Indoda Okuthiwa uBhowazi
URute uphuma uyobutha izikhwebu, futhi hhayi ngengozi ufika ensimini kaBowazi, isihlobo. Uyamvikela, uyamondla, futhi uyambusisa ngokuphephela ngaphansi kwamaphiko kaBaba wethu. UNawomi uzwa igama futhi ubona umhlengi emndenini.
2 1UNawomi wayenesihlobo ngasohlangothini lomyeni wakhe, indoda edumile enothile yosendo luka-Elimeleki, egama layo linguBhowazi. 2URuthe umMowabikazi wathi kuNawomi: “Ake ngiye ensimini ngikhothoze izinhlanga emva kwalowo engizothola umusa kuye.” Wathi: “Hamba, ndodakazi yami.”
3Wase ephuma waya wakhothoza emva kwabavuni, kwathi ngenhlanhla wafika ensimini kaBhowazi, wosendo luka-Elimeleki.
4Khona manjalo uBhowazi wafika evela eBhetlehema, wathi kubavuni: “uBaba wethu makabe nani.” Baphendula: “uBaba wethu akubusise.”
5UBhowazi wabe esethi enduneni yakhe eyayengamele abavuni: “Le ntokazi ingekabani?”
6Induna yaphendula yathi: “Yintokazi engumMowabikazi ebuye noNawomi evela ezweni lakwaMowabi. 7Ithe: ‘Ngicela ukukhothoza nokubutha phakathi kwezithungu emva kwabavuni.’ Ifikile yahlala kusukela ekuseni kuze kube manje, iphumule kancane nje emthunzini.”
8UBhowazi wathi kuRuthe: “Lalela, ndodakazi yami. Ungakhothozi kwenye insimu, ungasuki lapha; hlala eduze kwamantombazane ami. 9Qaphela insimu abayivunayo ulandele emva kwawo. Ngiyale izinsizwa ukuthi zingakuthinti. Lapho womile, uphuze ezimbizeni izinsizwa ezizigcwalisile.”
10Wakhothama ubuso bakhe baze bafike phansi, wambuza: “Kungani ngithole umusa emehlweni akho kangaka uze ungiqaphele, mina ongowezizwe?”
11UBhowazi waphendula wathi: “Ngizwile konke okwenzele uninazala kusukela kwafa umyeni wakho—ukuthi wawushiya kanjani uyihlo, unyoko, nezwe lakini lokuzalwa, weza kubantu owawungabazi ngaphambili. 12uBaba wethu makakuvuze ngesenzo sakho; uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, oze ozokuphephela ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe, akuvuze ngokugcwele.”
13Wathi: “Ngisathole umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi yami, ngokuba ungiduduzile wakhuluma ngomusa encekukazini yakho, nakuba ngingesiye owezincekukazi zakho.”
14Ngesikhathi sokudla uBhowazi wathi: “Woza lapha, udle isinkwa, ucwilise ucezu lwakho kuviniga wewayini.” Wahlala eceleni kwabavuni; wamnika amabele osiwe. Wadla wasutha, kwasala nokunye.
15Kwathi esesukuma eyokhothoza, uBhowazi wayala izinsizwa zakhe: “Myekeni akhothoze ngisho naphakathi kwezithungu; ningamhlazi. 16Kunalokho, mkhiphelni izinhlanga ezithungwini nizishiye ukuze aziqoqe, ningamsoli.”
17Wakhothoza ensimini kwaze kwahlwa, wabe esebhula lokho ayekubuthile—cishe amalitha angamashumi amabili ebhali. 18Wakuthwala waya nakho edolobheni; uninazala wabona ukuthi ukhothoze kangakanani. Waphinda wakhipha wamnika lokho ayekubekile ngemva kokuba esuthi.
19Uninazala wambuza: “Ubuthephi namuhla? Usebenzephi? Makabusiswe lowo muntu okunakekele!” URuthe wammemezela ukuthi insimu ingekabani: “Indoda engisebenze kuyo namuhla inguBhowazi.”
20UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: “uBaba wethu makambusise, umusa wakhe ongabashiyanga abaphilayo nabafileyo.” Wanezela: “Uyisihlobo esiseduze kithi, omunye wabahlengi bethu.” a a v20 UNawomi ubiza uBhowazi njengomunye wezihlobo ezingabahlengi babo—isihlobo esinelungelo lokubuyisela lokho okwakulahlekile nokuvuselela umndeni. Indima kaBhowazi lapha iyisithunzi sikaJesu, uMhlengi wethu okhokha intengo ukuze asilethe ekhaya kuBaba wethu.
21URuthe umMowabikazi wabe esethi: “Uze wangitshela wathi, ‘Hlala nezisebenzi zami zize ziqede konke ukuvuna kwami.’”
22UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe uRuthe: “Kuhle, ndodakazi yami—phuma namantombazane akhe, ukuze ungalinyazwa kwenye insimu.” 23Wahlala eduze kwamantombazane kaBhowazi, ekhothoza kwaze kwaphela ukuvunwa kwebhali nokukolweni, wahlala noninazala.
