ISIFUNDO 33
URute NoNahomi
Xa kwakukho indlala kwaSirayeli, uNahomi wafudukela kwaMowabhi kunye nomyeni wakhe noonyana babo abayi-2. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, umyeni kaNahomi wafa. Oonyana bakhe batshata uRute no-Orpa, ababengamaMowabhikazi. Okubuhlungu kukuba noonyana bakaNahomi bafa.
Xa uNahomi wevayo ukuba indlala iphelile kwaSirayeli, wagqiba ekubeni agoduke. URute no-Orpa bahamba naye. Besendleleni, uNahomi wathi kubo: ‘Beningabafazi noomolokazana abalungileyo koonyana bam nakum. Ndifuna ukuba niphinde nitshate. Buyelani kowenu kwaMowabhi.’ Aba bafazi bathi: ‘Siyakuthanda! Asifuni kukushiya.’ UNahomi waqhubeka esithi, hambani. Ekugqibeleni, uOrpa wagoduka, kodwa uRute washiyeka. UNahomi wathi kuye: ‘UOrpa uya kubantu bakowabo nakoothixo bakhe. Hamba naye, uye ekhaya kumama wakho.ʼ Kodwa uRute wathi: ‘Andiyi kukushiya. Abantu bakho baza kuba ngabantu bam, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.’ Ucinga ukuba waziva njani uNahomi xa uRute ethetha la mazwi?
URute noNahomi bafika kanye xa kulixesha lokuvunwa kwerhasi kwaSirayeli. Ngenye imini, uRute waya kuqokelela irhasi eshiyekileyo kwintsimi yendoda egama linguBhohazi, eyayingunyana kaRahabhi. Weva ukuba uRute ngumMowabhikazi owayehlala noNahomi, ethembekile. Waxelela abantu ababesebenza entsimini yakhe ukuba bashiye intwana yerhasi ukuze uRute ayiqokelele.
Ngaloo ngokuhlwa, uNahomi wabuza uRute: ‘Ubusebenza kwintsimi kabani namhlanje?’ URute wathi: ‘Bendikwintsimi kaBhohazi.’ UNahomi wathi: ‘UBhohazi uzalana nomyeni wam. Sebenza kwintsimi yakhe nabanye abafazi. Kulapho uza kukhuseleka khona.’
URute waqhubeka esebenza kwintsimi kaBhohazi kwade kwayekwa ukuvunwa. UBhohazi wabona ukuba uRute uyazimisela emsebenzini futhi ukrelekrele. Ngaloo mihla, xa indoda isifa ibe ingenabo oonyana, umntu ozalana nayo wayetshata nomhlolokazi wayo. Ngoko uBhohazi watshata noRute. Bazala unyana ogama linguObhedi, owaba ngutatomkhulu kaKumkani uDavide. Abahlobo bakaNahomi babonwabile. Bathi: ‘UYehova ukunike uRute oye wakuthobela, ibe ngoku unomzukulwana. Makabulelwe uYehova.’
“Kukho umhlobo osondela ngaphezu komntakwenu.”—IMizekeliso 18:24