1UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, u-Elimelekhi, esasicebe kakhulu, igama laso kunguBhowazi.
2URuthi wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Ngivumele ngihambe ngiye ensimini ukuze ngikhothoze emva kwalowo oyokuba nomusa kimi.” UNawomi wathi kuye: “Hamba ndodakazi yami.”
3URuthi wayesehamba wafike wakhothoza ensimini lapho kwase kuvunwe khona. Kwenzeka nje wazithola esekhothoza esiqeshini sensimu kaBhowazi, owayengowomndeni ka-Elimelekhi.
4Esekhona lapho, bheka kwafika uBhowazi evela eBhethlehema wathi kubavuni: “USimakade makabe nani.” Bamphendula bathi: “USimakade makakubusise.”
5UBhowazi wayesebuza encekwini yakhe eyayiphethe abavuni wathi: “Ingekabani le ntombazane, na?”
6Inceku yamphendula yathi: “Yintombazane yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi ezweni lakhona.
7Ithe: ‘Ake ungivumele ngikhothoze ezithungweni emva kwabavuni.’ Selokhu ifike ekuseni kuze kube manje isaqhubeka, iyaqala ukuthi gozololo edlangaleni.”
8UBhowazi wayesethi kuRuthi: “Lalela lapha ndodakazi yami. Ungayi ukuyokhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungasuki lapha; sondelana nezincekukazi zami.
9Amehlo akho awanamathele ensimini eziyivunayo; ngibadonse ngendlebe abafana ukuthi bangakuthinti. Uma womile ubokuya ezitsheni uphuze lokho okukhiwe ngabafana.”
10URuthi wakhothama wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini, wathi kuBhowazi: “Yini ukuba ube nomusa ongaka, uze unginakekele kangaka ngibe ngingowezizwe, na?”
11UBhowazi wamphendula wathi: “Ngizwile ngakho konke okwenzele unyokozala emva kokufa komyeni wakho. Uze washiya uyihlo nonyoko nezwe owazalelwa kulo, weza kubantu ongakaze uhlale nabo phambilini.
12Sengathi uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuzokhosela phansi kwamaphiko akhe angakubusisa ngakho konke okwenzileyo, akuphe umvuzo opheleleyo.”
13URuthi wayesethi: “Ungiphathe kahle mnumzane, wangiduduza ngokukhuluma kahle nami, nakuba ngingeyena omunye wezincekukazi zakho.”
14Ngesikhathi sekudliwa uBhowazi wathi kuye: “Woza lapha uzokudla isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho ewayinini elitshodile.” Wahlala eduze kwabavuni, wamnika utshwele, wadla wasutha kwaze kwasala.
15Wayesesukuma eyokhothoza. UBhowazi wayala izinceku zakhe wathi: “Mvumeleni akhothoze nasezithungweni, ningamthethisi.
16Nimkhiphele nokunye ezithungweni, nimshiyele khona ukuze akhothoze, ningamthethisi.”
17URuthi wakhothoza ensimini kwaze kwahlwa, wayesebhula lokho ayekukhothozile. Kwaba yibhali elinesisindo se-efa elilodwa.
18Wakuthwala ayekukhothozile waya nakho ekhaya. Uninazala wakubona ayekukhothozile; uRuthi wakhipha lokho kudla okwakusale edla wakunika uninazala.
19Uninazala wambuza wathi: “Ubukhothoza kuphi namuhla, na? Usebenze kuphi, na? Makabusiswe lowo okunakekele.” Wamtshela uninazala ukuthi ubesebenza kubani, wathi: “Namuhla bengisebenza kumuntu okuthiwa nguBhowazi.”
20UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakwakhe: “USimakade makambusise lowo muntu ongakaze ayeke ukubenzela umusa abaphilayo nabafileyo.” UNawomi wayeseqhubeka ethi kuRuthi: “Leyo ndoda iyisihlobo sethu esisondele; ingomunye wabahlengi bethu.”
21URuthi wakwaMowabi wathi: “Impela ithe kimi: ‘Ubonamathela eduze kwezinceku zami kuze kuphele ukuvuna.’ ”
22UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakwakhe: “Kuhle ndodakazi yami, ubohamba nezincekukazi zakhe ukuze ungahlaselwa ngamadoda kwamanye amasimu.”
23URuthi wanamathela ezincekukazini ezazivunela uBhowazi, wakhothoza kwaze kwaba sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali nokolo; wayesehlala noninazala.