithengisa uNawomi, osebuyile evela elizweni lakoMowabi.

4 Ngakho mina ngithe: Ngikwembule endlebeni yakho ngisithi: Sithenged phambi kwabahlalie laphambi kwabadala babantu bakithi. Uba uzasihlenga, sihlenge. Kodwa uba engekho ongasihlenga, ungitshele, ukuze ngazi; ngoba engekho ngaphandle kwakho ongasihlenga, mina-ke ngilandela wena. Wasesithi: Mina ngizasihlenga.

5 UBhowazi wasesithi: Mhla uthenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, uzayithenga lakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umfazi womuyi, ukuze umise ibizo lomuyi elifeni lakhef.

6 Lesosihlobo esingumhlengi sasesisithig: Ngingeke ngazihlengela sona, hlezi ngone ilifa lami. Zihlengele wena ilungelo lami lokuhlenga, ngoba kangilamandla okuhlenga.

7 Lokhu-ke kwakukhona mandulo koIsrayeli mayelana lokuhlengah lokuntshintshai, ukuqinisa lonke udaba: umuntu akhiphe inyathela lakhe, alinike umakhelwane wakhe; lokhu-ke kwakuyibufakazi koIsrayeli.

8 Ngakho isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi kuBhowazi: Zithengele yona; sasesikhipha inyathela laso.

9 UBhowazi wasesithi kubadala lakubo bonke abantu: Lingabafakazi lamuhla bokuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokukaElimeleki lakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni lokukaMahelonij esandleni sikaNawomi.

10 LoRuthe laye umMowabikazi, umkaMahelonik, ngizithengele ukuze abe ngumkami, ukuze ngimise ibizo likamuyi elifeni lakhel, ukuze ibizo lomuyi lingaqunywa lisuke phakathi kwabafowabo lesangweni lendawo yakhe. Lingabafakazi lamuhla.

11 Bonke abantu ababesesangweni labadala basebesithi: Singabafakazi; kungathi iNkosi ingamenza lo owesifazana ongena endlini yakho abe njengoRasheli lanjengoLeya abakha bobabili indlu kaIsrayelim. Njalo wenze ngamandla eEfrathan, uzenzele ibizo eBhethelehema,

12 lendlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaPerezi uTamari amzalela uJudao, ngenzalo iNkosi ezakunika yona ngalo owesifazana omutshap.

13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRutheq, waba ngumkakhe; wasengena kuye, iNkosi yamnika ukuthi athathe isisur, wazala indodana.

14 Abesifazana basebesithi kuNawomi: Kayibusiswe iNkosis engakutshiyanga ungelaso isihlobo esingumhlengi lamuhla, ukuthi ibizo laso limenyezelwe koIsrayeli!

15 Uzakuba kuwe ngumbuyisi wempilo lomondli wobudala bakho, ngoba umzele umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, ongcono kuwe kulamadodana ayisikhombisat.

16 UNawomi wasemthatha umntwana, wamfaka esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumlizane wakhe.

17 Omakhelwanekazi basebemutha ibizou besithi: Kulendodana ezalelwe uNawomiv. Babiza ibizo layo uObedi; nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.

18 Lalezi yizizukulwana zikaPerezi. UPerezi wazala uHezironiw,

19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba,

20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashonix, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni,

21 uSalimoni wasezala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wasezala uObedi,

22 uObedi wasezala uJese, uJese wasezala uDavida.