URuthe
1:1 Kwathi ezinsukwini lapho abahluleli bebusa, kwaba khona a
indlala ezweni. Indoda ethile yaseBetlehema Juda yahamba yayogogobala
ezweni lakwaMowabi, yena nomkakhe, namadodana akhe amabili.
1:2 Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi.
amagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMahaloni noKiliyoni, ama-Efrata
eBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, baqhubeka
Lapho.
1:3 Wafa u-Elimeleki indoda kaNawomi; wasala yena namadodana akhe amabili.
1:4 Futhi bazithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lenye lalingu
u-Orpa negama lomunye uRuthe; bahlala khona kungathi abayishumi
iminyaka.
1:5 OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane wasala
amadodana akhe amabili nomyeni wakhe.
1:6 Khona-ke wasukuma kanye nomalokazana bakhe, ukuze abuye evela
ezweni lakwaMowabi, ngokuba wayezwile ezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova
UJehova wayebahambele abantu bakhe ngokubapha isinkwa.
1:7 Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona, nababili bakhe
omalokazana kanye naye; bahamba ngendlela bebuyela emzini
ezweni lakwaJuda.
1:8 UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe bobabili: "Hambani, nibuyele kuye, kube yilowo nalowo kuye."
endlini kanina; uJehova makanenzele umusa, njengalokho nenze kini
ofileyo, kanye nami.
1:9 INkosi ininike ukuze uthole ukuphumula, ngamunye kini endlini ka
umyeni wakhe. Wabe esebanga; baphakamisa izwi labo, futhi
wakhala.
1:10 Bathi kuye: "Impela, sizobuyela nawe kubantu bakini."
1:11 Wathi uNawomi, Buyani, madodakazi ami; kukhona
asekhona amadodana esizalweni sami, ukuze abe ngabayeni benu?
1:12 Buyani, madodakazi ami, hambani; ngoba mina sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngingabi lendoda
umyeni. Uma ngithi, nginethemba, uma nami ngiba nendoda
ebusuku, futhi kufanele futhi izale amadodana;
1:13 Ubungathanda yini ukubalinda baze bakhule? beniyakuhlalela bona
ekubeni namadoda? Cha, madodakazi ami; ngoba kungidabukisa kakhulu
ngenxa yenu ukuthi isandla sikaJehova siphumele phezu kwami.
1:14 Futhi baphakamisa izwi labo, futhi bakhala futhi, futhi Orpah wamanga wakhe
umamezala; kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
1:15 Wathi: "Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kubantu bakubo.
nakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela emva kukadadewenu.
1:16 Wathi uRuthe, "Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, noma ngibuye ekukulandeleni."
emva kwakho: ngokuba lapho uya khona, ngiyakuya khona nami; lalapho ulala khona, mina
abantu bakho bayakuba ngabantu bami, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami;
1:17 Lapho ufela khona, ngiyofela khona, futhi ngiyongcwatshwa khona
kimi, futhi kakhulu futhi, uma kukhona ukufa kuphela okuhlukanisa mina nawe.
1:18 Lapho ebona ukuthi wayezimisele ukuhamba naye, khona-ke wahamba
wasala ekhuluma laye.
1:19 Ngakho bahamba bobabili baze bafika eBhetlehema. Futhi kwenzeka, lapho
sebefikile eBetlehema, umuzi wonke wanyakaziswa ngabo;
bathi: NguNawomi lo?
1:20 Wathi kubo, Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi;
USomandla ungiphathe kabi kakhulu.
1:21 Ngaphuma ngigcwele, futhi uJehova wangibuyisela emuva ngingenalutho
ngibizeni ngokuthi nginguNawomi, lokhu uJehova ufakazile ngami noJehova
USomandla ungihluphile?
1:22 Ngakho uNawomi wabuya, kanye noRuthe umMowabikazi, umalokazana wakhe, kanye
wakhe, owabuya ezweni lakwaMowabi, bafika
EBhetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.