UBhowazi uthatha uRuthe abe ngumkakhe

4UBhowazi wasesenyukela esangwenia, wahlala phansi lapho. Khangela-ke, kwedlula isihlobo esingumhlengi leso uBhowazi ayekhulume ngasob. Wasesithi: Phambuka uhlale phansi lapha, we zibanibani. Wasephambuka, wahlala phansi. 2 Wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ebadaleni bomuzic, wathi: Hlalani phansi lapha. Asehlala phansi. 3 Wasesithi kulesosihlobo esingumhlengi: Isiqinti sensimu esasingesomfowethu uElimeleki, uyasithengisa uNawomi, osebuyile evela elizweni lakoMowabi. 4 Ngakho mina ngithe: Ngikwembule endlebeni yakho ngisithi: Sithenged phambi kwabahlalie laphambi kwabadala babantu bakithi. Uba uzasihlenga, sihlenge. Kodwa uba engekho ongasihlenga, ungitshele, ukuze ngazi; ngoba engekho ngaphandle kwakho ongasihlenga, mina-ke ngilandela wena. Wasesithi: Mina ngizasihlenga. 5 UBhowazi wasesithi: Mhla uthenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, uzayithenga lakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umfazi womuyi, ukuze umise ibizo lomuyi elifeni lakhef.

6 Lesosihlobo esingumhlengi sasesisithig: Ngingeke ngazihlengela sona, hlezi ngone ilifa lami. Zihlengele wena ilungelo lami lokuhlenga, ngoba kangilamandla okuhlenga. 7 Lokhu-ke kwakukhona mandulo koIsrayeli mayelana lokuhlengah lokuntshintshai, ukuqinisa lonke udaba: umuntu akhiphe inyathela lakhe, alinike umakhelwane wakhe; lokhu-ke kwakuyibufakazi koIsrayeli. 8 Ngakho isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi kuBhowazi: Zithengele yona; sasesikhipha inyathela laso.

9 UBhowazi wasesithi kubadala lakubo bonke abantu: Lingabafakazi lamuhla bokuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokukaElimeleki lakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni lokukaMahelonij esandleni sikaNawomi. 10 LoRuthe laye umMowabikazi, umkaMahelonik, ngizithengele ukuze abe ngumkami, ukuze ngimise ibizo likamuyi elifeni lakhel, ukuze ibizo lomuyi lingaqunywa lisuke phakathi kwabafowabo lesangweni lendawo yakhe. Lingabafakazi lamuhla. 11 Bonke abantu ababesesangweni labadala basebesithi: Singabafakazi; kungathi iNkosi ingamenza lo owesifazana ongena endlini yakho abe njengoRasheli lanjengoLeya abakha bobabili indlu kaIsrayelim. Njalo wenze ngamandla eEfrathan, uzenzele ibizo eBhethelehema, 12 lendlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaPerezi uTamari amzalela uJudao, ngenzalo iNkosi ezakunika yona ngalo owesifazana omutshap.

13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRutheq, waba ngumkakhe; wasengena kuye, iNkosi yamnika ukuthi athathe isisur, wazala indodana. 14 Abesifazana basebesithi kuNawomi: Kayibusiswe iNkosis engakutshiyanga ungelaso isihlobo esingumhlengi lamuhla, ukuthi ibizo laso limenyezelwe koIsrayeli! 15 Uzakuba kuwe ngumbuyisi wempilo lomondli wobudala bakho, ngoba umzele umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, ongcono kuwe kulamadodana ayisikhombisat. 16 UNawomi wasemthatha umntwana, wamfaka esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumlizane wakhe. 17 Omakhelwanekazi basebemutha ibizou besithi: Kulendodana ezalelwe uNawomiv. Babiza ibizo layo uObedi; nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.

18 Lalezi yizizukulwana zikaPerezi. UPerezi wazala uHezironiw, 19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba, 20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashonix, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni, 21 uSalimoni wasezala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wasezala uObedi, 22 uObedi wasezala uJese, uJese wasezala uDavida.