Rute
2 Bekunendoda ethileko egade injinge khulu, igama layo kunguBhowazi,+ beyisihlobo saka-Elimeleki indoda kaNawomi.
2 URute wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Ngibawa ungivumele bona ngiye emasimini, kinanyana ngubani ozokuba nomusa kimi ngiyokuburuja+ iinqwambi eziseleko.” Yeke uNawomi wathi kuye: “Khamba mntazanami.” 3 Khonokho wakhamba wayokuburuja esimini ngemva kwabavuni. Angazi, wangena esimini kaBhowazi,+ osihlobo saka-Elimeleki.+ 4 Kuthe kusesenjalo, kwafika uBhowazi avela eBhetlehema wathi kubavuni: “UJehova akabe nani.” Bona bathi: “UJehova akubusise.”
5 Ngemva kwalokho, uBhowazi wathi esokaneni eliyinduna yabavuni: “Ngeyakwabani intombi le?” 6 Isokana eliyinduna yabavuni lathi: “Intombi le ngeyakwaMowabi,+ ibuye noNawomi esifundeni sakwaMowabi.+ 7 Ithe, ‘Ngibawa ungivumele ngiburuje+ iinqwambi ezisikiweko* ezitjhiywe bavuni.’ Beyisolo isebenza kusukela ekuseni bekube nje nayizakuphumula isikhatjhana emthunzini.”
8 Nje-ke uBhowazi wathi kuRute: “Lalela mntazanami. Ungasayokuburuja kwenye isimu, ungasaya nakwenye indawo; hlala hlanu kweensebenzi zami ezisikazi.+ 9 Qalisisa ukuthi zivuna yiphi isimu, ukhambe nazo. Ngilayele iinsebenzi zami bona zingakutshwenyi. Nawomileko, iya emijekeni yamanzi usele amanzi akhelelwe ngizo.”
10 Khonokho waguqa wahloma ihloko phasi wathi kuye: “Kubayini unomusa kangaka kimi begodu kubayini ungitjheja kangaka khisibe ngivela kwenye inarha?”+ 11 UBhowazi wathi kuye: “Ngibikelwe ngakho koke okwenzele unosokanakho ngemva kokuhlongakala kwendodakho, nangendlela otjhiye ngayo uyihlo nonyoko nenarha obelethelwe kiyo, waya ebantwini ongabaziko.+ 12 Kwanga uJehova angakubusisa ngakho koke okwenzileko,+ kwanga ungathola umvuzo opheleleko ovela kuJehova uZimu ka-Israyeli, ophephele ngaphasi kwamaphikwakhe.”+ 13 URute wathi kuye: “Kwanga ngingafumana umusa ovela kuwe, kosami ngombana usiduduzile bewasikhuthaza isisebenzi sakho, ngitjho nanyana ngingasi ngomunye weensebenzi zakho.”
14 Ngesikhathi sokudla uBhowazi wathi kuye: “Yewuzapha, idla uburothobu ubutjhebe ngewayinini elimunyu.” Weza wahlala hlanu kwabavuni. Ngemva kwalokho, wamnikela iinthoro ezikhanzingiweko, wadla wasutha, bekwasala okuthileko. 15 Nasekasikima ayokuburuja,+ uBhowazi wathi eensebenzini zakhe: “Mvumeleni aburuje nahlangana neenqwambi ezisikiweko,* begodu ningamtshwenyi.+ 16 Kufuze niqiniseke nokobana nimkhuphela iinqwambi nakilezi esele ziziinyanda nizitjhiye bona aziburuje begodu ningamkhandeli.”
17 Yeke waraga nokuburuja esimini bekwaba sentambama.+ Kuthe nasekabhula akuburujileko, kwalingana pheze ne-efa* yebhali. 18 Ngemva kwalokho, wakuthatha waya nakho ngedorobheni, unosokanakhe wakubona akuburujileko. URute wakhupha nokudla akutjhiye lokha nakadlako,+ wakunikela unosokanakhe.
19 Unosokanakhe wathi kuye: “Uburuje kuphi namhlanjesi? Bewusebenza kuphi? Akabusiswe umuntu okutjhejileko.”+ Yeke watjela unosokanakhe ukuthi bekasebenza nobani, wathi: “Igama lomuntu ebengisebenza naye nguBhowazi.” 20 UNawomi wathi kumalukazanakhe: “Umuntu loyo akabusiswe nguJehova, ongakhenge abhalelwe kuhlala athanda* abaphilako nabafileko.”+ Waraga wathi: “Indoda leyo sihlobo sethu.+ Ingomunye wabahlengi bethu.”*+ 21 URute wakwaMowabi wathi: “Indoda le ibuye yathi kimi, ‘Hlala hlanu kweensebenzi zami bekube kulapho ziqeda ukuvuna.’”+ 22 UNawomi wathi kumalukazanakhe: “Kungcono mntazanami bona ukhambe neensebenzi zakhe ezisikazi kunokobana utshwenywe kwenye isimu.”
23 Wanamathela eensebenzini ezisikazi zakaBhowazi, waburuja bekwaphela ukuvunwa kweBhali+ nekoroyi. Waraga nokuhlala nonosokanakhe.+