Rute
2 Kwakukho indoda eyayisisityebi eyayizalana nomyeni kaNahomi; igama layo yayinguBhohazi,+ ibe yayiyeyentsapho yakuloElimeleki.
2 URute umMowabhikazi wathi kuNahomi: “Ndicela undivumele ndihambe, ndiye emasimini ndiyokuchola-chola+ izikhwebu emva kwakhe nabani na ondenzela inceba.” UNahomi wathi kuye: “Hamba, ntombi yam.” 3 Wahamba ke waya emasimini, waza wachola-chola emva kwabavuni. Wazibhaqa ekwintsimi kaBhohazi,+ owayengowentsapho yakuloElimeleki.+ 4 Kwathi kusenjalo, kwafika uBhohazi evela eBhetelehem, wathi kubavuni: “UYehova abe nani.” Bona bathi: “UYehova akusikelele.”
5 UBhohazi wathi kumfana owayephethe abavuni: “Yeyaphi le ntwazana?” 6 Umfana owayephethe abavuni wathi: “Lo mfazana ngumMowabhikazi+ obuye noNahomi kwiilali zakwaMowabhi.+ 7 Uye wathi, ‘Ndicela ukuchola-chola+ ndize ndiqokelele izikhwebu* esele zisikiwe zaza zashiywa ngabavuni.’ Oko esebenza ukususela ukufika kwakhe ekuseni, kungona esandula ukuthi vu kula ndawo yokuphumla.”
8 Wathi uBhohazi kuRute: “Mamela ke, ntombi yam. Ungahambi uyokuchola-chola kwenye intsimi, yaye ungayi kwenye indawo; uze uthi nca apha kwizicakakazi zam.+ 9 Gada ukuba ziyokuvuna kweyiphi intsimi, uze uhambe nazo. Abafana ndibaxelele ukuba bangakwenzi nto. Xa unxaniwe, uze uye kwiingqayi zamanzi usele kula akhiwe ngabafana.”
10 Ngoko uRute waguqa waza waqubuda, wathi kuye: “Kutheni undikhathalele kangaka, uzihlupha ngam, ndakugqiba ukuba ngowelinye ilizwe?”+ 11 UBhohazi wathi: “Ndiyive yonke into oyenzele umazala wakho emva kokusweleka komyeni wakho, nendlela oye wamshiya ngayo utata nomama wakho, nelizwe lakho, nabantu bakowenu, weza kubantu ongabaziyo.+ 12 Wanga uYehova angakuvuza ngale nto uyenzileyo,+ yaye kwanga unganomvuzo opheleleyo ovela kuYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, oye wafuna indawo yokuzifihla phantsi kwamaphiko akhe.”+ 13 Yena wathi: “Ndicela ungayeki ukundithanda nkosi yam, kuba uye wandithuthuzela, wandomeleza,* nangona ndingesiso nesicakakazi sakho.”
14 Xa kwafika ixesha lokutya, uBhohazi wathi kuye: “Yiza apha, thatha isonka, usithi nkxu kule viniga, utye.” Ngoko wahlala phantsi ecaleni kwabavuni. UBhohazi wamnika iinkozo ezigcadiweyo, watya wanela, kwada kwakho ezishiyekayo. 15 Uthe akuphakama uRute esiya kuchola-chola,+ uBhohazi wathi kubafana bakhe: “Myekeni achola-chole nakwizikhwebu* ezisikiweyo, ningamkhathazi.+ 16 Qinisekani ukuba nimtsalela izikhwebu kwizithungu, nimshiyele zona ukuze azichola-chole, ningamhluphi.”
17 Waqhubeka eqokelela ezo zikhwebu zishiyekileyo de kwangokuhlwa,+ emva koko wabhula loo nto wayeyiqokelele, yaba malunga ne-efa* yerhasi. 18 Wayithatha waya nayo esixekweni, yabonwa ngumazala wakhe. Emva koko wakhupha ukutya awayekushiyile+ emva kokuba ehluthi, wakunika umazala.
19 Umazala wakhe wathi kuye: “Ubuchola-chola phi namhlanje? Ubusebenza phi? Kwanga angasikelelwa lowo uye wakwenzela inceba.”+ Ngoko wamxelela ukuba ebesebenza phi, esithi: “Namhlanje bendisebenza kumasimi kaBhohazi.” 20 UNahomi wathi kumolokazana wakhe: “Makasikelelwe nguYehova, oye waqhubeka ebathanda abaphilayo nabafileyo.”+ Wongeza wathi: “Le ndoda iyazalana nathi.+ Ingomnye wabahlawuleli bethu.”*+ 21 Waza uRute umMowabhikazi wathi: “Ithe kum, ‘Hlala kufuphi nabasebenzi bam de bagqibe ukuvuna amasimi am.’”+ 22 UNahomi wathi kuRute umolokazana wakhe: “Kubhetele uhambe nezicakakazi zakhe, ntombi yam, kunokuba uyokusokoliswa kwamanye amasimi.”
23 Ngoko waqhubeka ekunye nezicakakazi zikaBhohazi, waqokelela izikhwebu ezishiyekileyo de saphela isivuno serhasi+ nesengqolowa, ibe waqhubeka ehlala nomazala wakhe.+