1 UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, umuntu ocebileyo, owomndeni ka-Elimeleki, igama lakhe linguBowazi.
2 URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Mangihambe, ngiye ensimini, ngikhothoze ezikhwetshini emva kwalowo engiyakufumana umusa emehlweni akhe.”Wathi kuye: “Hamba, ndodakazi yami.”
3 Wahamba, waya wakhothoza ensimini emva kwabavuni; kwase kwenzeka ukuba afike esiqeshini sensimu sikaBowazi womndeni ka-Elimeleki.
4 Bheka, uBowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kwabavunayo: “UJehova makabe nani.”Bathi kuye: “UJehova makakubusise.”
5 Wayesethi uBowazi encekwini yakhe eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni: “Ngekabani le ntombazana na?”
6 Inceku eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: “Kuyintombazana yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi ezweni lakwaMowabi;
7 ithe: ‘Ake ngikhothoze, ngibuthe ezithungwini emva kwabavuni.’ Selokhu ifikile, iqhubekile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube manje, ihlale kancane endlini kuphela.”
8 UBowazi wayesethi kuRuthe: “Angithi uyezwa, ndodakazi yami? Ungayi ukukhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungasuki lapha, kepha namathela kuwo amantombazana ami lapha.
9 Amehlo akho mawabe sensimini ayivunayo, uwalandele; angithi ngiyalile abafana ukuba bangakuthinti na? Nxa womile, yana ezitsheni, uphuze lokho abakukhileyo abafana.”
10 Wayesewa ngobuso bakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: “Ngifumaneleni umusa emehlweni akho ukuba unginake, lokhu ngingowezizwe, na?”
11 UBowazi waphendula, wathi kuye: “Kubikiwe kimi konke omenzele khona unyokozala selokhu afa umyeni wakho nokuthi ushiyile uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lokuzalwa kwakho, weza kubantu ongabazanga ngaphambili.
12 UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, uphiwe umvuzo opheleleyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuba uphephele phansi kwamaphiko akhe.”
13 Wathi: “Mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, ngokuba ungiduduzile nangokuba ukhulume kahle kuyo incekukazi yakho, noma ngingenjengenye yezincekukazi zakho.”
14 Ngesikhathi sokudla uBowazi wathi kuye: “Woza lapha, udle isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga.” Wahlala eceleni kwabavuni, wamnika utshwele, wadla wasutha, washiya phansi.
15 Esesukile ekukhothozeni uBowazi wayala abafana bakhe, wathi: “Makakhothoze nasezithungwini, ningamkhathazi.
16 Anoke nimkhiphele nokuthile ezithungwini, nikushiye ukuba akukhothoze, ningamsoli.”
17 Wakhothoza-ke ensimini kwaze kwahlwa; wakubhula lokho abekukhothozile, kwakungathi i-efa* lebhali.*
18 Wakuthatha, wangena emzini; uninazala wabona lokho abekukhothozile; wakhipha, wamnika lokho akushiyile esesuthile.
19 Uninazala wathi kuye: “Ukhothozephi namuhla na? Usebenzephi? Makabusiswe lowo okunakileyo.”Wamtshela uninazala ukuthi ubesebenza kubani, wathi: “Igama lomuntu engisebenzile kuye namuhla linguBowazi.”
20 UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: “Makabusiswe nguJehova ongayekanga umusa wakhe kwabaphilileyo nakwabafileyo.” UNawomi wathi kuye: “Lowo muntu uyisihlobo sethu, ungowabahlengi bethu.”
21 URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi: “Yebo, wathi kimi: ‘Wonamathela kubafana bami, baze baqede konke ukuvuna kwami.’ ”
22 UNawomi wayesethi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: “Kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuba uphume namantombazana akhe, ungafikelwa kwenye insimu.”
23 Wayesenamathela-ke kuwo amantombazana kaBowazi ukukhothoza kwaze kwaba sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali* nokukakolweni; wahlala-ke noninazala.