Chapter 1
1 Ke kaloku kwathi ngemihla yokulawula kwabagwebi, kwabakho indlala elizweni. Yahamba indoda yaseBhetelehem yakwaYuda, yaza yaphambukela elizweni lakwaMowabhi, yona nomkayo, noonyana bayo bobabini.
2 Ke igama laloo ndoda lalinguElimeleki, igama lomkayo linguNahomi; amagama oonyana bayo babengooMalon noKiliyon, bengamaEfrata aseBhetelehem yakwaYuda. Baya ke elizweni lakwaMowabhi, baba khona.
3 Wafa uElimeleki indoda kaNahomi; washiywa ke yena noonyana bakhe bobabini.
4 Bazeka abafazi abangamaMowabhikazi; igama lomnye lalinguOrpa, igama lomnye lalinguRute; bahlala khona iminyaka eseshumini.
5 Bafa kananjalo bobabini ooMalon noKiliyon; washiywa ke loo mfazi ngoonyana bakhe bobabini nayindoda yakhe.
6 Wesuka yena noomolokazana bakhe, ebuya elizweni lakwaMowabhi; ngokuba weva eselizweni lakwaMowabhi, ukuba uYehova ubavelele abantu bakhe ngokubanika isonka.
7 Waphuma kuloo ndawo abekuyo, enoomolokazana bakhe bobabini; wahamba ngendlela ebuyela ezweni lakwaYuda.
8 Wathi uNahomi koomolokazana bakhe bobabini, Hambani, nibuyele elowo endlwini yonina; uYehova makanenzele inceba, njengoko nenze ngako kubafi nakum.
9 UYehova makaninike nifumane indawo yokuphumla, elowo endlwini yendoda yakhe. Wabanga; baliphakamisa ilizwi labo, balila.
10 Bathi kuye, Hayi, siya kubuyela nawe kubantu bakowenu.
11 Wathi uNahomi, Buyani, zintombi zam; kungani na ukuba nihambe nam? Ndisenoonyana yini na embilinini wam, ukuze babe ngamadoda kuni?
12 Buyani, zintombi zam; hambani, ngokuba sendikwaluphalele ukuba nendoda. Khona ukuba ndibe ndisithi, Ndisenethemba, nokuba bendithe ndaba ngonendoda ngobu busuku, nokuba bendithe ndazala oonyana,
13 beniya kuthi ngenxa yoko nilinde bade bakhule, yini na? Beniya kuthi ngenxa yoko nizibambe ningabi namadoda, yini na? Hayi, zintombi zam; ngokuba kukrakra kunene kum ngenxa yenu, kuba isandla sikaYehova siphumelene nam.
14 Baliphakamisa ilizwi labo, babuya balila. UOrpa wamanga uninazala; ke yena uRute wanamathela kuye.
15 Wathi yena, Uyabona, umkhuluwakazi wakho ubuyele kubantu bakowabo, nakoothixo bakowabo; buya nawe, ulandele umkhuluwakazi wakho.
16 Wathi uRute, Musa akundibongoza ngokuthi mandikushiye, ndibuye, ndingakulandeli; ngokuba apho uya khona, ndiya kuya nam; apho uya kuthi vu khona, ndiya kuthi vu khona; abantu bakowenu baya kuba ngabantu bam, uThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam;
17 apho ufela khona, ndiya kufela khona, ndingcwatyelwe khona. Makenjenje uYehova kum, aphinde ukwenjenje: kukufa kodwa okuya kundahlula nawe.
18 Wabona ukuba uzimisele ukuhamba naye, wayeka ukuthetha kuye.
19 Bahamba ke bobabini, bada bafika eBhetelehem. Kwathi, xa bangenayo eBhetelehem, wazamazama wonke umzi ngenxa yabo, bathi, NguNahomi na lo?
20 Wathi kubo, Musani ukuthi ndinguNahomi; yithini ndinguMara, ngokuba uSomandla undenze ndakrakra kunene.
21 Ndemka mna ndizele; ke uYehova undibuyisa ndilambatha. Yini na ukuba nithi ndinguNahomi; uYehova engqinile nje ngam, uSomandla endenzele ububi nje.
22 Wabuya ke uNahomi enoRute umMowabhikazi, umolokazana wakhe, owabuya elizweni lakwaMowabhi; bafika bona eBhetelehem ekuqalekeni kokuvunwa kwerhasi.