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{\MT URuthe



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH UNawomi Ulahlekelwa Ngumkakhe Lamadodana Akhe
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni. Ngakho indoda ethile yaseBhethilehema koJuda kanye lomkayo lamadodana abo amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana.

\VS{2}Ibizo lalindoda lalingu-Elimeleki, elomkakhe linguNawomi, amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMaheloni loKhiliyoni. Babengama-Efrathi aseBhethilehema koJuda. Baya eMowabi bayahlala khona.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}U-Elimeleki, umkaNawomi wafa, wasesala lamadodana akhe womabili.

\VS{4}Athatha abafazi baseMowabi, omunye wayethiwa ngu-Opha omunye ethiwa nguRuthe. Sebehlale lapho okweminyaka elitshumi,

\VS{5}bobabili uMaheloni loKhiliyoni labo bafa, uNawomi wasesala engaselamadodana kanye lomkakhe.


\par }{\SH Ukubuyela KukaNawomi LoRuthe EBhethilehema
\par }
{\PP \VS{6}Wathi esizwa eseMowabi ukuthi
{\ND{uThixo}} wayesesize abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, uNawomi kanye labomalukazana bakhe balungisela ukubuyela kibo.

\VS{7}Wasuka endaweni ayekade ehlala kuyo, labomalukazana bakhe bobabili, wangena indlela eyayizabasa emuva elizweni lamaJuda.


\par }{\PP \VS{8}UNawomi wasesithi kubomalukazana bakhe bobabili, “Buyelani emuva, ngulowo lalowo aye emzini kanina. Engani
{\ND{uThixo}} angalenzela umusa onjengalowo elingitshengise wona kanye labomkenu asebedlule.

\VS{9}Sengathi
{\ND{uThixo}} angenza ukuba ngulowo lalowo athole inhlalo enhle nxa esendele kwenye indoda.”

\par }{\PP Wasebanga, basebekhala kakhulu

\VS{10}bathi kuye, “Sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Kodwa uNawomi wathi, “Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Kambe lingabe lihambelani lami? Ngingazala amanye amadodana na angaba ngomkenu?

\VS{12}Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Sengigugile, angingeke ngibe ngisazuza enye indoda. Loba bekungabe kulethemba lokuthi ngende loba bengingaba lendoda ngabona lobubusuku ngizale amadodana,

\VS{13}lingawamelela aze akhule na? Lingahlala lingendanga lilindele wona na? Hatshi, madodakazi ami. Kubuhlungu kakhulu lokho kimi okwedlula kini ngoba ingalo
{\ND{kaThixo}} isingihlanekele!”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Bekuzwa lokho bakhala njalo. U-Opha wasesanga uninazala wamvalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wabambelela kuye.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}UNawomi wathi, “Khangela, unyanewenu usebuyela kwabakibo kanye labonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela laye.”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}URuthe waphendula wathi, “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikutshiye loba ukuba ngikufulathele. Lapho oya khona ngizakuya khona, lalapho ozahlala khona ngizahlala khona. Abantu bakini bazakuba ngabakithi loNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami.

\VS{17}Lapho ozafela khona lami ngizafela khona njalo ngizangcwatshelwa khona. Sengathi
{\ND{uThixo}} angangihlanekela nxa ngingehlukana lawe ngenxa yolunye ulutho olungesikufa.”

\VS{18}Kwathi uNawomi esebonile ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye, waseyekela ukumcindezela.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Basebehamba bobabili baze bayafika eBhethilehema. Bathi befika eBhethilehema, umuzi wonke waba lokuxokozela ngabo, kwathi abesifazane bababaza besithi, “Angabe enguNawomi lo na?”


\par }{\PP \VS{20}Yena wathi kubo, “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Wothani nginguMara, ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba munyu.

\VS{21}Ngasuka lapha ngigcwele, kodwa
{\ND{uThixo}} usengibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingangibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi?
{\ND{UThixo}} ungehlisele uhlupho; uSomandla ungehlisele okubi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{22}Ngakho uNawomi wabuyela ngokunjalo eBhethilehema evela eMowabi. Wafika ephelekezelwa nguRuthe umalukazana wakhe waseMowabi. Bafika ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.




\par }\Chap{2}{\SH URuthe Uhlangana LoBhowazi Emasimini
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}UNawomi wayelesihlobo sakwabozala, indoda eyayinothile osendweni luka-Elimeleki, ibizo layo linguBhowazi.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}URuthe umʼMowabi wathi kuNawomi, “Yekela ngiye emasimini ngiyedobha inhlamvu zamabele asala emuva kulowo ozakuba lomusa kimi.”

