1 UNawomi wathi kumolokazana wakhe: “Kufuneka ndikufunele owakho umzi, mntwan' am, apho uya konwaba khona.
2 Laa mfo uBhowazi, lowa ubuthe nca kubasebenzi bakhe ukhwahlaza, sisizalwane esisondeleyo kuthi, esijonge kuye njengomkhululi. Ngokuhlwanje uza kubhula ele irhasi esandeni sakhe.
3 Wena ke uze uhlambe, uziqhole, wambathe kakuhle, wandule ke ukuya esandeni sakhe. Kodwa ke uze ungazivezi kuye de agqibe isidlo sakhe.
4 Xa eya kulala uze uqaphele apho aya kulala khona, uye kutyhila ingubo, ungqengqe ngasezinyaweni zakhe. Yena ke wokuxelela ukuba makuthiweni na.”
5 URute wathi ku ninazala: “Ndokwenza konke ondixeleleyo.”
6 Wahamba ke uRute, waya esandeni, wafika wenza njengoko uninazala wayemyalele.
7 Emva kwesidlo sakhe, kunye nezinto zokusithoba zakhona, uBhowazi waziva echulumacha. Wahamba waya kulala emazantsi esitha. Walandela uRute, echwechwa, wafika watyhila ingubo ngasezinyaweni zikaBhowazi, wangqengqa.
8 Ezinzulwini zobusuku uBhowazi wothuka, weva ngesandla ukuba kukho umntu obhinqileyo ongqengqe ngasezinyaweni zakhe.
9 Wambuza wathi: “Ungubani?”Waphendula yena wathi: “Ndim, mhlekazi, uRute isicakakazi sakho. Ndikhusele phantsi kwamaphiko akho. Kaloku wena usisizalwane esijonge kuso njengomkhululi.”
10 “*UNdikhoyo makakuthamsanqelise, ntombi yam,” watsho uBhowazi. “Ubonakalisa intembeko engaphezulu kuleya yangaphambili. Akuzifunelanga umyeni osemtsha – nokuba ngosisityebi, nokuba ngongesiso.
11 Thoba uvalo ke, ntombi yam. Yonke into oyifunayo ndoyenza, kuba kaloku nkqu nomzi uphela uyazi ukuba ungumfazi onesidima.
12 Yinyaniso ukuba ndisisizalwana esisondeleyo, kodwa ke kukho esinye isizalwane esingumkhululi esisondeleyo kuwe ngaphezu kwam.
13 Lala apha obu busuku. Kusasa ngomso siya kuva kuye ukuba uya kuncedwa nguye na okanye hayi. Ukuba ùza kukhululwa nguye, koba kulungile; kanti ke xa kungenjalo, ndifunga uNdikhoyo ongasoze afe, ndim oya kukukhulula. Lala ke, ntombi yam, kude kube kusasa.”
14 Wangqengqa apho ke uRute ngasezinyaweni zikaBhowazi. Uvuke kunye neenkuku, bengekabi namanakani abantu, kuba kaloku uBhowazi wayethe: “Mayingaziwa bani into yokuba umntu obhinqileyo ukhe walala esandeni.”
15 UBhowazi wathi kuRute: “Yiza nengubo oyambetheyo, ukhongozele,” waza wagalela kuyo ingqolowa eninzi (malunga namashumi amabini eekhilogram) wamthwalisa wabuyela edolophini.
16 Akufika ekhaya uRute, uninazala uNawomi umbuze wathi: “Kwehla ntoni ke, mntwan' am?”URute wabalisa konke okwenziwe nguBhowazi.
17 Watsho nokuthi: “Undiphe nale ngqolowa ingaka, esithi: ‘Mawungabuyeli kunyoko-zala ulambatha.’ ”
18 UNawomi wathi: “Linda, mntan' am, kude kucace okuza kwenzeka; indoda leyo ayiyi kuphumla lo mcimbi ungafikanga esiphelweni sawo.”