Ruthe
3 Manje uNawomi uninazala wathi kuye: “Ndodakazi yami, akufanele yini ngikufunele umyeni ozokwenza uthole ukulondeka, *+ ukuze kukuhambele kahle? 2 UBhowazi uyisihlobo sethu. + Yena kanye lona obusebenza namantombazane akhe. Uzobe ehlunga* ibhali esibuyeni* namuhla kusihlwa. 3 Ngakho geza, ugcobe amafutha anamakha, ugqoke* bese wehlela esibuyeni. Ungazivezi kuye aze aqede ukudla nokuphuza. 4 Lapho eselala, ubheke indawo alala kuyo; uhambe uyomembula ezinyaweni bese uyalala. Yena uzokutshela okufanele ukwenze.”
5 Waphendula wathi: “Konke okushoyo kimi ngizokwenza.” 6 Ngakho wahamba waya esibuyeni wenza konke uninazala ayemyale ngakho. 7 Phakathi naleso sikhathi uBhowazi wadla waphuza, futhi inhliziyo yakhe yayeneme. Wabe esehamba wayolala eceleni kwenqwaba yokudla okusanhlamvu. Ngemva kwalokho uRuthe weza ngokunyenya wamembula ezinyaweni walala. 8 Kwathi phakathi kwamabili uBhowazi waqala ukuqhaqhazela, ngakho wavuka, futhi wabona owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zakhe. 9 Wathi: “Ungubani wena?” Yena wathi: “NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho. Yelulela ingubo* yakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho ngoba nguwe ongumhlengi.” + 10 UBhowazi wathi: “Kwangathi uJehova angakubusisa, ndodakazi yami. Ulubonise kakhulu uthando lwakho oluqotho kulokhu kokugcina kunasekuqaleni, + ngokungalandeli izinsizwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zimpofu noma zicebile. 11 Manje, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi. Ngizokwenzela konke okushoyo, + ngoba wonke umuntu kule ndawo* uyazi ukuthi wena ungowesifazane onobuntu obuhle. 12 Nakuba kuyiqiniso ukuthi nginalo ilungelo lokuhlenga, + ukhona onelungelo lokuhlenga oyisihlobo esiseduze kakhulu kunami. + 13 Hlala lapha kulobu busuku, uma ezokuhlenga ekuseni, kulungile! Makakuhlenge. + Kodwa uma engafuni ukukuhlenga, mina ngizokuhlenga, ngimfunge uJehova, uNkulunkulu ophilayo. Lala lapha kuze kube sekuseni.”
14 Ngakho walala ezinyaweni zakhe kwaze kwaba sekuseni wayesevuka ngaphambi kokuba kukhanye. UBhowazi wabe esethi: “Akufanele kwaziwe ukuthi bekufike owesifazane esibuyeni.” 15 Wabuye wathi: “Letha leyo ngubo yakho yangaphandle oyigqokile, uyivule.” Ngakho wayivula, wamfakela izilinganiso eziyisithupha* zebhali, ngemva kwalokho uBhowazi wahamba wayongena edolobheni.
16 URuthe wahamba waya kuninazala, owathi: “Kuhambe kanjani,* ndodakazi yami?” Wamtshela konke uBhowazi ayemenzele kona. 17 Wanezela: “Unginike lezi zilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, wathi kimi, ‘Ungafiki ungaphethe lutho kunyokozala.’ ” 18 UNawomi wathi: “Hlala lapha ndodakazi yami, kuze kube yilapho uzwa ukuthi le ndaba iphetha kanjani, ngoba lo muntu ngeke aphumule kuze kube yilapho eseyiphothulile le ndaba namuhla.”