Rute 1:1-22
1 Ngesikhathi kusaphethe abahluleli,+ kwaba nendlala enarheni; yeke indoda ethileko kunye nomkayo namadodanayo amabili yafuduka eBhetlehema+ yakwaJuda yayokuhlala kwenye inarha esifundeni sakwaMowabi.+
2 Igama lendoda leyo bekungu-Elimeleki,* umkayo kunguNawomi,* amadodanayo amabili kunguMarhaloni* noKiliyoni.* Bebavela e-Efrata, okuyiBhetlehema yakwaJuda. Yeke bafika esifundeni sakwaMowabi bahlala khona.
3 Ngemva kwesikhathi esithileko, u-Elimeleki indoda kaNawomi wahlongakala, uNawomi wasala namadodanakhe amabili.
4 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi amadodana lawo atjhada nabafazi bakwaMowabi; amagama wabafazabo bekungu-Oripa noRute.+ Bahlala lapho iminyaka engaba litjhumi.
5 Kodwana amadodana lawo, uMarhaloni noKiliyoni, nawo ahlongakala, nje-ke uNawomi wasala anganandoda begodu anganabantwana.
6 Nje-ke yena nabomalukazana bakhe baqunta ukukhamba esifundeni sakwaMowabi, ngombana wezwa ukuthi uJehova ubakhumbulile abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla.*
7 UNawomi nabomalukazana bakhe basuka lapho ebebahlala khona. Njengombana basendleleni ebuyela enarheni yakwaJuda,
8 uNawomi wathi kibomalukazana bakhe: “Khambani, buyelani emakhenu. Kwanga uJehova angahlala anithanda,*+ njengombana beningithanda, nithanda namadodenu ahlongakeleko.
9 Kwanga uJehova anganibusisa, ngamunye wenu azifumanele indoda nomuzi.”*+ Ngemva kwalokho wabancwanga, barhahlawula isililo.
10 Nanyana kunjalo, basolo bathi kuye: “Awa, sizokukhamba nawe ebantwini bekhenu.”
11 Kodwana uNawomi wathi: “Buyelani emva bantazana bami. Kubayini kufuze nikhambe nami? Kghani ngisengabeletha amadodana angaba madodenu?+
12 Buyelani emva bantazana bami. Khambani ngombana sengiluphele khulu bona ngingatjhada. Ngitjho nanyana bengingafumana indoda namhlanjesi begodu ngibelethe amadodana,
13 benizawalinda bekakhule na? Benizazibamba ningatjhadi godu ngebanga lawo? Awa, bantazana bami, ngibuhlungu khulu ngokunehlakaleleko ngombana uJehova ungifulathele.”+
14 Barhahlawula isililo godu, ngemva kwalokho u-Oripa wancwanga unosokanakhe wabuyela emva. Kodwana uRute azange afune ukuhlukana naye.
15 Nje-ke uNawomi wathi: “Qala! Umncayenu ubuyele ebantwini bekhabo nakibozimu bekhabo. Khamba naye.”
16 Kodwana uRute wathi: “Ungangincengi bona ngikulahle namkha ngingasakhamba nawe ngombana lapho uya khona, kulapho ngizokuya khona, lapho ulala khona, kulapho ngizokulala khona. Abantu bekhenu bazokuba babantu bekhethu, uZimakho abe nguZimami.+
17 Lapho uzokufela khona, nami ngizokufela khona begodu ngizokubulungelwa lapho. Kwanga uJehova angangijezisa khulu nange kukhona okuzongihlukanisa nawe ngaphandle kokufa.”
18 UNawomi nakabona ukuthi uRute ukatelela ukukhamba naye, walisa ukumncenga.
19 Baraga nekhambo labo bebafika eBhetlehema.+ Nabaqeda ukufika, idorobho loke lavungama ngebanga labo, abafazi bebathi: “NguNawomi lo?”
20 Bekathi ebafazinabo: “Ningangibizi ngoNawomi.* Ngibizani ngoMara,* ngombana uMninimandla Woke wenze ipilwami yaba munyu.+
21 Benginothile nangikhambako kodwana uJehova ungibuyise ngimkhonoze. Kubayini kufanele ningibize ngoNawomi, nakunguJehova ongiphikisileko begodu kunguMninimandla Woke ongibangele ihlekelele?”+
22 Kwaba njalo ukubuya kwakaNawomi avela esifundeni sakwaMowabi,+ abuya nomalukazanakhe wakwaMowabi uRute. Bafika eBhetlehema ekuthomeni kokuvunwa kwebhali.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Kutjho ukuthi “UZimami UyiKosi.”
^ Kutjho ukuthi “UkuThaba Kwami.”
^ Kungenzeka livela ebizweni lesiHebheru elitjho ukuthi “bogaboga; gula.”
^ Kutjho ukuthi “Obhalelwako; Osekasekupheleni.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “uburotho.”
^ Namkha “angahlala anithanda ngokuthembekileko.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “nendawo yokuphumula.”
^ Kutjho ukuthi “UkuThaba Kwami.”
^ Kutjho ukuthi “Munyu.”