\par }{\PP UNawomi wathi, “Kulungile, hamba ndodakazi yami.”

\VS{3}Wasehamba, wafika wadobha amabele asala ngemuva kwabavunayo. Kwenzakala ukuthi wafika wasebenza ensimini kaBhowazi, owayengowosendo luka-Elimeleki.


\par }{\PP \VS{4}Kwasekufika uBhowazi evela eBhethilehema, wabingelela abavuni wathi, “{\ND{UThixo}} kabe lani!”

\par }{\PP Baphendula bathi, “{\ND{UThixo}} akubusise!”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}UBhowazi wabuza inceku yakhe eyayikhangele abavunayo wathi, “Intombi le ngekabani?”


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Yena wathi, “NgeyaseMowabi eyabuya loNawomi.

\VS{7}Uthe, ‘Ngicela ukudobha okusalayo phakathi kwezithungo ngemva kwabavunayo.’ Ulokhu efike emasimini ekuseni lokhu esebenza kuze kube khathesi, ngaphandle kokuphumula kancinyane nje emthunzini.”


\par }{\PP \VS{8}UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe, “Lalela lapha-ke ndodakazi yami. Ungaze wayadobha kwenye insimu, ungasuki lapha. Hlala lapha lamantombazana azincekukazi zami.

\VS{9}Nanzelela leyonsimu lapho amadoda avuna khona, wena ulandele amantombazana. Ngiwalayile amadoda ukuba angakuhluphi. Ungezwa usuwomile, uhambe uyenatha ezimbizeni ezikhelelwe zagcwaliswa ngamadoda.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Ekuzwa lokhu uRuthe wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, wambuza wathi, “Kungani ngifumane umusa ongaka kuwe uze ungizwele mina ngingowezizweni?”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}UBhowazi wathi, “Sengitsheliwe ngakho konke owakwenzela unyokozala kusukela ekufeni komkakho lokuthi watshiya uyihlo lonyoko lelizwe lakini weza ukuzahlala labantu owawungabazi ngaphambilini.

\VS{12}Sengathi
{\ND{uThixo}} angakupha umvuzo ngalokhu okwenzileyo. Sengathi
{\ND{uThixo}}, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, oze ukuphephela ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe angakupha umvuzo omkhulu.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}URuthe wathi, “Sengathi ngingaqhubeka ngithola umusa kuwe, nkosi yami. Usungiphe ukududuzeka njalo ukhulume ngomusa encekukazini yakho loba ngingafanele ukuba ngomunye wamantombazana azincekukazi zakho.”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Ngesikhathi sokudla, uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Woza lapha. Nansi isinkwa, dlana utshebe ngewayini elileviniga.”

\par }{\PP Wahlala phansi labavunayo, uBhowazi wasemupha amabele akhanzingiweyo. Wadla wasutha waze watshiya.

\VS{15}Esesukuma ukuthi ayebutha, uBhowazi walaya amadoda wathi, “Loba angaze adobhe phakathi kwezithungo, lingaze lamhlupha.

\VS{16}Kodwa, hwatshani amanye amahlanga ezithungweni limtshiyele ukuze adobhe kuwo, lingaze lamkhuza.”


\par }{\PP \VS{17}Ngakho uRuthe wadobha ensimini kwaze kwahwalala. Wasebhula ibhali ayeyidobhile, yagcwala phamu amagokoko amabili.

\VS{18}Wayithwala waya layo ngekhaya, uninazala wabona lokho ayekuvunile. URuthe wakhupha ayekutshiyile esedle wasutha, weza lakho wamupha.


\par }{\PP \VS{19}Uninazala wabuza wathi, “Udobhe ngaphi lamhlanje? Usebenze ngaphi? Ubusisiwe lowomuntu okunanzeleleyo!”

\par }{\PP URuthe wasemtshela uninazala ngalowo lapho ayekade esebenza khona wathi, “Ibizo lendoda engisebenze kuyo lamhla nguBhowazi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{20}UNawomi wathi kumalukazana wakhe, “{\ND{UThixo}} kambusise! Kayekelanga ukutshengisa umusa wakhe kwabaphilayo lakwasebafayo.” Wengeza njalo wathi, “Indoda leyo iyisihlobo sethu esiseduze; ingomunye wezihlobo zethu ezingabahlengi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{21}URuthe umʼMowabi wasesithi, “Uze wathi kimi, ‘Ubohlala ulandela izisebenzi zami zize ziqede ukuvuna amabele ami.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{22}UNawomi wathi kuRuthe umalukazana wakhe, “Kuzakuba kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuthi uhambe lamantombazana akhe, ngoba ungahlutshwa ensimini yomunye.”


