1 Ke kaloku uNahomi ebenesihlobo sendoda yakhe, indoda esisityebi emzalwaneni kaElimeleki; igama layo libe linguBhohazi.
2 Wathi uRute umMowabhikazi kuNahomi, Makhe ndiye entsimini, ndibhikice izikhwebu emva kwalowo ndiya kubabalwa nguye. Wathi kuye, Hamba, ntombi yam.
3 Wahamba waya, wabhikica entsimini emva kwabavuni. Ithamsanqa lakhe lawela phezu kwesahlulo sentsimi kaBhohazi, obengowomzalwane kaElimeleki.
4 Wathi gqi uBhohazi, evela eBhetelehem, wathi kubavuni, UYehova makabe nani. Bathi kuye, UYehova makakusikelele.
5 Wathi uBhohazi kwindodana yakhe ephethe abavuni, Yekabani na le nkazana?
6 Yaphendula indodana ephethe abavuni, yathi, Yinkazana engumMowabhikazi, efike noNahomi, bevela elizweni lakwaMowabhi;
7 yathi ke, Makhe ndibhikice, ndibuthe phakathi kwezithungu emva kwabavuni; yeza ke, yema kwakusasa kwada kwangoku; ukuhlala kwayo endlwini kukancinane.
8 Wathi uBhohazi kuRute, Uyeva na, ntombi yam? Musa ukuya kubhikica ntsimini yimbi; kananjalo uze ungadluli apha; namathela wenjenje kumthinjana wam lo;
9 amehlo akho makabe sentsimini oyivunayo wona, uwulandele; yabona, abafana bakwam ndibawisele umthetho wokuba bangakuchukumisi; xa unxaniweyo, yiya ezityeni, usele into ekhiwe ngabafana.
10 Wawa ngobuso bakhe, waqubuda emhlabeni, wathi kuye, Kutheni na ukuba ndibabalwe nguwe, undibuke, ndiyinkazana yolunye uhlanga nje?
11 Waphendula uBhohazi, wathi kuye, Ndiyixelelwe kakuhle yonke into oyenzileyo kunyokozala, emva kokufa kwendoda yakho; ukuba ùshiye uyihlo nonyoko, nelizwe owazalelwa kulo, weza ebantwini obungabazi ngaphambili.
12 UYehova makakubuyekeze ukwenza kwakho, uzaliseke umvuzo wakho ovela kuYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ozé wazimela phantsi kwamaphiko akhe wena.
13 Wathi yena, Mandibabalwe nguwe, nkosi ngokuba busuku esandéni. Zihlambe, kuba uthethe kakuhle nomkhonzazana wakho, ndingèjengomnye wabakhonzazana bakho nje.
14 Wathi uBhohazi kuye, Ngexesha lokudla sondela apha, udle isonka, uncinde iviniga ngeqhekeza lakho. Wahlala phantsi ngasecaleni labavuni. Wamnika ikhweba; wadla, wahlutha, washiya.
15 Wesuka ke waya kubhikica; uBhohazi waluwisela umthetho ulutsha olulolwakhe, wathi, Makabhikice naphakathi kwezithungu, ningamdanisi;
16 nimrholele nokumrholela inxenye ezithungwini, nishiye, abhikice, ningamkhalimeli.
17 Wabhikica entsimini leyo kwada kwahlwa; wayibhula into abeyibhikicile, yanga yiefa* yerhasi.
18 Wathwala, waya ekhaya; wayibona uninazala into ayibhikicileyo; wakurhola, wamnika abekushiyile akuba ehluthi.
19 Wathi uninazala kuye, Ubhikice phi na namhla? Ubusebenza phi na? Makasikelelwe okubukileyo wena. Wamxelela uninazala umntu abesebenza kuye, wathi, Igama lendoda endisebenze kuyo namhla nguBhohazi.
20 Wathi uNahomi kumolokazana wakhe, Makasikelelwe yena nguYehova, ongayekelelanga ukwenza inceba yakhe kwabaphilileyo nakwabafileyo. Wathi uNahomi kuye, Indoda leyo iyalamana nathi; ingowabakhululi bethu.
21 Wathi uRute umMowabhikazi, Kananjalo ithe yona kum, Uze unamathele kulutsha olulolwam, lude lulugqibe lonke uvuno olulolwam.
22 Wathi uNahomi kuRute umolokazana wakhe, Kulungile, ntombi yam, ukuba uphume nomthinjana wakhe, ukuze ungàfikelwa mntu ukwenye intsimi.
23 Wanamathela kumthinjana kaBhohazi, wabhikica, kwada kwagqitywa ukuvunwa kwerhasi nokuvunwa kwengqolowa; wahlala noninazala.