URuthi 1

1 ¹Kwathi ngezinsuku zokubusa kwabahluleli, kwaba khona indlala ezweni, umuntu waseBhetlehema kwaJuda wahamba nomkakhe namadodana akhe amabili ukuyohlala isikhashana emasimini akwaMowabi. ²Igama lalo muntu kwakungu-Elimeleki, umkakhe wayenguNawomi, amadodana akhe amabili kunguMahiloni noKhiliyoni—ama-Efratha aseBhetlehema kwaJuda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona. ³U-Elimeleki, umyeni kaNawomi, washona, uNawomi wasala namadodana akhe amabili. ⁴Ashada nabesifazane bakwaMowabi—u-Opha noRuthe—bahlala khona cishe iminyaka eyishumi. ⁵UMahiloni noKhiliyoni nabo bashona bobabili, uNawomi wasala engasenabantwana bakhe bobabili nomyeni wakhe.

Isibopho esingaphuleki sikaRuthe

⁶Esemasimini akwaMowabi, uNawomi wezwa ukuthi uBaba wethu wayebahambele abantu bakhe, ebaphe ukudla, ngakho wasuka nomalokazana bakhe bobabili ukuba abuye evela khona. ⁷Wasuka kuleyo ndawo ayekuyo, enomalokazana bakhe bobabili, bahamba ngendlela ukubuyela ezweni lakwaJuda. ⁸UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe bobabili: “Buyelani, yilowo nalowo ekhaya likanina. UBaba wethu makaniphathe ngomusa, njengoba nina naphatha ngomusa abafileyo nami. ⁹UBaba wethu makaniphe, yilowo nalowo, ukuphumula ekhaya lenye indoda.” Wabe esebanga, bakhala kakhulu.

¹⁰Bathi kuye: “Qha—sizobuyela nawe kubantu bakho.”

¹¹UNawomi wathi: “Buyelani emuva, madodakazi ami. Nihambelani nami? Ngisenawo yini amadodana esiswini sami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu? ¹²Buyelani, madodakazi ami, hambani, ngokuba sengigugile kakhulu ukuba ngende. Noma ngabe ngithi kusekhona ithemba, noma ngaba nendoda kulobu busuku ngazala amadodana, ¹³beningawalinda yini aze akhule? Beningahlala ningendi ngenxa yawo yini? Qha, madodakazi ami—kubaba kimi kakhulu kunakini, ngokuba isandla sikaBaba wethu singiphendukele.”

¹⁴Baphinde bakhala kakhulu. U-Opha wabe esebanga uninazala wavalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye. ¹⁵UNawomi wathi: “Bheka, umlamu wakho usebuyele kubantu bakhe nakonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela naye.”

¹⁶URuthe wathi: “Ungangicindezeli ukuba ngikushiye noma ngibuye ngiyeke ukukulandela. Lapho uya khona, ngizoya khona; lapho uhlala khona, ngizohlala khona. Abantu bakho bazoba ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami. ^a a v16 Isifungo sikaRuthe singesinye sezindawo zokungena ezisemqoka emibhalweni lapho owezizwe ezizibopha khona kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli—futhi ngaye, uBaba wethu weluka owesifazane wakwaMowabi ohlwini lomndeni oluholela kuDavida nakuJesu. ¹⁷Lapho ufela khona ngizofela khona, nalapho ngizembelwa khona. UBaba wethu makangijezise kabuhlungu kakhulu uma kukhona okunye ngaphandle kokufa okungehlukanisa nawe.”

¹⁸Kwathi uNawomi esebona ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba naye, akabe esasho lutho kuye.

¹⁹Bahamba bobabili baze bafika eBhetlehema. Kwathi bengena eBhetlehema, lonke idolobha lazamazama ngenxa yabo, abesifazane bathi: “Lona nguNawomi na?”

²⁰“Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi,” wathi. “Ngibizeni ngokuthi uMara—uSomandla ungiphathe kabuhlungu kakhulu. ^b b v20 UNawomi usho “omnandi”; uMara usho “obabayo.” Uziqamba kabusha igama ukuze livumelane nosizi aluthwele ebuyela ekhaya. ²¹Ngahamba ngigcwele, kodwa uBaba wethu ungibuyise ngize. Ningibizelani ngokuthi uNawomi, lapho uBaba wethu engihluphile, uSomandla engehlisele okubi?” ²²Kanjalo uNawomi wabuya emasimini akwaMowabi enoRuthe umMowabikazi, umalokazana wakhe, owabuya naye. Bafika eBhetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.