UBhowazi uvuma ukuba ngumhlengi

3UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumulaa yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe? 2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobob zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhec? Khangela, wela ibhali* ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku. 3 Ngakho geza uzigcobed, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha. 4 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kiyo, ungene, ubususembula inyawo zakhe, ulale phansi; yena-ke uzakutshela ozakwenza. 5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.

6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala. 7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokozae, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenyaf, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.

8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo. 9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakhog, ngoba ungumhlengi. 10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosih, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqalai, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo. 11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqothoj. 12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengik, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulamil. 13 Hlala lobubusuku; kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni uba ezakwenza imfanelo yesihlobo esingumhlengim, kulungile, kakuhlenge; kodwa uba engathandi ukukuhlenga, mina-ke ngizakuhlenga, kuphila kukaJehovan. Lala kuze kuse.

14 Waselala enyaweni zayo kwaze kwasao; wavuka omunye engakananzeleli omunye. Yasisithi: Kakungaziwa ukuthi owesifazana ufikile ebaleni lokubhulela. 15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali*, yamethesa; wasengena emzini. 16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona. 17 Wathi: Ingiphe lezizilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, ngoba ithe kimi: Ungayi kunyokozala ungelalutho. 18 Wasesithi: Hlalap, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.