URuthe 3:1-18
3 UNawomi uninazala kaRuthe wathi: “Ndodakazi yami, kumele ngikudingele umuntu ozakuthatha*+ ukuze uhlale kuhle.
2 Angithi uBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana amsebenzelayo yisihlobo sethu.+ Lamuhla ebusuku uzabe esela ibhali esizeni.*
3 Yikho geza ugcobe amafutha anukelelayo, ugqoke kuhle ubususiya esizeni. Ube leqiniso lokuthi kakuboni aze aqede ukudla lokunatha.
4 Nxa eselala ukhangele ukuthi ulala ngaphi, ubususiya kuye ufike wembule inyawo zakhe ulale khonapho. Uzakutshela okumele ukwenze.”
5 URuthe waphendula wathi: “Ngizakwenza konke ongitshele khona.”
6 Ngakho wahamba esizeni wafika wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.
7 UBhowazi wathi esedlile wanatha futhi wathokozisa inhliziyo yakhe, wasuka wayalala eceleni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasebuya enyenya wafika wembula inyawo zakhe walala khonapho.
8 Phakathi kobusuku uBhowazi wavuka eqhuqha, wathi uyakhangela enyaweni zakhe wabona kulowesifazana oleleyo.
9 Wathi kuye: “Ungubani?” Yena wamphendula wathi: “NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho. Yembathisa incekukazi yakho isembatho sakho ngoba wena ulelungelo lokusihlenga.”+
10 UBhowazi wasesithi: “UJehova kakubusise ndodakazi yami. Lanxa owakwenza kuqala+ kwatshengisa ukuthi ulothando oluqotho, lokhu osukwenze khathesi kwenza kucace ukuthi uthando lwakho lukhulu ngoba kawulandelanga amajaha asakhulayo anothileyo loba angabayanga.
11 Ungesabi ndodakazi yami. Ngizakwenzela konke okucelayo+ ngoba bonke abantu edolobheni leli bayakwazi ukuthi ungowesifazana olungileyo.
12 Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi ngilelungelo lokulihlenga,+ ukhona omunye oyisihlobo esiseduze kakhulu kulami ongalihlenga.+
13 Hlala lapha kuze kube sekuseni. Nxa kuyikuthi uzakuhlenga ekuseni, kulungile kakuhlenge.+ Kodwa nxa engafuni, ngizakuhlenga mina, ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo. Lala lapha kuze kuse.”
14 Ngakho walala enyaweni zakhe wasevuka kusesemnyama ukuze abantu bangamboni. UBhowazi wathi: “Kakungabi lomuntu okwaziyo ukuthi kufike owesifazana esizeni.”
15 Wasesithi: “Buya lelembu lelo olithandeleyo ulivule.” Waselivula wamthelela ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha* wamethesa. Ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wabuyela edolobheni.
16 URuthe uthe efika ngekhaya uninazala wambuza wathi: “Uhambe njani* ndodakazi yami?” Ngakho wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi,
17 wathi: “Unginike ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wathi kimi, ‘Ungahambi ulengise izandla kunyokozala.’”
18 UNawomi wasesithi: “Hlala ulinde ndodakazi yami uze ubone ukuthi indaba le izaphetha ngani, ngoba lamuhla indoda le kayisoze iphumule ize iyilungise.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “indawo yokuphumula.”
^ Khangela iNgcazelo Yamabala.
^ Nxa kuyikuthi izilinganiso lezi kwakungamaseya ayisithupha, ibhali le yayingabe ingamakhilogremu angu-25. Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
^ NgesiHebheru, “Ungubani?”
