1 UBowazi wenyukela esangweni, wahlala phansi khona; bheka, umhlengi akhuluma ngaye uBowazi, wadlula; wathi kuye: “We wena sibanibani, phambuka, uhlale lapha.” Waphambuka, wahlala phansi.
2 Wathatha amadoda ayishumi kuwo amalunga omuzi, wathi: “Hlalani phansi lapha.” Ahlala.
3 Wayesethi kuye umhlengi: “UNawomi obuyile ezweni lakwaMowabi uyathengisa ngesiqephu sezwe esasingesika-Elimeleki;
4 bengithi ngiyakukwambulela kuwe, ngithi: Lithenge phambi kwabahleziyo lapha naphambi kwamalunga abantu bakithi; uma ulithenga, lihlenge; kepha uma ungalithengi, ngitshele ukuba ngazi, ngokuba akakho ongalihlenga ngaphandle kwakho, mina ngisemva kwakho.”Wayesethi: “Ngiyakulihlenga.”
5 Wathi uBowazi: “Msukwana ulithenga izwe esandleni sikaNawomi, ulithenga nakuRuthe wakwaMowabi umkamufi ukuba ulivuse igama lofileyo efeni lakhe.”
6 Umhlengi wathi: “Anginakuzihlengela lona, funa ngone ifa lami; zihlengele wena, ngokuba anginakukuhlenga.”
7 Lokhu kwakunje ngokuhlenga nokwenana endulo kwa-Israyeli ukuba kuqiniswe izindaba zonke: umuntu wakhumula isicathulo sakhe, wasinika umakhelwane wakhe; lokho kwakungubufakazi kwa-Israyeli.
8 Umhlengi wayesethi kuBowazi: “Zithengele.” Wakhumula isicathulo sakhe.
9 UBowazi wayesethi kumalunga nakubantu bonke: “Ningofakazi namuhla ukuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokuka-Elimeleki, nakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni nokukaMahaloni esandleni sikaNawomi.
10 NoRuthe wakwaMowabi umkaMahaloni ngimthengile abe ngumkami ukuvusa igama lofileyo efeni lakhe ukuba igama lofileyo linganqunywa phakathi kwabafowabo nasesangweni lendawo yakhe; nina ningofakazi namuhla.”
11 Bonke abantu ababesesangweni namalunga bathi: “Singofakazi; uJehova makenze lowo wesifazane ongene endlini yakho abe njengoRaheli noLeya abakha bobabili indlu yakwa-Israyeli, ucebe e-Efratha, ube nodumo eBetlehema;
12 indlu yakho mayibe njengendlu kaPheresi uTamari amzalela uJuda ngenzalo uJehova ayakukunika yona ngale ntombazana.”
13 UBowazi wayesemthatha uRuthe, waba ngumkakhe; wangena kuye; uJehova wamnika ukuba akhulelwe; wazala indodana.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi: “Makabusiswe uJehova ongakushiyanga namuhla ungenamhlengi; igama lakhe malidume kwa-Israyeli.
15 Uyakuba ngumbuyisi wokuphila kuwe, nomondli ebudaleni bakho, ngokuba umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, omuhle kuwe kunamadodana ayisikhombisa umzele.”
16 UNawomi wamthatha umntwana, wamgona esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumzanyana wakhe.
17 Abesifazane abakhelene naye bametha igama, bathi: “Kuzelwe indodana kuNawomi.” Baqamba igama lakhe ngokuthi u-Obede; yena unguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavide.
18 Nazi izizukulwane zikaPheresi: uPheresi wazala uHesironi;
19 uHesironi wazala uRamu; uRamu wazala u-Aminadaba;
20 u-Aminadaba wazala uNaheshoni; uNaheshoni wazala uSalimoni;
21 uSalimoni wazala uBowazi; uBowazi wazala u-Obede;
22 u-Obede wazala uJese; uJese wazala uDavide.