URuthe
1 Ngensuku zabahluleli+ kwaba lendlala elizweni. Enye indoda yasuka eBhethilehema+ koJuda, yathuthela koMowabi+ ilomkayo lamadodana ayo amabili. 2 Indoda le kwakuthiwa ngu-Elimeleki* futhi umkayo kwakunguNawomi.* Amadodana ayo kwakunguMaheloni* loKhiliyoni.* Imuli le yayidabuka e-Efratha, edolobheni laseBhethilehema koJuda. Yafika koMowabi yahlala khona.
3 Ngemva kwesikhathi u-Elimeleki umkaNawomi wafa, uNawomi wasala lamadodana akhe amabili. 4 Atshada labesifazana bakoMowabi okwakuthiwa ngu-Opha loRuthe.+ Bahlala koMowabi okweminyaka engaba litshumi. 5 Amadodana amabili kaNawomi uMaheloni loKhiliyoni lawo afa, wasesala engelabantwana futhi engumfelokazi. 6 Ngakho wabona kungcono ukuthi asuke koMowabi abuyele kibo ngoba wayesezwe ukuthi uJehova ubabusisile futhi abantu bakhe ngokubanika ukudla.* Omalukazana bakhe labo bathi bazahamba laye.
7 Wasuka-ke lapho ayehlala khona elabomalukazana bakhe ababili. Bathi sebesendleleni bebuyela koJuda, 8 uNawomi wathi kubomalukazana bakhe: “Phendukani, ngulowo lalowo aye emzini kanina. Sengathi uJehova angaba lothando oluqotho kini+ njengoba lani libe lothando olunjalo kimi lakubomkenu abangasekho. 9 Kwangathi uJehova angalipha umendo, lihlale kuhle* emizini yenu.”+ Wasebaqabuza bakhala kakhulu 10 bathi kuye: “Hatshi asisoze sibuyele, sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.” 11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi kubo: “Buyelani madodakazi ami. Kungani lifuna ukuhamba lami? Kambe ngingenelisa ukuba labanye abantwana abangaba ngomkenu?+ 12 Buyelani madodakazi ami, mina sengiguge kakhulu futhi ngeke ngithole enye indoda engangithatha. Lanxa bengingayithola lamuhla ngibe lamadodana, 13 belizawamelela yini aze akhule? Kambe belizayekela ukutshada ngenxa yawo? Hatshi madodakazi ami, ngilizwela usizi ngenxa yokuthi uJehova ungitshiyile.”*+
14 Baphinda bakhala kakhulu. Ngemva kwalokho u-Opha waqabuza uninazala wasesuka wahamba, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye. 15 UNawomi wasesithi: “Khangela! U-Opha usebuyela ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela laye.”
16 Kodwa uRuthe wathi: “Ungangincengi ukuthi ngikutshiye lokuthi ngingahambi lawe ngoba lapho oya khona lami ngizakuya khona, futhi lapho olala khona lami ngizalala khona. Abantu bakini bazakuba ngabantu bakithi loNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami.+ 17 Lapho ozafela khona kulapho engizafela khona ngingcwatshwe khona. UJehova kangijezise kakhulu nxa singehlukaniswa ngokunye ngaphandle kokufa.”
18 UNawomi wathi ebona ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye, wayekela ukumncenga ukuthi abuyele. 19 Baqhubeka ngohambo lwabo baze bayafika eBhethilehema.+ Bathi befika nje idolobho lonke laqalisa ukuxokozela ngenxa yabo, njalo abesifazana babebuzana besithi: “NguNawomi lo?” 20 Yena abesesithi kubo: “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi.* Ngibizani ngokuthi nginguMara* ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba nzima kakhulu.+ 21 Ngangilakho konke ngisuka lapha kodwa uJehova ungenze ngaphenduka ngingelalutho. Lingibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi khona kunguJehova ongihlanekeleyo njalo kunguSomandla ongenze ngehlelwa yibunzima?”+
22 Lokhu yikho okwenzakala ngesikhathi uNawomi ebuyela kibo esuka elizweni lakoMowabi+ lomalukazana wakhe uRuthe umMowabi. Bafika eBhethilehema abantu beqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.+