| Ruth (1/4) → |
| 1. | Kwasekusithi ensukwini abahluleli abahlulela ngazo kwaba khona indlala elizweni. Umuntu weBhethelehema-Juda wasehamba ukuyahlala njengowezizwe elizweni lakoMowabi, yena lomkakhe lamadodana akhe amabili. |
| 2. | Njalo ibizo lalowomuntu lalinguElimeleki, lebizo lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, lebizo lamadodana akhe amabili lalinguMaheloni loKiliyoni, amaEfratha eBhethelehema-Juda. Basebesiza elizweni lakoMowabi, baba khona. |
| 3. | UElimeleki umkaNawomi wasesifa, wasetshiywa yena lamadodana akhe womabili. |
| 4. | Asezithathela abafazi amaMowabikazi, ibizo lomunye lalinguOrpa, lebizo lomunye lalinguRuthe. Basebehlala khona phose iminyaka elitshumi. |
| 5. | Basebesifa labo bobabili oMaheloni loKiliyoni; owesifazana wasetshiywa ngabantwana bakhe bobabili layindoda yakhe. |
| 6. | Wasesukuma yena labomalokazana bakhe wabuyela esuka elizweni lakoMowabi, ngoba wayesezwile elizweni lakoMowabi ukuthi i Nkosi ihambele abantu bayo ukubanika ukudla. |
| 7. | Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona labomalokazana bakhe bobabili kanye laye, bahamba endleleni ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda. |
| 8. | UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili: Hambani libuyele ngulowo lalowo endlini kanina; i Nkosi kayilenzele umusa njengoba lenza kwabafileyo lakimi. |
| 9. | I Nkosi kayilinike ukuthi lithole ukuphumula, ngulowo lalowo endlini yomkakhe. Wasebanga, basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi. |
| 10. | Basebesithi kuye: Isibili, sizabuyela lawe ebantwini bakini. |
| 11. | Kodwa uNawomi wathi: Buyelani, madodakazi ami, lizahambelani lami? Kambe ngiselamadodana esiswini sami ukuthi abe ngomkenu? |
| 12. | Buyelani, madodakazi ami, zihambeleni, ngoba sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngibe lendoda. Loba ngingathi ngilethemba lokuthi lami ngalobubusuku ngibe lendoda, njalo ngizale amadodana, |
| 13. | belingawalindela yini aze akhule? Belingazivimbela lingabi lendoda yini? Hatshi, madodakazi ami, ngoba kuyababa kakhulu kimi ngenxa yenu ukuthi isandla se Nkosi siphume ukumelana lami. |
| 14. | Basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi futhi. UOrpa wasemanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye. |
| 15. | Wasesithi: Khangela, umkamfowenu usebuyele ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela umlandele umkamfowenu. |
| 16. | Kodwa uRuthe wathi: Ungangincengi ukuthi ngikutshiye, ngibuyele ngiyekele ukukulandela; ngoba lapho oya khona, ngizakuya khona, lalapho olala khona, ngizalala khona. Abantu bakho bangabantu bami, loNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu wami; |
| 17. | lapho ozafela khona, ngizafela khona, ngingcwatshelwe lapho. I Nkosi kayenze njalo kimi ngokunjalo yengezelele, ngoba yikufa kuphela okuzakwehlukanisa phakathi kwami lawe. |
| 18. | Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukukhuluma kuye. |
| 19. | Basebehamba bobabili baze bafika eBhethelehema. Kwasekusithi sebefikile eBhethelehema umuzi wonke wayaluzela ngenxa yabo, bathi: Lo nguNawomi yini? |
| 20. | Wasesithi kibo: Lingangibizi ngokuthi Nawomi, lingibize ngokuthi Mara; ngoba uSomandla ungiphethe ngokubaba okukhulu. |
| 21. | Mina ngasuka ngigcwele, njalo i Nkosi ingibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingibizelani ngokuthi Nawomi lokhu i Nkosi ifakaze imelane lami, loSomandla ungihluphile? |
| 22. | Wabuyela ngokunjalo uNawomi loRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe kanye laye, owabuyela evela elizweni lakoMowabi. Bona-ke bafika eBhethelehema ekuqaliseni kwesivuno sebhali *. |
| Ruth (1/4) → |