Rut 1 | NdeIBE | STEP | Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni, kwathi indoda yaseBhethilehema koJuda, kanye lomkayo lamadodana amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana.

Ruth 1

UNawomi loRuthe

1 Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni, kwathi indoda yaseBhethilehema koJuda, kanye lomkayo lamadodana amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana. 2 Ibizo lale indoda lalingu-Elimeleki, elomkakhe linguNawomi, amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMaheloni loKhiliyoni. Babengama-Efratha aseBhethilehema, koJuda. Baya eMowabi bayahlala khona.

3 U-Elimeleki, umkaNawomi wafa, wasesala lamadodana akhe womabili. 4 Athatha abafazi baseMowabi, omunye wayethiwa ngu-Opha omunye ethiwa nguRuthe. Sebehlale lapho okweminyaka elitshumi, 5 bobabili uMaheloni loKhiliyoni labo bafa, uNawomi wasesala engaselawo amadodana akhe womabili kanye lomkakhe.

6 Wathi esizwa eseMowabi ukuthi uJehova wayesesize abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, uNawomi kanye labomalokazana bakhe balungisela ukubuyela kibo. 7 Wasuka endaweni ayekade ehlala kuyo, labomalokazana bakhe bobabili, wangena indlela eyayizabasa emuva elizweni lamaJuda.

8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili, “Buyelani emuva, ngulowo aye emzini kanina. Engani uJehova angalenzela umusa, onjengalowo eliwutshengise abenu asebedlule, kanye lami. 9 Sengathi uJehova angenza ukuba ngulowo athole inhlalo nxa esendele kwenye indoda.” Wasebanga, basebekhala kakhulu 10 bathi kuye, “Sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.”

11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi, “Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Kambe lingabe lihambelani lami? Ngingazala amanye amadodana na, angaba ngomkenu? 12 Buyelani ngekhaya, madodakazi ami. Sengigugile, angingeke ngibe ngisazuza enye indoda. Loba bekungabe kulethemba lokuthi ngende – loba bengingaba lendoda ngabona lobubusuku ngizale amadodana – 13 lingawamelela aze akhule na? Lingahlala lingendanga lilindele wona na? Hatshi, madodakazi ami. Kubuhlungu kakhulu lokho kimi okwedlula kini, ngoba ingalo kaJehova isingihlanekele.”

14 Bekuzwa lokho bakhala njalo. U-Opha wasesanga uninazala wamvalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.

15 UNawomi wathi, “Khangela, unyanewenu usebuyela kwabakibo kanye labonkulunkulu bakhe. Phenduka ubuyele laye.”

16 URuthe waphendula wathi, “Ungangifundekeli ukuba ngikutshiye loba ukuba ngikufulathele. Lapho oya khona ngizakuya khona, lalapho ozahlala khona ngizahlala khona. Abantu bakini bazakuba ngabakithi, loNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami. 17 Lapho ozafela khona ngizafela khona, njalo ngizangcwatshelwa khona. Sengathi uJehova angangihlanekela nxa ngingehlukana lawe ngenxa yolunye ulutho olungesikufa.”

18 Kwathi uNawomi esebonile ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukumcindezela.

19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bayafika eBhethilehema. Bathi befika eBhethilehema, umuzi wonke waba lokuxokozela ngabo, kwathi abesifazana bababaza besithi, “Angabe enguNawomi lo na?”

20 Yena wathi kubo, “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Wothani nginguMara, ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba munyu.

21 Ngasuka lapha ngigcwele, kodwa uJehova usengibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingangibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi? UJehova ungehlisele uhlupho; uSomandla ungehlisele okubi.”

22 Ngakho uNawomi wabuyela ngokunjalo eBhethilehema evela eMowabi. Wafika ephelekezelwa nguRuthe, umalokazana wakhe umMowabi. Bafika ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.