Ruthe usebenta ensimini yaBowazi1 Nawomi abenesihlobo sakhe lesasiselusendvo lwaka-Elimeleki. Lesihlobo sasicebe kakhulu futsi sihloniphekile; libito laso kwakunguBowazi. 2 Ruthe, umMowabi, wakhuluma kuNawomi, watsi: “Kuncono ngihambe ngiye ensimini ngiyewukhwimita emvakwalowo lengingahle ngitfole kuye umusa.” Nawomi waphendvula watsi: “Hamba, ndvodzakati yami.” 3 Ngako-ke Ruthe wahamba wayawukhwimita emasimini emvakwebavuni. Kwenteka wangena ensimini leyayiyakaBowazi. Bowazi abewelusendvo lwaka-Elimeleki. 4 Kwase kufika Bowazi aphuma eBhetlehema, wafike kubavuni watsi: “Simakadze akabe nani!” Bamphendvula batsi. “Simakadze akakubusise!” 5 Bowazi wabuta kulendvuna yebavuni watsi: “Wakabani lomakoti?” 6 Lendvuna yamphendvula yatsi: “Lomakoti ungumMowabi, lofike naNawomi, aphuma eveni lakaMowabi. 7 Ufike la kimi watsi: ‘Ngicela kukhwimita, ngilandzele bavuni.’ Kusukela ekuseni ngeluvivi seloku angene lapha ensimini solomane uyasebenta, uphumuphumule kancane emtfuntini.” 8 Bowazi wakhuluma kuRuthe, watsi: “Lalela-ke, ndvodzakati yami, ungasacali kuyawukhwimita kulenye insimi, kodvwa namatsela kulamantfombatana ami lavunako. 9 Wena ubukisise insimi lapho bavuna khona, bese uyabalandzela. Lamajaha ngiwayale kutsi angakutsintsi. Nase womile, ubonatsa kuletimbita letigcwaliswe ngulamajaha.” 10 Ruthe wakhotsamisa buso bakhe, wabonga, watsi: “Kungani ngizuze umusa longaka kuwe nekutsi unginake kangaka ngiwetive?” 11 Bowazi waphendvula watsi: “Sebangitjele konkhe lokwentele unyokotala, seloku kwafa indvodza yakho. Bangitjela nangekusuka kwakho kini, washiya uyihlo nenyoko, nelive lakini lemdzabu, weta esiveni lowawungasati. 12 Shangatsi Simakadze angakunika umvuzo ngaloku lose ukwentile. Shangatsi Simakadze, Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, angakunika umvuzo lophelele, njengobe naku sewukhosele ngaphansi kwakhe nje.” 13 Ruthe wamphendvula watsi: “Maye, ube nemusa kimi, mnumzane, ngobe sewungidvudvutile, wangikhulumisa ngemoya lomuhle mine ncekukati yakho, lite ngingesiye lomunye wetincekukati takho.” 14 Nasekudliwa Bowazi wabita Ruthe watsi: “Kota lapha, utekudla nasi sinkhwa, usishibe ngeliwayini.” Ngako-ke wahlala kanye netisebenti, Bowazi wamnika imbasha; wadla waze wesutsa, kwadzimate kwasala. 15 Watsi nakasukuma kuyawukhwimita, Bowazi wakhuluma nalamajaha, watsi: “Ruthe nibomyekela akhwimite nalapho kungakavunwa khona, ningamekhuti. 16 Nibomhoshulela letinye titfungo atitsatse, ningamtsetsisi.” 17 Ngako-ke Ruthe wachubeka wakhwimita, laze layawushona; watsi kube akubhule, kwaba ngemakhilogremu labengaba lishumi. 18 Wakutsatsa wahamba nako waya ekhaya; wakhombisa uninatala sonkhe sivuno sakhe, waphindze wamnika nekudla lokwakusele ensimini nakadlako. 19 Nawomi wabuta Ruthe watsi: “Lamuhla bewukhwimita kuphi? Bewusebenta kuphi? Ubusisiwe lowo muntfu lokunakile!” Ruthe waphendvula watsi: “Lamuhla bengisebenta ensimini yemuntfu lekutsiwa nguBowazi.” 20 Nawomi watsi kumalukatane wakhe: “Shangatsi Simakadze lonemusa kulabaphilako nalabafile angambusisa.” Wachubeka watsi: “Lomuntfu usihlobo setfu sengati, ungulomunye walabo labafanele kusinakekela.” 21 Ruthe wachubeka wakhuluma kuninatala, watsi: “Ngetulu kwaloko uphindze watsi angichubeke kukhwimita naletisebenti takakhe kuze kuphele kuvuna.” 22 Nawomi waphendvula Ruthe, malukatane wakhe, watsi: “Kulungile-ke, ndvodzakati, kuncono ubuyele uyewusebenta kanye nalamantfombatana asensimini yakaBowazi; ngobe ensimini yalomunye bangahle bakuhluphe.” 23 Ngako Ruthe wachubeka asebenta nalamantfombatana akaBowazi, baze bacedza kuvuna ibhali nakolo. Wachubeka kuhlala neninatala. |
© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Bible Society of South Africa