Emva kokukhokela abantu bakaYehova iminyaka emininzi, uYoshuwa wasweleka eneminyaka eyi-110. Esaphila, amaSirayeli ayekhonza uYehova. Kwathi nje emva kokufa kwakhe, akhonza izithixo zamaKanan. Ngenxa yokuba engazange amthobele uYehova, wavumela ukumkani wamaKanan uYabhin ukuba awangcungcuthekise. Acela uncedo kuYehova. Ngoko uYehova wawanika inkokheli entsha, uBharaki. Wayeza kuwanceda abuyele kuYehova.

UDebhora, umprofetikazi wathumela ukuba kubizwe uBharaki. Wayenalo myalezo uvela kuYehova: ‘Thatha amajoni ayi-10 000, niye kudibana nomkhosi kaYabhin kumlambo waseKishon. Aza kumoyisa uSisera, intloko yomkhosi kaYabhin.’ UBharaki wathi kuDebhora: ‘Ukuba uza kuhamba nam ndiza kuya.’ UDebhora wathi: ‘Ndiza kuhamba nawe. Kodwa asinguwe oza kubulala uSisera. UYehova uthe, uza kubulawa ngumfazi.’

UDebhora wahamba nomkhosi kaBharaki besiya kwiNtaba YaseTabhore ukuze balungele ukulwa. Akuva ngezi ndaba uSisera, wabizela umkhosi wakhe neenqwelo zokulwa kumlambo ongezantsi. UDebhora wathi kuBharaki: ‘Namhlanje uYehova uza kukunceda woyise.’ UBharaki namajoni akhe ayi-10 000 behla besiya kudibana nomkhosi omkhulu kaSisera.

UYehova wenza umlambo waseKishon wazala. Iinqwelo zokulwa zikaSisera zaxinga eludakeni. USisera wazishiya apho waza wabaleka. UBharaki nomkhosi wakhe bawoyisa umkhosi kaSisera, kodwa yena uSisera wabaleka! Wazimela kwintente yomfazi onguYaheli. Wamnika ubisi wasela, wamambathisa ngengubo. Eli joni lalidiniwe labiwa bubuthongo lalala. UYaheli wachwechwa waza wabethelela isikhonkwane sentente entlokweni yalo. Lafa.

UBharaki wafika ekhangela uSisera. UYaheli waphuma ententeni waza wathi: ‘Ngena. Ndiza kukubonisa le ndoda uyikhangelayo.’ UBharaki wangena waza wabona uSisera ethe natya phantsi efile. UBharaki noDebhora babulela uYehova ngengoma ngenxa yokunceda amaSirayeli oyisa iintshaba zawo. Iminyaka eyi-40 eyalandelayo, kwabakho uxolo kumaSirayeli.

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.’