URuthe

2 Kwakulendoda okwakuthiwa nguBhowazi+ eyayiyisihlobo somkaNawomi u-Elimeleki. Indoda le yayinothe kakhulu.

2 URuthe umMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Ngicela ukuya emasimini ngiyedobhadobha+ izikhwebu ensimini yaloba ngubani ozakuba lomusa kimi.” UNawomi wasesithi kuye: “Kulungile, hamba ndodakazi yami.” 3 Wasuka-ke uRuthe waya emasimini waqalisa ukudobha amabele ayesala ngemva kwabavunayo. Kwenzakala ukuthi insimu angena kuyo yayingekaBhowazi+ owayeyisihlobo sika-Elimeleki.+ 4 Khonokho nje uBhowazi wafika evela eBhethilehema, wabingelela ababevuna wathi: “UJehova kabe lani.” Bona bamphendula bathi: “UJehova kakubusise.”

5 UBhowazi wasebuza isisebenzi sakhe esasikhangele ababevuna wathi: “Ngowangaphi umama lowana?” 6 Isisebenzi sakhe samphendula sathi: “NgumMowabi,+ ubuye loNawomi evela koMowabi.+ 7 Ufike wathi kimi, ‘Ngicela ukudobha+ izikhwebu* zamabele ezisala ngemva kwabavunayo.’ Ubelokhu esebenza kusukela ekuseni. Khona ehlala phansi khathesi nje esithi ake aphumule kancane emthunzini.”

8 UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe: “Lalela ndodakazi yami, ungasuki lapha uyedobha kwamanye amasimu futhi ungehlukani lamantombazana angisebenzelayo.+ 9 Nanzelela ukuthi avuna kuyiphi insimu uhambe lawo. Sengiqonqosele lamajaha angisebenzelayo ukuthi angakuthinti.* Ungezwa usuwomile uhambe uyenatha ezimbizeni zamanzi akhiwe yizisebenzi zami.”

10 URuthe uthe esizwa lokho waguqa wakhangela phansi wasesithi: “Kungani ungenzela umusa omkhulu kangaka futhi uzihluphelani ngami mina ngingumuntu wezizweni?”+ 11 UBhowazi wamphendula wathi: “Ngikuzwile konke okuhle okwenzele unyokozala ngemva kokufelwa ngumkakho lokuthi utshiye abazali bakho lelizwe lakini, wabuya ebantwini ongabaziyo.+ 12 UJehova kakubusise ngenxa yalokho okwenzileyo.+ Kwangathi uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli angakupha umvuzo omkhulu ngoba ukhethe ukuzocatsha ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe.”+ 13 URuthe wasesithi kuye: “Sengathi ngingaqhubeka ngithola umusa kuwe nkosi yami. Ungiduduzile wangiqinisa ngamazwi owakhulumileyo lanxa ngingayisiso sisebenzi sakho.”

14 Ngesikhathi sokudla uBhowazi wathi kuRuthe: “Buya ngapha, thatha isinkwa utshebe kuviniga udle.” Ngakho wahlala labavunayo, uBhowazi wasemnika amabele akhanzingiweyo, wadla wasutha waze watshiya. 15 Wathi esesukuma ukuthi ayedobha+ amabele, uBhowazi wathi ezisebenzini zakhe: “Mvumeleni adobhe izikhwebu* zamabele asalayo, lingamhluphi.+ 16 Mhwatsheleni lezikhwebu zamabele eziphakathi kwezithungo lizitshiye phansi ukuze ahambe edobha. Limyekele asebenze ekhululekile.”

17 Yikho-ke waqhubeka edobha ensimini kwaze kwaba mnyama.+ Wathi esebhule konke ayekudobhile kwaba yisilinganiso se-efa* yebhali, 18 wasekuthwala wahamba lakho ngekhaya wafika watshengisa uninazala. Wakhipha lokudla ayekutshiyile+ wamupha njengoba yena wayesedlile.

19 Uninazala wathi kuye: “Uwathole ngaphi amabele obuye lawo? Udobhe kuyiphi insimu? Sengathi lowo obe lomusa kuwe angabusiswa.”+ Wasetshela uninazala ukuthi wayesebenze ensimini kabani, wathi: “Ngisebenze ensimini yendoda okuthiwa nguBhowazi.” 20 UNawomi wasesithi kumalukazana wakhe: “Sengathi uJehova angayibusisa indoda leyo. Kayekelanga ukuba lothando oluqotho kwabaphilayo labafileyo.”+ Waqhubeka wathi: “Indoda leyo iyisihlobo sethu+ njalo ingomunye wamadoda alelungelo lokusihlenga.”*+ 21 URuthe umMowabi wathi: “Uphinde wathi kimi, ‘Ungehlukani lezisebenzi zami zize ziqede ukuvuna wonke amabele ami.’”+ 22 UNawomi wasesithi kuRuthe umalukazana wakhe: “Kungcono ndodakazi yami ukuthi uhambe lamantombazana amsebenzelayo kulokuthi uye kwenye insimu ufike uphathwe kubi.”

23 Yikho uRuthe kazange ehlukane lamantombazana ayesebenzela uBhowazi. Wayelokhu ehamba esiyadobha okwakusele emasimini saze saphela isikhathi sokuvuna ibhali+ lengqoloyi njalo waqhubeka ehlala loninazala.+