1 Ngexesha leenkokheli kwabakho indlala enkulu elizweni. Kwasuka mfo uthile waseBhetelehem kwaJuda, waphambukela eMowabhi kunye nomkakhe noonyana bakhe ababini.
2 Igama lale ndoda lalinguElimeleki; elomkakhe lalinguNawomi, oonyana benguMalon noKiliyon. BabengamaEfrayim awayemi eBhetelehem kwaJuda, baza baya kuma elizweni laseMowabhi.
3 Waza ke uElimeleki indoda kaNawomi wasweleka, uNawomi wasala noonyana bakhe bobabini,
4 ababetshathe iintombi zamaMowabhi. Inkulu yayizeke uOrpa, inci izeke uRute. Bahlala khona iminyaka emalunga neshumi,
5 basweleka nabo ooMalon noKiliyon, wasala uNawomi engumhlolokazi engasenandoda nanyana.
6 Akuva uNawomi ukuba *uNdikhoyo ubabonelele abantu bakhe ngesivuno esihle, uye walungiselela ukuya kowabo kunye noomolokazana bakhe ababini.
7 Wayishiya loo ndawo wayehlala kuyo, wanduluka kunye noomolokazana bakhe, wangena endleleni esinga kwilizwe lakwaJuda.
8 Wavakala esithi uNawomi koomolokazana bakhe: “Buyelani kumakhaya enu. Ubenga uNdikhoyo anganenzela izibele njengoko benisenza kum nakwabo basishiyileyo.
9 Ubenga uNdikhoyo anganinika indawo yokuphumla, elowo endlwini yendoda yakhe.”UNawomi wabanga ebabulisa. Kodwa bona basuka basitsho isikhalo,
10 bathi: “Hayi, nakanjani siza kuya kowenu kunye nawe!”
11 “Hayini, zintombi zam, godukani,” watsho uNawomi. “Kutheni nafuna ukuhamba nam? Niba ndingabe ndiphinde ndizale oonyana, nize nina nibe ngabafazi babo?
12 Hayi bo, godukani, zintombi zam; noko sendaluphele ngoku ukuba ndingabuye ndende. Kambe ke nokuba bendisenalo ithemba ndide mhlawumbi ndende nokwenda ngokuhlwanje, ndide ndizale noonyana,
13 beningade nilinde bade bakhule, ningendeli kwabanye abantu? Hayi, zintombi zam, imeko yam ikrakra kuneyenu, kuba mna uNdikhoyo ngathi undifulathele.”
14 Babuya bathathisa kwakhona ukukhala oomolokazana bakaNawomi. UOrpa wamanga embulisa uninazala, kodwa yena uRute wathana nca noNawomi.
15 Wathi uNawomi: “Uyabona, umkhuluwakazi wakho ubuyele ebantwini bakhe nakoothixo bakhe. Nawe goduka kunye naye.”
16 Waphendula uRute wathi: “Sukundinyanzela usithi mandikushiye. Apho uya khona, nam ndiya kuya, ndiye kuhlala nalapho uhlala khona, amawenu abe ngamawethu, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.
17 Ndiya kufa apho ufa khona, ndingcwatyelwe apho nam. *UNdikhoyo aze andihlisele elona shwangusha xa ndinokwahlulwa nto nawe; ewe, nditsho nokufa!”
18 UNawomi akabanga saphinda awuvule owakhe umlomo, akubona okungako kona ukuzimisela kukaRute ukungahlukani naye.
19 Bahamba ke bada baya kufika eBhetelehem. Bathi bakufika khona kwatsho kwathabatheka wonke ubani. Abafazi bathi: “Hi bethu, nithi nguNawomi nyani na lo?”
20 UNawomi yena wathi: “Sanukuthi Nawomi kum, yithini Mara, kuba wabenza bakrakra kum ubomi uSomandla.
21 Ekumkeni kwam apha ndandingenanto ndingenayo, kodwa ngoku uNdikhoyo undibuyisa ndiyimpula kalujaca. Nisatsholo ni ukuthi ndinguNawomi xa yena uNdikhoyo esuke wandicinezela nje – xa yena uSomandla esuke wandizisela iinkxwaleko?”
22 Kwaba njalo ke ukubuya kukaNawomi evela eMowabhi, ehamba nomolokazana wakhe uRute umMowabhikazi. Kwakuxa kanye kuqaliswa ukuvunwa kwerhasi ukufika kwabo eBhetelehem.