3 UBhowazi wabhekisa kwisizalwana sakhe esingumkhululi wenjenje: “UNawomi obuyileyo eMowabhi ufuna ukuwuthengisa lowa mhlaba womntakwethu uElimeleki.
4 Ndithe lo mbandela ndokha ndiwuphalaze kuwe apha phambi kwaba bantu balapha kunye nala madoda makhulu akowethu, ndiqonde ukuba uyawuthatha na. Ukuba uyawuthatha, wuthathe; kodwa ukuba akuwuthathi, ndixelele. Kaloku akukho mntu unelungelo ngaphezu kwakho; nkqu nam ndilandela wena.”“Hayi, ndiza kuyithatha loo ntsimi,” watsho loo mfo.
5 UBhowazi wathi: “Uze uqonde ukuba mhla wathatha laa ntsimi kuNawomi uthatha noRute, umka-mfi, ukuze lingaze licime igama lakhe kwilifa lakhe.”
6 Uthe loo mfo: “Xa kunjalo ke mna andizi kuyithatha loo ntsimi, kuba ndiya kuba ndizifaka engxakini yokubeka umzi wam esichengeni. Ungayithatha wena; mna andinako.”
7 Ngaloo maxesha xa kuthengiswa okanye kunananiselwana umthengisi wayekhulula imbadada, anike umthengi. Ayebonakalisa ngaloo ndlela amaSirayeli ukuba umcimbi ugqityiwe.
8 Wathi ke lo mfo akuthi kuBhowazi: “Yithathe,” watsho ekhulula imbadada yakhe.
9 UBhowazi ubhekise kwababelapho kunye namadoda amakhulu, wathi: “Namhlanje nonke ningamangqina okuba namhla ndithathe konke okukaElimeleki kuNawomi. Nditsho nokukaKiliyon noMalon oonyana bakhe.