Rute
1 Ngemihla yokulawula kwabagwebi,+ kwabakho indlala elizweni, yaza enye indoda yafuduka eBhetelehem,+ kwaYuda, yaya kuhlala kwiilali* zakwaMowabhi,+ yona nomfazi noonyana bayo ababini. 2 Igama lale ndoda yayinguElimeleki,* umfazi wayo inguNahomi,* oonyana bayo inguMahalon* noKiliyon.* BabengamaEfrata aseBhetelehem, kwaYuda. Ekugqibeleni bafika kwiilali zakwaMowabhi, bahlala khona.
3 Ethubeni uElimeleki umyeni kaNahomi wafa, emshiya noonyana ababini. 4 Aba nyana batshata namaMowabhikazi, uOrpa noRute,+ baza bahlala kwaMowabhi iminyaka emalunga neshumi. 5 Emva koko, uMahalon noKiliyon bafa, waza uNahomi washiyeka engenabantwana, engumhlolokazi. 6 Ngoko yena noomolokazana bakhe bazishiya iilali zakwaMowabhi, kuba weva ekwaMowabhi ukuba uYehova ubakhumbule abantu bakhe waza wabanika ukutya.*
7 Wemka kwindawo awayehlala kuyo ehamba noomolokazana bakhe bobabini. Endleleni ebuyela kwaYuda, 8 uNahomi wathi koomolokazana bakhe: “Godukani, ngamnye abuyele kwindlu kamama wakhe. Kwanga uYehova anganithanda ngokungagungqiyo,+ kanye njengokuba niye nandithanda mna nala madoda angasekhoyo. 9 Kwanga uYehova anganika* ngamnye wenu umzi nendoda eza kumkhusela.”*+ Emva koko wabaphuza, baza bakhala. 10 Babemane besithi kuye: “Hayi, siza kubuyela nawe ebantwini bakowenu.” 11 Kodwa uNahomi wathi: “Godukani, bantwana bam. Kutheni nifuna ukuhamba nam? Ngaba ndisengakwazi ukunizalela abayeni?+ 12 Hayini, zintombi zam, godukani. Ndimdala kakhulu ukuba ndingaphinda nditshate. Nokuba bendinethemba lokufumana umyeni ngobu busuku ndize ndizale oonyana, 13 beniza kubalinda de bakhule? Beniza kuhlala ningatshatanga kuba nilinde bona? Hayini zintombi zam, indikhathaza kakhulu into yenu, kuba uYehova undijikele.”+
14 Baphinda bakhala, emva koko uOrpa waphuza umazala wakhe waza wemka. Kodwa yena uRute akazange amshiye. 15 Ngoko uNahomi wathi: “Jonga! Omnye umolokazana wam ubuyele kubantu bakowabo nakoothixo bakhe. Nawe goduka.”
16 Kodwa uRute wathi: “Sukundicenga ukuba ndikushiye, ndingahambi nawe; ndiza kuya naphi na apho uya khona, ndilale naphi na apho ulala khona. Abantu bakho baza kuba ngabantu bam, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.+ 17 Ndiza kufela apho ufela khona, ndingcwatyelwe apho. Kwanga uYehova angandohlwaya, ade andiphinde, ukuba kungakho nantoni na endahlukanisa nawe ngaphandle kokufa.”
18 Akubona uNahomi ukuba uRute akajiki, wamyeka. 19 Bahamba ke de bayokufika eBhetelehem.+ Bakufika, saxokozela sonke isixeko, abafazi besithi: “NguNahomi nyhani lo?” 20 Wayeye athi kwabo bafazi: “Sanukuthi Nahomi* xa nindibiza. Yithini Mara,* kuba uSomandla ubenze krakra ubomi bam.+ 21 Ndahamba ndinento yonke, kodwa uYehova undibuyise ndingasenanto. Kutheni nisithi ndinguNahomi nje, ekubeni inguYehova ondijikeleyo kwaye inguSomandla ondizisele intlungu?”+
22 Yaba kukubuya kukaNahomi ke oko, evela kwaMowabhi,+ ehamba nomolokazana wakhe uRute, umMowabhikazi. Bafika eBhetelehem ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwerhasi.+