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Ngakho uRuthe waba seduze lamantombazana azincekukazi zikaBhowazi ekudobheni kwaze kwaphela ukuvuna ibhali lengqoloyi. Njalo wahlala loninazala.




\par }\Chap{3}{\SH URuthe LoBhowazi ESizeni
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Ngelinye ilanga uNawomi, uninazala wathi kuye, “Ndodakazi yami, akungcono ngikudingele umuzi lapho ozagcineka khona kuhle na?

\VS{2}UBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana akhe, yisihlobo sethu. Ngobusuku balamhlanje uzabe esela ibhali esizeni.

\VS{3}Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke izigqoko zakho zokuceca. Ubususiya esizeni, kodwa ungaze waziveza kuye aze aqede ukudla lokunatha.

\VS{4}Nxa eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kuyo, ubusufika wambule ezinyaweni zakhe ulale lapho. Uzakutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}URuthe wathi, “Ngizakwenza lokho ongitshela khona.”

\VS{6}Wasesuka waya esizeni, wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.


\par }{\PP \VS{7}Kwathi uBhowazi esethabe kakhulu ngemva kokudla lokunatha, wasuka wayalala ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasondela ngokuthula, wembula inyawo zakhe, waselala lapho.

\VS{8}Kwathi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuswa ngokuthile, yasiphenduka yathola owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zayo.


\par }{\PP \VS{9}Yabuza yathi, “Ungubani wena?”

\par }{\PP Yena waphendula wathi, “NginguRuthe, incekukazi yakho. Ngembathisa ngesembatho sakho, njengoba uyisihlobo sethu esingumhlengi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{10}Yena wathi, “{\ND{UThixo}} akubusise, ndodakazi yami. Umusa wakho lo mkhulu ukwedlula lokho okwenze kuqala. Awuzange ukhethe ukulandelana lamajaha, ingabe nganothileyo loba angabayanga.

\VS{11}Ngakho-ke, ungesabi ndodakazi yami. Ngizakwenzela konke okucelayo. Bonke abantu bakulo umuzi bayakwazi ukuthi wena ungowesifazane oqotho.

\VS{12}Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo esihlengayo, kodwa ukhona oyisihlobo esiseduze okwedlula mina.

\VS{13}Hlala lapha lobubusuku, kuthi ekuseni nxa efuna ukukuhlenga; uzakwenza njalo. Kodwa nxa engakavumi lokho, mina ngizakwenza lokho njengoba
{\ND{uThixo}} ephila. Lala lapha kuze kuse.”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Ngakho walala kwaze kwasa, wasevuka engakananzelelwa muntu; uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Ungaze watshela muntu ukuthi ukhona owesifazane oke weza esizeni.”


\par }{\PP \VS{15}Wengeza wathi, “Letha kimi isembatho leso osembetheyo usivule.” Kwathi esenzenjalo, wathela kuso ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wamethesa. Wasesuka wabuyela ngekhaya.


\par }{\PP \VS{16}URuthe wathi efika kuninazala, uNawomi wabuza wathi, “Kuhambe njani ndodakazi yami?”

\par }{\PP Yena wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi,

\VS{17}wengeza esithi, “Ungiphe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali wathi, ‘Ungaze wabuyela kunyokozala ungelalutho.’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{18}UNawomi wasesithi, “Mana ndodakazi yami, uze ubone okuzakwenzakala. Umuntu lo kasoke aphumule indaba le ize ilungiswe lamhlanje.”




\par }\Chap{4}{\SH UBhowazi Uthatha URuthe
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}Kusenjalo uBhowazi waya esangweni ledolobho wahlala lapho. Kwathi isihlobo esihlengayo ayekhulume ngaso sisedlula lapho, uBhowazi wathi, “Woza lapha mngane wami, uhlale phansi.” Waya kuye wahlala phansi.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}UBhowazi wabiza abadala bakulelodolobho abalitshumi wathi, “Hlalani lapha,” benza njalo.

