URuthe
4 UBhowazi wasuka waya egedini ledolobho+ wafika wahlala khona. Khonokho nje kwadlula isihlobo ayekhulume ngaso+ esasilelungelo lokuhlenga. UBhowazi wasesithi kuso: “Yeyi ndoda! Ngicela ubuye uzohlala lapha.” Indoda le yasisiya kuBhowazi yafika yahlala laye. 2 Ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wabiza abadala abalitshumi bakulelodolobho+ wathi kubo: “Ngicela lihlale lapha.” Basebehlala phansi.
3 UBhowazi wasesithi endodeni eyayilelungelo lokuhlenga:+ “UNawomi usephendukile evela koMowabi+ futhi sekumele athengise indawo eyayingeyomfowethu u-Elimeleki.+ 4 Yikho ngithe kungcono ngilethe udaba lolu kuwe ngikutshele ukuthi uyithenge indawo leyo phambi kwabo bonke abantu abahlala lapha laphambi kwabadala.+ Nxa ufuna ukuyithenga* yithenge. Kodwa nxa ungasoze uyithenge ngitshela ngoba nguwe olelungelo lokuyithenga, mina ngilandela wena.” Indoda leyo yaphendula yathi: “Ngizayithenga.”+ 5 UBhowazi wasesithi: “Nxa kuyikuthi uyayithenga indawo leyo kuNawomi kuyabe sekumele uyithenge lakuRuthe umkamuyi ukuze ilifa likamuyi libuyele ebizweni lakhe.”+ 6 Indoda eyayilelungelo lokuhlenga ithe isizwa lokhu yathi: “Nxa kunjalo angisoze ngiyithenge ngoba ngingacina ngiphambanisa ilifa lami. Ngiyakuvumela ukuthi uyithenge wena* ngoba mina angenelisi.”
7 Kudala ko-Israyeli kwakusithi nxa kuqhutshwa isiko eliphathelane lelungelo lokuhlenga futhi kuqiniswa loba yisiphi isivumelwano, umuntu kwakumele akhiphe inyathela lakhe+ alinike lo enza laye isivumelwano. Le yiyo indlela okwakuqiniswa ngayo isivumelwano ko-Israyeli. 8 Yikho isihlobo esilelungelo lokuhlenga sakhipha inyathela laso ngesikhathi sisithi kuBhowazi: “Yithenge wena.” 9 UBhowazi wasesithi ebadaleni lasebantwini bonke: “Lingofakazi+ lamuhla bokuthi ngithenga kuNawomi konke okwakungokuka-Elimeleki lakho konke okwakungokukaKhiliyoni loMaheloni. 10 Ngithatha loRuthe umMowabi owayeyinkosikazi kamuyi uMaheloni ukuthi abe ngumkami ukuze ilifa likaMaheloni libuyele ebizweni lakhe.+ Lokhu kuzakwenza abafowabo bakamuyi labantu bedolobho lakibo bangalikhohlwa ibizo lakhe. Lingofakazi balokhu lamuhla.”+
11 Bonke abantu ababesegedini ledolobho kanye labadala baphendula bathi: “Ye singofakazi! UJehova kayibusise inkosikazi engena emzini wakho ibe njengoRasheli loLeya abakha isizwe sako-Israyeli.+ Sengathi ungaphumelela e-Efratha+ futhi ube lodumo eBhethilehema.+ 12 Abantwana ozabaphiwa nguJehova ngenkosikazi le+ kabenze indlu yakho ibe njengekaPherezi+ indodana kaJuda ayizalelwa nguThamari.”
13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe waba ngumkakhe, waselala laye. UJehova wambusisa uRuthe wazithwala wabeletha indodana. 14 Abesifazana basebesithi kuNawomi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova owenze ukuthi kube lendoda engakuhlenga. Ibizo lomntwana lo kalimenyezelwe kulo lonke elako-Israyeli! 15 Uvuselele* impilo yakho njalo uzakugcina nxa usumdala ngoba uzelwe ngumalukazana wakho okuthandayo,+ ongcono kuwe ukwedlula amadodana ayisikhombisa.” 16 UNawomi wamthatha umntwana wamphatha njalo kusukela lapho wamondla. 17 Abesifazana ababengomakhelwane banika umntwana ibizo elithi Obhedi.+ Bathi: “UNawomi uselendodana.” U-Obhedi nguye uyise kaJese,+ uyise kaDavida.
18 Nanzi izizukulwane zikaPherezi:+ UPherezi wazala uHezironi,+ 19 uHezironi wazala uRamu, uRamu wazala u-Aminadabi,+ 20 u-Aminadabi+ wazala uNashoni, uNashoni wazala uSalimoni, 21 uSalimoni wazala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wazala u-Obhedi, 22 u-Obhedi wazala uJese,+ uJese wazala uDavida.+