Rute
4 Nje-ke uBhowazi watjhinga esangweni ledorobho+ wahlala lapho. Kwathi kusesenjalo, umhlengi loya uBhowazi akhulume ngaye wadlula.+ Uthe angambona, wathi kuye: “Sibanibani, akhuzapha uhlale phasi.” Weza wahlala phasi. 2 Ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wabiza abadala bedorobho abalitjhumi+ wathi kibo: “Ngibawa nihlale phasi.” Bahlala phasi.
3 Nje-ke uBhowazi wathi kumhlengi:+ “UNawomi obekasesifundeni sakwaMowabi ubuyile,+ begodu kufuze athengise isiqetjhana sendawo ebekungesakamfowethu u-Elimeleki.+ 4 Yeke ngicabange bona ngiyiveze kuwe indaba le, ngithi, ‘Ihlenge phambi kwezakhamuzi nabadala babantu bekhethu.+ Nangabe ufuna ukuyihlenga, ihlenge. Kodwana nange ungafuni ukuyihlenga, ngitjela ngombana nguwe onelungelo lokuthoma lokuyihlenga, mina ngilandela wena.’” Waphendula wathi: “Ngiyafuna ukuyihlenga.”+ 5 UBhowazi wathi: “Ngelanga othenga ngalo isimu leyo kuNawomi, kufuze uyithenge nakuRute wakwaMowabi, umfazi kamufi, bona kubuyiselwe igama lakamufi elifeni lakhe.”+ 6 Nakezwa lokho umhlengi wathi: “Angekhe ngikghone ukuyihlenga nakunjalo ngombana ngisaba ukuthi ngingonakalisa ilifa lami. Ihlenge wena ngelungelo lami lokuhlenga ngombana mina angikghoni ukuyihlenga.”
7 Ekadeni, bekwenziwa ngalendlela kwa-Israyeli ngokuphathelene nelungelo lokuhlenga nokutjhugulula ubunikazi bento bona kuqinisekiswe koke okwenzekako: Umuntu bekufuze ahlubule ipatlagwana lakhe,+ alinikele omunye, lokho-ke bekuyindlela yokuqinisekisa isivumelwano* kwa-Israyeli. 8 Nje-ke umhlengi nakathi kuBhowazi, “Zithengele yona,” wahlubula ipatlagwana lakhe. 9 Yeke uBhowazi wathi kubadala nakibo boke abantu: “Nibofakazi+ namhlanjesi bokuthi ngithenga kuNawomi koke ebekungekwaka-Elimeleki nakho koke ebekungekwakaKiliyoni noMarhaloni. 10 Godu ngithatha noRute wakwaMowabi, umkaMarhaloni, ukuthi abe mkami khona ngizakubuyisela igama lakamufi elifeni lakhe+ bona abafowabo nabantu bedorobheneli bangalikhohlwa igama lakamufi. Nibofakazi bami namhlanjesi.”+
11 Nabezwa lokho, boke abantu ebebasesangweni ledorobho kunye nabadala bathi: “Sibofakazi! Kwanga uJehova angambusisa umfazi lo ozokungena ngendlinakho abe njengoRarheli noLeya, abakha indlu ka-Israyeli.+ Kwanga ungaphumelela e-Efrata+ udume eBhetlehema.+ 12 Kwanga ngabantwana uJehova azokupha bona ngentombi le, indlwakho ingaba njengendlu kaPeretsi,+ loyo uTamari ambelethela uJuda.”+
13 Nje-ke uBhowazi watjhada noRute. Waya naye emabhayini, uJehova wenza bonyana azithwale, wabeletha indodana. 14 Yeke abafazi bathi kuNawomi: “Akadunyiswe uJehova, ongazange akutjhiye unganamhlengi namhlanjesi. Igama lakhe alimenyezelwe kwa-Israyeli! 15 Umntwana lo uvuselele ukuphila kwakho, uzokusekela ekuluphaleni kwakho ngombana ubelethwe ngumalukazanakho, okuthandako+ nongcono kuwe kunamadodana alikhomba.” 16 UNawomi wathatha umntwana lo wamsingatha bewamtlhogomela.* 17 Abafazi abakhelene nabo bamthiya igama. Bathi, “UNawomi ubelethelwe indodana,” bamthiya ngokuthi ngu-Obede.+ Unguyise kaJese,+ uyise kaDavida.
18 Nanzi iinzukulwana zakaPeretsi: UPeretsi+ waba nguyise kaRhetsironi;+ 19 uHezironi waba nguyise kaRamu; uRamu waba nguyise ka-Aminadaba;+ 20 u-Aminadaba+ waba nguyise kaNarhitjhoni; uNarhitjhoni waba nguyise kaSalimoni; 21 uSalimoni waba nguyise kaBhowazi; uBhowazi waba nguyise ka-Obede; 22 u-Obede waba nguyise kaJese; uJese+ waba nguyise kaDavida.+