Ruthe 1:1-22
1 Ngesikhathi kusabusa* abahluleli + kwaba khona indlala ezweni; umuntu othile wathutha eBhetlehema + kwaJuda wayohlala endaweni yakwaMowabi, + yena nomkakhe namadodana akhe amabili.
2 Igama lalo muntu kwakungu-Elimeleki,* igama lomkakhe kunguNawomi,* amagama amadodana akhe kunguMahaloni* noKiliyoni.* Babengabase-Efratha bevela eBhetlehema kwaJuda. Bafika endaweni yakwaMowabi bahlala khona.
3 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, u-Elimeleki umyeni kaNawomi washona, uNawomi wasala namadodana akhe amabili.
4 Kamuva la madodana ashada nabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lomunye kwakungu-Orpa, elomunye kunguRuthe. + Baqhubeka behlala lapho iminyaka engaba yishumi.
5 Ngemva kwalokho, uMahaloni noKiliyoni nabo bashona, uNawomi wasala engasenabo abantwana nomyeni.
6 Ngakho wasuka endaweni yakwaMowabi nomalokazana bakhe wabuyela emuva, ngoba wayezwile ekwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova wayebanakile abantu bakhe ngokubanika ukudla.*
7 Wahamba endaweni ayehlala kuyo nomalokazana bakhe. Njengoba behamba ngendlela bebuyela ezweni lakwaJuda,
8 uNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe: “Hambani, buyelani emuva, yilowo nalowo emzini kanina. Kwangathi uJehova anganibonisa uthando oluqotho, + njengoba nje nilubonisile kimi nasemadodaneni ami asefile.
9 Kwangathi uJehova angenza* ngamunye wenu athole ukulondeka* emzini womyeni wakhe.” + Wabe esebaqabula, base bekhala kakhulu.
10 Babelokhu bethi kuye: “Cha, sizohamba nawe siye kubantu bakini.”
11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi: “Buyelani emuva, madodakazi ami. Kungani kufanele nihambe nami? Ngisengakwazi yini mina ukuzala amadodana angaba abayeni benu? +
12 Buyelani emuva, madodakazi ami. Hambani, ngoba mina sengimdala kakhulu ukuba ngingashada. Ngisho noma bengingathola umyeni namuhla ebusuku futhi ngizale amadodana,
13 beniyowalinda yini aze akhule? Beniyohlala yini ningashadi ngenxa yawo? Cha, madodakazi ami, ngilusizi kakhulu ngani, ngoba isandla sikaJehova simelane nami.” +
14 Baphinde bakhala kakhulu, okwathi ngemva kwalokho u-Orpa waqabula uninazala, wabe esehamba. Kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
15 Ngakho uNawomi wathi: “Lalela, umnakwenu ongumfelokazi usebuyele kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela emuva nomnakwenu.”
16 Kodwa uRuthe wathi: “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, ukuba ngibuyele emuva ngingahambi nawe; ngoba lapho uya khona ngizoya khona nami, nalapho ulala khona nami ngizolala khona. Abantu bakini bazoba ngabantu bakithi, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami. +
17 Lapho ufela khona nami ngiyofela khona, futhi yilapho ngiyongcwatshwa khona. Kwangathi uJehova angangijezisa kanzima uma mina nawe siyohlukaniswa enye into ngaphandle kokufa.”
18 Lapho uNawomi ebona ukuthi uRuthe uyaphikelela ngokuthi uzohamba naye, wayeka ukumncenga.
19 Bobabili baqhubeka nendlela yabo baze bafika eBhetlehema. + Kwathi nje lapho befika eBhetlehema, lonke idolobha lavungama ngenxa yabo, abesifazane babethi: “Akuyena yini uNawomi lo?”
20 Yena wayethi kwabesifazane: “Ningangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi.* Ngibizeni ngokuthi nginguMara,* ngoba uMninimandla Onke wenze ukuphila kwami kwaba lusizi kakhulu. +
21 Nganginakho konke lapho ngihamba, kodwa uJehova ungenze ngabuya ngingasenalutho. Kungani kufanele ningibize ngokuthi nginguNawomi, kube kunguJehova omelane nami futhi kunguMninimandla Onke ongibangele usizi?” +
22 Wabuya kanjalo-ke uNawomi kwaMowabi, + ehamba noRuthe umalokazana wakhe ongumMowabikazi. Bafika eBhetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “kusahlulela.”
^ Incazelo: “UNkulunkulu Wami UyiNkosi.”
^ Incazelo: “Injabulo Yami.”
^ Kungenzeka livela egameni lesiHebheru elisho “ukuba buthaka; ukugula.”
^ Incazelo: “Owehlulekayo; Osezokufa.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “isinkwa.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “indawo yokuphumula.”
^ Noma, “anganipha isipho.”
^ Incazelo: “Injabulo Yami.”
^ Incazelo: “Usizi.”