\VS{3}Wasesithi esihlotsheni esihlengayo, “UNawomi osebuyile evela eMowabi uthengisa isiqinti esasingesomnewethu u-Elimeleki.

\VS{4}Ngibone kufanele ukuthi ngilethe loludaba kuwe njalo ngicebise ukuthi usithenge phambi kwabo laba abahlezi lapha laphambi kwabadala bakithi. Nxa usihlenga, yenza njalo. Kodwa nxa ungasihlengi ungazise. Phela kakho olelungelo lokwenza lokho ngaphandle kwakho, besekulandela mina.”

\par }{\PP Yena wathi, “Ngizasihlenga.”


\par }{\PP \VS{5}UBhowazi wasesithi, “Mhla uthenga umhlabathi kuNawomi loRuthe umʼMowabi, uzazuza lomfelokazi womufi, ukuze umise ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe.”


\par }{\PP \VS{6}Sikuzwa lokho, isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi, “Angingeke-ke ngisihlenge ngoba sekungonakala okwelifa lami. Sihlenge wena ngokwakho. Mina anganelisi.”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}(Ngalezonsuku zakuqala ko-Israyeli, ukuze umkhuba wokuhlenga impahla zisuka komunye zisiya komunye uphelele, oyedwa wayekhupha inyathela lakhe aliphe omunye. Le yayiyindlela yokuqinisa isivumelwano ko-Israyeli.)


\par }{\PP \VS{8}Ngakho isihlobo esihlengayo sakhupha inyathela laso sathi kuBhowazi, “Sithenge wena.”


\par }{\PP \VS{9}UBhowazi wasebika ebadaleni lakubo bonke abantu wathi, “Lamhlanje lingofakazi bokuthi sengithengile kuNawomi yonke impahla ka-Elimeleki, loKhiliyoni loMaheloni.

\VS{10}LoRuthe umʼMowabi, umfelokazi kaMaheloni sengimzuzile ukuba abe ngumkami, ukuze kugcinakale ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe, lokuze ibizo lakhe linganyamalali emulini loba embalini yomuzi. Lingofakazi lamhlanje!”


\par }{\PP \VS{11}Abadala kanye labo bonke ababesesangweni bathi, “Singofakazi. Sengathi
{\ND{uThixo}} angenza owesifazane ozayo emzini wakho abe njengoRasheli loLeya, abayakhayo indlu ka-Israyeli bendawonye. Sengathi ungahlonitshwa e-Efrathi ube lodumo eBhethilehema.

\VS{12}Ngenzalo
{\ND{uThixo}} azakunika yona ngalo owesifazane, sengathi imuli yakho ingaba njengekaPherezi, uThamari ayizalela uJuda.”


\par }{\SH UNaomi Uthola Indodana
\par }
{\PP \VS{13}UBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe waba ngumkakhe. Wembatha laye,
{\ND{uThixo}} wenza wakhulelwa, wasezala indodana.

\VS{14}Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi, “Kadunyiswe
{\ND{uThixo}}, yena ongakutshiyanga wasala ungelasihlobo esihlengayo. Sengathi angaba lodumo kulolonke elako-Israyeli!

\VS{15}Uzakwenza impilo yakho ibentsha, akulondoloze ebudaleni bakho. Ngoba umalukazana wakho, yena okuthandayo njalo ongcono kulamadodana ayisikhombisa, usemuphe inzalo.”


\par }{\PP \VS{16}UNawomi wasethatha umntwana, wamanga, wamondla.

\VS{17}Abesifazane ababehlala lapho bathi, “UNawomi uselendodana.” Bamutha ibizo bathi ngu-Obhedi. Nguye owaba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.


\par }{\SH Usendo LukaDavida
\par }
{\LID \VS{18}Lesi yiso isizukulwane sikaPherezi:

\par }{\BB \par }
{\LI uPherezi wayenguyise kaHezironi,


\par }{\LI \VS{19}uHezironi enguyise kaRamu,

\par }{\LI uRamu enguyise ka-Aminadabi,


\par }{\LI \VS{20}u-Aminadabi enguyise kaNahashoni,

\par }{\LI uNahashoni enguyise kaSalimoni,


\par }{\LI \VS{21}uSalimoni enguyise kaBhowazi,

\par }{\LI uBhowazi enguyise ka-Obhedi,


\par }{\LI \VS{22}u-Obhedi enguyise kaJese,

\par }{\LI uJese enguyise kaDavida.

\par }