Ruthe 2:1-23
2 UNawomi wayenesihlobo esasicebe kakhulu, singesomndeni ka-Elimeleki, igama laso kunguBhowazi. +
2 URuthe, owesifazane wakwaMowabi, wathi kuNawomi: “Ngicela ukuya emasimini ngiyokhothoza + izixha zokudla okusanhlamvu ngilandele noma ubani oyongibonisa umusa.” Ngakho uNawomi wathi kuye: “Hamba ndodakazi yami.”
3 Wabe esehamba wayokhothoza ensimini ngemva kwabavuni. Wazithela ensimini kaBhowazi, + owayengowomndeni ka-Elimeleki. +
4 Kusenjalo, kwafika uBhowazi evela eBhetlehema, wathi kubavuni: “UJehova abe nani.” Baphendula bathi: “UJehova akubusise.”
5 Ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wabuza insizwa eyayiphethe abavuni wathi: “Eyakwabani le ntokazi?”
6 Insizwa eyayiphethe abavuni yaphendula yathi: “Le ntokazi ingumMowabikazi, + ibuye noNawomi kwaMowabi. +
7 Ithe, ‘Ngicela ungivumele ngikhothoze, + ngizolandela abavuni ngibuthe izixha* zokudla okusanhlamvu ezisele.’ Ibilokhu imile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube manje, njengoba isiphumula isikhashana emphemeni.”
8 UBhowazi wabe esethi kuRuthe: “Lalela ndodakazi yami. Ungahambi uyokhothoza kwenye insimu, ungayi kwenye indawo; hlala eduze kwamantombazane ami. +
9 Amehlo akho mawabe sensimini ayivunayo, futhi uhambe nawo. Ngiziyalile izinsizwa ukuba zingakuthinti.* Uma womile, ubohamba uyophuza ezitsheni zamanzi akhiwe yizinsizwa.”
10 Lapho ezwa lokho waguqa wayesekhothama wathi kuye: “Kwenzeke kanjani ukuba ungibonise umusa futhi kungani uye wanginaka, ngibe ngingowesinye isizwe?” +
11 UBhowazi waphendula wathi kuye: “Kubikiwe kimi konke okwenzele umamezala wakho ngemva kokufa komyeni wakho, nendlela owashiya ngayo uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lezihlobo zakho weza esizweni obungasazi. +
12 Kwangathi uJehova angakuvuza ngalokho okwenzile, + futhi kwangathi ungathola inkokhelo ephelele evela* kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, oze ukuzofuna isiphephelo ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe.” +
13 Waphendula wathi: “Kwangathi ungaqhubeka ungibonisa umusa, nkosi yami, ngoba ungiduduzile futhi ungiqinisekisile,* nakuba mina ngokwami ngingeyona enye yezinceku zakho.”
14 UBhowazi wathi kuye ngesikhathi sokudla: “Sondela lapha, uhlephule isinkwa ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga.” Ngakho wahlala phansi eceleni kwabavuni. Wabe esemnika ukudla okusanhlamvu okugazingiwe, wadla wasutha, okunye kwaze kwasala.
15 Lapho esukuma ukuze akhothoze, + uBhowazi wayala izinsizwa zakhe, wathi: “Mvumeleni akhothoze ngisho naphakathi kwezixha* zokudla okusanhlamvu ezingakabuthwa, ningamhluphi. +
16 Niqiniseke nokuthi nimkhiphela izixha zokudla okusanhlamvu ezithungweni, nizishiye ngemuva ukuze akhothoze, ningamenqabeli.”
17 Ngakho waqhubeka ekhothoza ensimini kwaze kwaba kusihlwa. + Lapho ebhula lokho ayekukhothozile, kwaba yinto engaba i-efa* lebhali.
18 Wakuthatha wangena edolobheni, uninazala wakubona lokho ayekukhothozile. Ngemva kwalokho uRuthe wabe esekhipha ukudla ayekushiye + lapho esesuthi wamnika kona.
19 Uninazala wathi kuye: “Ukhothoze kuphi namuhla? Usebenze kuphi? Kwangathi lowo okubonise umusa angabusiswa.” + Ngakho wamtshela uninazala ukuthi wayesebenze nobani, wathi: “Igama lomuntu engisebenze naye namuhla nguBhowazi.”
20 Kulokho uNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: “Kwangathi uJehova, ongahlulekanga ukubonisa uthando oluqotho kwabaphilayo nakwabafile, + angambusisa.” UNawomi waqhubeka wathi: “Lowo muntu uhlobene nathi. + Ungomunye wabahlengi* bethu.” +
21 Khona-ke uRuthe umMowabikazi wathi: “Uthe futhi kimi, ‘Ungasuki eduze kwabavuni bami baze baqede konke ukuvuna.’ ” +
22 UNawomi wathi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: “Kungcono ndodakazi yami ukuba ungasuki emantombazaneni akhe, ukuze bangakukhathazi kwenye insimu.”
23 Ngakho akazange asuke emantombazaneni kaBhowazi, wakhothoza kwaze kwaphela ukuvunwa kwebhali + nokuvunwa kukakolweni. Waqhubeka ehlala noninazala. +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma kungaba, “ezithungweni.”
^ Noma, “zingakuhluphi.”
^ Noma, “umvuzo ogcwele ovela.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ukhulume nenhliziyo yenceku yakho.”
^ Noma kungaba, “kwezithungo.”
^ Okungaba ngu-22 L (okungaba u-13 kg). Bheka iSithasiselo B14.
^ Okuwukuthi, isihlobo esinelungelo lokukhulula isihlobo.
