Rute
1 Mumazuba babetesi nibakali kweendelezya,* kwakaba nzala munyika. Umwi mwaalumi wakazwa kuBbetelehema iili muJuda kuti akakkale kali mweenzu muchilawu chaMowabbu, kalaamwi amwanakazi wakwe abana bakwe balombe babili. 2 Zina lyamwaalumi ooyu wakali kutegwa Elimelekki.* Mwanakazi wakwe wakali kutegwa Nawomi* mpawo bana bakwe bakali kutegwa Maloni* aKkiliyoni.* Bakali baku-Efrata yakuBbetelehema iili muJuda. Bakasika muchilawu chaMowabbu mpawo bakakkala mumoomo.
3 Nikwakayinda chiindi, Elimelekki mulumi waNawomi wakafwa mpawo Nawomi wakasyaala abana bakwe balombe babili. 4 Mukuya kwachiindi, baalumi aaba bakazookwata banakazi bakuMowabbu. Umwi wakali kutegwa Opa mpawo umwi wakali kutegwa Rute. Bakakkala nkukooko kwaminyaka iisika kukkumi. 5 Baalumi aaba babili ambabo bakazoofwa, nkukwaamba Maloni aKkiliyoni. Nkinkaako, Nawomi taakachilikwe bana bakwe balombe babili amulumaakwe. 6 Nkinkaako, wakayeeya kuzwa kundawu yakuMowabbu, kalaamwi abamukabana bakwe nkaambo wakali wamvwa kali kuMowabbu kuti Jehova wakali wabayeeya bantu bakwe kwiinda mukubapa chakulya.*
7 Wakazwa nkwaakali kukkala kalaamwi abamukabana bakwe babili. Nibakali kuyabweenda munzila, kabali kubweeda kunyika yaJuda, 8 Nawomi wakabuzya bamukabana bakwe babili kuti: “Amwiinke, umwi awumwi abweede kumuunzi wabanyina. Jehova amutondeezye luyando lutamani mbuli mbumwakalutondeezya kubaalumi bakafwa akulindime. 9 Jehova ape kuti* umwi awumwi wanu ajane lukwabililo* mung’anda yamulumaakwe.” Wakabamyonta mpawo bakalila loko. 10 Bakaliswini kumubuzya kuti: “Peepe, tulayinka aandinywe kubantu bakulindinywe.” 11 Pesi Nawomi wakati: “Amubweede bana bangu. Nkamboonzi nimuyanda kwiinka aandime? Mubonaanga ndichikonzya na kuzoozyala bana bakonzya kuzooba balumi banu? 12 Amubweede bana bangu. Amwiinke, nkaambo ndachembaala, tandichikonzyi pe kukwatwa. Nikuba kuti ndajana mulumi sunu mansiku mpawo ndazyala bana balombe, 13 nga mulabalinda na kusikila bakomene? Mulakonzya na kulilesya kuti mutakwatwi kumbi akaambo kambabo? Peepe bana bangu, zindichisa loko kuti ndayeeya atala andinywe nkaambo kuboko kwaJehova kwandilwana.”
14 Bakakwiila lubo mpawo Opa wakamyonta banyinazyala, wabweeda. Pesi Rute wakakakatila kuli banyinazyala. 15 Mpawo Nawomi wakati: “Bona! Mukwatwanyokwe wabweeda kubantu bakulimbabo akulibaleza bakwe. Bweedaamwi amukwatwanyokwe.”
16 Pesi Rute wakati: “Mutandikombelezyi kuti ndimusiye, kuti ndileke kwiinka aandinywe, nkaambo ooko nkumuya andime nkundiya, nkumutakoone andime nkunditakoone. Bantu bakulindinywe bazooba bantu bakulindiswe, aLeza wanu uzooba Leza wangu. 17 Ooko nkumutakafwide andime nkunditakafwide, alubo nkuko nkunditakazikkwe. Jehova andipe chisubulo chipati, kuti ndizumizye kufumbwa chintu kuti chindaanzaanisye aandinywe kunze kwalufu.”
18 Nawomi naakabona kuti Rute uchiswini kukakatila kuti ayinkaawe, wakaleka kumukombelezya kuti abweede. 19 Bakayinkilila kunembo alweendo lwabo kabali babili, kusikila basika kuBbetelehema. Mbubakasika biyo kuBbetelehema, muunzi woonse wakali kuyooma atala ambabo, mpawo banakazi bakali kuti: “Ooyu nguNawomi na?” 20 Nawomi* wakali kubuzya banakazi aabo kuti: “Mutandiiti kuti Nawomi, amundiite kuti Mara,* nkaambo Singuzuzyoonse wapa kuti buumi bundiyumine loko. 21 Nindakeenda ndakalizwide, pesi Jehova wapa kuti ndiboole chinkwamaanza. Nkamboonzi nimulikundiita kuti Nawomi kakuli nguJehova wandilwana alubo kakuli nguSinguzuzyoonse wandeetela mapenzi?”
22 Oobu mbombubo mbaakaboola Nawomi kazwa kuchilawu chaMowabbu kalaamwi amukamwanaakwe Rute. Bakasika kuBbetelehema kumatalikilo aakutebulwa kwabbali.