Ngesikhathi kunendlala kwa-Israyeli, uNawomi ongumIsrayeli wathuthela ezweni lakwaMowabi nomyeni wakhe namadodana abo amabili. Kamuva umyeni kaNawomi washona. Amadodana akhe ashada noRuthe no-Orpa, bakwaMowabi. Ngokudabukisayo, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amadodana kaNawomi nawo ashona.

Lapho uNawomi ezwa ukuthi indlala isiphelile kwa-Israyeli, wanquma ukuphindela khona. URuthe no-Orpa bahamba naye, kodwa lapho besasendleleni, uNawomi wathi kubo: ‘Beningamakhosikazi akahle emadodaneni ami futhi beningiphethe kahle njengamadodakazi ami. Ngifisa ukuba niphinde nishade. Ngakho phindelani kwaMowabi kubantu bakini.’ Abesifazane bathi: ‘Siyakuthanda! Asifuni ukukushiya.’ Kodwa uNawomi wayelokhu ebancenga ukuba baphindele emuva. Ekugcineni, u-Orpa waphindela emuva kodwa uRuthe akahambanga. UNawomi wathi kuye: ‘U-Orpa uphindela kubantu nakonkulunkulu bakini. Hamba naye.’ Kodwa uRuthe wathi: ‘Ngeke ngikushiye. Abantu bakini bazoba abantu bakithi noNkulunkulu wakho abe uNkulunkulu wami.’ Ucabanga ukuthi uNawomi wazizwa kanjani lapho uRuthe esho lawo mazwi?

URuthe noNawomi bafika kwa-Israyeli ekuqaleni kwesikhathi sokuvunwa kwebhali. Ngolunye usuku, uRuthe wahamba wayocosha okusalile ensimini kaBhowazi, indodana kaRahabi. UBhowazi wezwa ukuthi uRuthe wayengowakwaMowabi futhi wayebe qotho kuNawomi. Watshela izisebenzi zakhe ukuthi zishiye okuthe xaxa ensimini ukuze uRuthe acoshe.

 Ngalobo busuku, uNawomi wabuza uRuthe: ‘Ekabani insimu osebenze kuyo namuhla?’ URuthe wathi: ‘Insimu yendoda ebizwa ngokuthi uBhowazi.’ UNawomi wathi kuye: ‘UBhowazi ungomunye wezihlobo zomyeni wami. Qhubeka usebenza ensimini yakhe nezinye izintombi. Uzobe uphephile lapho.’

URuthe waqhubeka esebenza ensimini kaBhowazi kwaze kwaphela isikhathi sokuvuna. UBhowazi waqaphela ukuthi uRuthe ukhuthele futhi wayenobuntu obuhle. Ngaleso sikhathi, uma indoda ifa ingenamadodana, isihlobo sayo sasishada nomkayo. Ngakho uBhowazi washada noRuthe. Bathola indodana, bayiqamba ngokuthi u-Obedi, okwathi kamuva yaba umkhulu weNkosi uDavide. Abangane bakaNawomi bajabula kakhulu. Bathi: ‘Ekuqaleni, uJehova wakunika uRuthe, obelokhu ekunakekela futhi manje usunomzukulu. Makadunyiswe uJehova.’