Ruthe 4:1-22
4 UBhowazi wakhuphukela esangweni ledolobha + wahlala khona. Kwabe sekudlula lowo onelungelo lokuhlenga, uBhowazi ayekhulume ngaye. + UBhowazi wathi kuye: “We Sibanibani, woza lapha uhlale phansi.” Ngakho waya, wahlala phansi.
2 Ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wathatha amadoda amadala edolobha + ayishumi, wathi kuwo: “Hlalani lapha phansi.” Ahlala phansi.
3 UBhowazi wathi kowayenelungelo lokuhlenga: + “UNawomi, osebuyile kwaMowabi, + kumelwe athengise insimu okwakungeyomfowethu u-Elimeleki. +
4 Ngakho, ngicabange ukuthi kufanele ngikubikele, manje ngithi, ‘Yithenge phambi kwezakhamuzi namadoda amadala abantu bakithi. + Uma uzoyihlenga, yihlenge. Kodwa uma ungeke uyihlenge, ngitshele ukuze ngazi ngoba nguwe onelungelo lokuyihlenga, mina ngilandela wena.’ ” Waphendula: “Kulungile ngizoyihlenga.” +
5 UBhowazi wabe esethi: “Mhla uyithenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, kumelwe uyithenge nakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umkamufi, ukuze kulondolozwe igama likamufi nefa lakhe.” +
6 Owayenelungelo lokuhlenga wathi: “Ngeke ngikwazi ukuyihlenga ngoba ngingase ngilahlekelwe elami ifa. Zihlengele yona ngelungelo lami lokuhlenga, ngoba mina ngeke ngikwazi ukuyihlenga.”
7 Manje nakhu okwakwenziwa ezikhathini zasendulo kwa-Israyeli ngokuphathelene nelungelo lokuhlenga nokushintshana ngamalungelo, ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi zonke izinto zenziwe ngokusemthethweni: Umuntu kwakufanele akhumule imbadada yakhe + ayinike omunye, futhi lena kwakuyindlela yokuqinisekisa isivumelwano kwa-Israyeli.
8 Ngakho lapho lowo owayenelungelo lokuhlenga ethi kuBhowazi: “Zihlengele yona,” wakhumula imbadada yakhe.
9 UBhowazi wabe esethi emadodeni amadala nakubo bonke abantu: “Ningofakazi + namuhla bokuthi ngiyakuthenga kuNawomi konke obekungokuka-Elimeleki nakho konke obekungokukaKiliyoni noMahaloni.
10 Ngizithathela noRuthe umMowabikazi, umkaMahaloni, njengomfazi ukuze ngilondoloze igama likamufi nefa lakhe, + ukuze igama likamufi lingashabalali phakathi kwabafowabo nasedolobheni lakubo.* Ningofakazi namuhla.” +
11 Kulokhu bonke abantu ababesesangweni ledolobha kanye namadoda amadala bathi: “Singofakazi! Kwangathi uJehova angenza lona wesifazane ongena endlini yakho ukuba abe njengoRaheli noLeya, bobabili abakha indlu ka-Israyeli. + Kwangathi ungachuma e-Efratha + futhi uzenzele igama elihle* eBhetlehema. +
12 Kwangathi ngenzalo uJehova azokunika yona ngale ntombazane, + indlu yakho ingaba njengendlu kaPherezi, + lowo uThamari amzalela uJuda.”
13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe waba ngumkakhe. Walala naye futhi uJehova wambusisa wakhulelwa, wazala indodana.
14 Abesifazane base bethi kuNawomi: “Makadunyiswe uJehova, ongakushiyanga ungenaye umuntu ozokuhlenga namuhla. Kwangathi igama lakhe* lingaziwa kwa-Israyeli!
15 Ukwenze* kwaba ngcono* ukuphila kwakho futhi uyokondla ekugugeni kwakho, ngoba uzalwe ngumalokazana wakho okuthandayo + nongcono kuwe kunamadodana ayisikhombisa.”
16 UNawomi wamthatha umntwana wambeka esifubeni sakhe futhi wamnakekela.*
17 Abesifazane abangomakhelwane bametha igama. Bathi: “UNawomi uzalelwe indodana,” futhi bayiqamba ngokuthi u-Obede. + Inguyise kaJese, + uyise kaDavide.
18 Nalu uhlu lozalo* lukaPherezi: + UPherezi wazala uHezironi; +
19 uHezironi wazala uRamu; uRamu wazala u-Aminadaba; +
20 u-Aminadaba + wazala uNaheshoni; uNaheshoni wazala uSalimoni;
21 uSalimoni wazala uBhowazi; uBhowazi wazala u-Obede;
22 u-Obede wazala uJese; + uJese wazala uDavide. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “nasesangweni lendawo yakubo.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “umemezele igama.”
^ Okuwukuthi, umzukulu kaNawomi.
^ Okuwukuthi, umzukulu kaNawomi.
^ Noma, “ukubuyisile.”
^ Noma, “waba umzanyana wakhe.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “Yilezi izizukulwane.”
