Isicwangciso sikaNahomi

UNahomi uthumela uRute esandeni ebusuku ukuba acele uBhohazi ukuba yaneke ingubo yakhe phezu kwakhe. Uyankwanta, aze achwayite: umbiza ngokuba ufanelekile, amsikelele ngoBawo wethu, afunge ukumkhulula ukuba umkhululi osondeleyo angayi kukwenza oko.

Isahluko 3.

Waza uNahomi uninazala wathi kuye: “Ntombi yam, andiyi kukufunela na ikhaya, ukuze kulunge kuwe? UBhohazi, obuhamba namankazana akhe, akasosihlobo sethu na? Ngobu busuku wela irhasi esandeni. Zihlambe, uzithambise, unxibe ingubo yakho yokwaleka, wehlele esandeni. Uze ungazazisi kuloo ndoda, ide igqibe ukudla nokusela. Xa ithe yalala, uze uyiqaphele indawo elele kuyo; uye utyhile iinyawo zayo, ulale phantsi; iya kukuxelela into oya kuyenza.”

Wathi uRute kuye: “Konke okuthethayo ndiya kukwenza.” Wehla ke esandeni, wenza konke abemwisele umthetho ngako uninazala. Wadla uBhohazi, wasela, yachwayitha intliziyo yakhe, wandula walala ekupheleni kwemfumba yengqolowa. Wafika ngasese, wavula iinyawo zakhe, walala phantsi. Kwathi phakathi kobusuku yankwanta loo ndoda, yaguquka; nanko kulele umfazi ezinyaweni zayo! Yathi: “Ungubani na?” Wathi: “NdinguRute, umkhonzazana wakho. Yaneka isondo lengubo yakho phezu kwam, mna mkhonzazana wakho, kuba ungumkhululi.” ^a

Yathi: “Usikelelwe nguBawo wethu, ntombi yam. Le nceba yokugqibela ilunge ngaphezu kweyokuqala, ngokuba akubalandelanga amadodana, nokuba angamahlwempu nokuba azizityebi. Ngoko, ntombi yam, musa ukoyika. Ndokwenzela konke oza kucela, ngokuba umzi wam uphela uyazi ukuba uyinkazana efanelekileyo. Kuyinyaniso ngoku ukuba ndingumkhululi; kodwa kukho umkhululi osondeleyo ngaphezu kwam. Lala apha ngobu busuku. Kothi kusasa, ukuba uthe wakukhulula—kulungile, makakukhulule. Ukuba akathanga, ehleli nje uBawo wethu, ndokukhulula mna. Lala ude kuse.”

Walala ezinyaweni zayo kwada kwasa, wavuka bengekazani abantu, ngokuba yathi: “Makungaziwa ukuba kufike umfazi esandeni.” Yathi: “Zisa ingubo yokwaleka ethe wambu kuwe, uyiphathe.” Wayiphatha ke. Yalinganisa izabelo zerhasi zantandathu, yamthwalisa, yangena emzini.

Akufika uRute kuninazala, wathi uNahomi: “Kuhambe njani na, ntombi yam?” Wamxelela konke abekwenzile kuye loo ndoda. Wathi: “Undinike izabelo ezithandathu zerhasi, esithi: ‘Uze ungabuyi kuninazala ulambatha.’”

Wathi uNahomi: “Hlala, ntombi yam, ude uyazi ukuba iphela njani na le nto; ngokuba loo ndoda ayiyi kuphumla ingekayigqibi le nto namhlanje.”