1 Kwakukho mfo uthile ogama linguBhowazi owayesisizalwane sasemzini kaNawomi. Wayengowesiduko sikaElimeleki, engumfo owaziwayo.
2 UmMowabhikazi uRute wathi kuNawomi: “Mandikhe ndiye emasimini, ndibhikice kulaa ngqolowa ivunwayo, ndikhwahlaze emva komntu ondivumelayo.”“Hayi kulungile, ungahamba, mntwan' am,” watsho uNawomi.
3 Wanduluka ke uRute ukuya emasimini. Wafika walandela abavuni, ehamba ebhikica. Kwathi kanti loo nto uyenza entsimini kaBhowazi owayezalana noElimeleki.
4 Ke wafika uBhowazi, evela eBhetelehem. Wababulisa abavuni, esithi: “UNdikhoyo ubenga angaba nani!”Baphendula bathi bona: “Camagu! Akuthamsanqelise nawe uNdikhoyo!”
5 Emva koko uBhowazi ubuze kwinduna ephethe abavuni, wathi: “Kanene yintombi yasemanini leya ndiyibonayo?”
6 Yona ithe: “NgumMowabhikazi lowa, lo ufike noNawomi ukubuya kwakhe kwelamaMowabhi.
7 Ucele ukuba ndimvumele abhikice, akhwahlaze phakathi kwezithungu, elandela abavuni. Kudala elapha; akakhange aphumle oko kusile – usandula ukuyeka ngoku umbona ehleli phaya endaweni yokuphumla nje.”
8 UBhowazi wathi kuRute: “Uyabona ke, ntombi yam, uzungemki apha, ungabi saya kubhikica kumasimi abanye abantu. Uze uncamathele kwiintombi ezi zisebenza kula masimi am.
9 Uze uzilandele, ubhikice apho zivuna khona. Ndibaxelele abafana aba ukuba bangakukhathazi. Ukuba unxaniwe uze uye kusela kwezaa ngqayi zamanzi akhiwe ngabafana.”
10 Waqubuda phambi koBhowazi uRute, wathi: “Mhlekazi, ngani ukuba undenzele ububele obungaka undihoye ndingowelinye ilizwe nje?”
11 UBhowazi wathi: “Ndivile ngawe ukuba ubumphethe kakuhle unyoko-zala, naxa umyeni wakho selengasekho. Ude washiya uyihlo nonyoko, nditsho namawenu la embala, weza kuhlala phakathi kwabantu obungazani nabo.
12 Ubenga ke uNdikhoyo angakuvuza ngomsebenzi wakho. Ewe, ubenga uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, lo wena uze kuzifaka phantsi kwamaphiko akhe, angakubuyekeza kanobom.”
13 URute wathi: “Ngenene, mhlekazi, unenceba; undithobe uvalo xa wenjenje ukuthetha nam ngobubele, mna sicakakazi sakho, naxa ndingoyena unganeno nakwizicakakazi zakho.”
14 Kuthe xa kutyiwayo, uBhowazi wathi kuye: “Yiz' apha, uthathe isonka, usithi nkxu kwiwayini.” Ke uRute wahlala phantsi kunye neentombi ezingabavuni; waza uBhowazi wamnika ugcado, watya wahlutha, kwada kwasala.
15 Ubuye waya kubhikica kwakhona uRute. UBhowazi yena wayalela izicaka zakhe, wathi: “Ze nimyeke ningamnqandi nokuba selebhikica ngasezithungwini.
16 Ngaphaya koko ze nide nimrhutyele nasezithungwini ingqolowa, nishiye abhikice, ningamkhalimeli.”
17 Kwada kwatshona ilanga uRute ekhwahlaza. Uthe akuyibhula wafumana malunga neshumi leekhilogram zengqolowa.
18 Wayithwala wagoduka nayo, wayibonisa uninazala. Wamnika nokutya awayembekele kona kwisidlo sasemini.
19 UNawomi wambuza wathi: “Ubhikice phi namhlanje? Ubusebenza kwabani? Wanga angasikeleleka lowo ukwenzele ububele.”URute wamxelela uninazala ukuba ubebhikica kumasimi kabani, esithi: “Ndisebenze entsimini yomfo ekuthiwa nguBhowazi.”
20 Wavakala uNawomi esithi kumolokazana: “UNdikhoyo ozibele zihlala zihleli kwabaphilayo nabafileyo makamthamsanqelise uBhowazi!” Uqokele wathi: “Loo mfo usisizalwane esisondeleyo kuthi. Ungomnye wabantu esijonge kubo njengomkhululi.”
21 Ke uRute umMowabhikazi wathi: “Kananjalo uBhowazi uthe mandincamathele kubasebenzi bakhe de kugqitywe ukuvunwa.”
22 UNawomi uthe: “Ewe, mntwan' am, kuhle uhambe neentombi zaphaya kwaBhowazi. Usenokuhlelwa yinto embi kumasimi abanye abantu.”
23 URute wancamathela kwezo ntombi zakwaBhowazi, ekhwahlaza kwada kwagqitywa ukuvunwa kwerhasi nengqolowa. Wayehlala no ninazala ngalo lonke elo xesha.