1 Kwathi emihleni abahlulela ngayo abahluleli kwaba khona indlala ezweni. Umuntu othile waseBetlehema Juda waya ukuyohlala ezweni lakwaMowabi, yena nomkakhe, namadodana akhe amabili.
2 Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, amagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMahaloni noKiliyoni; babe ngama-Efratha aseBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona.
3 U-Elimeleki umyeni kaNawomi wafa; kepha yena wasala namadodana akhe amabili.
4 Azithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lomunye lalingu-Orpa, igama lomunye lalinguRuthe; bahlala khona kwangathi iminyaka eyishumi.
5 OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane washiywa-ke ngabantwana bakhe ababili nangumyeni wakhe.
6 Wayesesuka nawomalokazana bakhe ukuba abuye ezweni lakwaMowabi, ngokuba wayezwile ezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova uhambele abantu bakhe ukuba abaphe ukudla.
7 Waphuma endaweni lapho wayekhona, omalokazana bakhe benaye; bahamba ngendlela yokubuyela ezweni lakwaJuda.
8 UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili: “Hambani nibuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini kanina; uJehova makanenzele umusa, njengalokho nanenza kwabafileyo nakimi.
9 UJehova makaninike ukuba nifumane ukuphumula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yomyeni wakhe.” Wayesebanga, badazuluka, bakhala.
10 Bathi kuye: “Hhayi! Kepha sobuyela nawe kubantu bakini!”
11 Wayesethi uNawomi: “Buyani, madodakazi ami; nohambelani nami na? Ngisenamadodana ezibilinini zami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu na?
12 Buyani, madodakazi ami, nihambe, ngokuba sengimdala ukuba ngibe nomyeni. Noma ngangithi nginethemba, noma ngingaba nendoda kulobu busuku, ngizale amadodana,
13 beningawahlalela aze abe ngakhulileyo na? Beniyakuzivimbela ningabi namadoda na? Hhayi, madodakazi ami, kumunyu kimi ngenxa yenu, ngokuba isandla sikaJehova siphumele kimi.”
14 Badazuluka, baphinda bakhala; u-Orpa wamanga uninazala, kepha uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
15 Wathi: “Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kwabakubo nakunkulunkulu wakhe; buya nawe, umlandele umnakwenu.”
16 Kepha uRuthe wathi: “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, ngibuye, ngingakulandeli, ngokuba lapho uya khona, ngiyakuya khona nami, nalapho uhlala khona, ngiyakuhlala khona nami; abantu bakho bayakuba ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami.
17 Lapho ufela khona, ngiyakufela khona nami, ngimbelwe khona; uJehova akenze njalo kimi, enezele futhi, ngokuba ngukufa kuphela okuyakusahlukanisa.”
18 Esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba naye, wayeka ukukhuluma kuye.
19 Base behamba bobabili baze bafika eBetlehema. Kwathi sebefikile eBetlehema, wonke umuzi wanyakaziswa, bathi: “Lo unguNawomi na?”
20 Wathi kubo: “Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi;* ngibizeni ngokuthi uMara,* ngokuba uSomandla ungiphathe ngomunyu omkhulu.
21 Ngahamba ngigcwele, uJehova ungibuyise ngize; ningibizelani ngokuthi uNawomi, lokhu uJehova efakazile ngami, uSomandla engenzele okubi, na?”
22 Wabuya-ke uNawomi kanye noRuthe wakwaMowabi umalokazana wakhe owabuya ezweni lakwaMowabi, bafika eBetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.*