Ruth 4
1 UBhowazi wenyukela esangweni, wahlala khona; uyabona-ke, kwedlula umhlengi ayekade ekhulume ngaye, wayesethi kuye: “Ake uze ngapha, mnewethu, uhlale phansi.” Waya kuye, wahlala phansi.
2 UBhowazi wabiza amadoda alishumi angamalunga omuzi, wathi kuwo: “Hlalani phansi lapha.” Ayesenza kanjalo.
3 Wayesethi kumhlengi: “UNawomi usebuyile kwaMowabi, uthengisa ngesiqinti sendawo ebesingesika-Elimelekhi, umfowethu.
4 Ngibone ukuthi kungcono lolu daba ngikwazise lona phambi kwalawa malunga abantu bakithi, ukuze uma ufuna ukusithenga ukwenze lokho phambi kwawo. Kodwa uma ungathandi ungitshele ukuze ngazi ngoba akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakho ongasihlenga, mina ngingomncane.” Umnewabo wathi: “Kulungile, ngizosihlenga.”
5 UBhowazi wathi: “Mhla uthenga leyo ndawo kuNawomi uyobe usungena uRuthi wakwaMowabi, umkamufi ukuze umufi umvusele igama lakhe efeni lakhe.”
6 Umhlengi wathi: “Qha, uma kunjalo, ngeke ngiyithenge leyo ndawo funa ngone ifa lami. Zihlengele wena, mina ngeke ngikwazi ukuyihlenga.”
7 Kwa-Israyeli uma kuthengiselwana ngokusemthethweni bekuthi othengayo akhumule imbadada yakhe ayinike lona athenga kuye, lokho kube ngubufakazi.
8 Umhlengi wathi kuBhowazi: “Yithenge wena.” UBhowazi wakhumula imbadada yakhe.
9 Wathi kumalunga nakubo bonke abantu ababelapho: “Namhlanje ningofakazi bokuthi ngikuthenge konke okuka-Elimelekhi nalokho okwakungokukaKhiliyoni noMahaloni obekusesandleni sikaNawomi.
10 NoRuthi wakwaMowabi umkaMahaloni ngimngenile ukuba abe ngumkami, ngivuse igama likamufi nefa lakhe ukuze angacinywa ezincwadini zomuzi nasemndenini. Namuhla nonke ningofakazi.”
11 Bonke abantu ababelapho esangweni, namalunga, basho ngazwi linye bathi: “Singofakazi. Sengathi uSimakade angamenza lona wesifazane ozohlala endlini yakho abe njengoRaheli noLeya, bobabili abayakha indlu ka-Israyeli. Sengathi ungaba nempumelelo e-Efratha ube nodumo eBhethlehema.
12 Sengathi abantwana uSimakade azobapha le ntombazane bangenza indlu yakho ifane nekaPherezi ayivuselwa nguJuda ngokungena uThamari.”
13 UBhowazi wayesemthatha uRuthi, waba ngumkakhe. Walala naye, uSimakade wenza ukuba akhulelwe wazibula ngendodana.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi: “Makadunyiswe uSimakade namuhla ongazange akuncishe umhlengi. Ukuphe umzukulu oyigazi lakho. Sengathi igama lakhe lingadunyiswa kwa-Israyeli.
15 Uzovuselela ukuphila kwakho, akugcine ebudaleni bakho, ngokuba umalokazana wakwakho okuthandayo ukuzalele yena, ongcono kuwe ukwedlula amadodana ayisikhombisa.”
16 UNawomi wayesemthatha umntwana wambeka esifubeni sakhe; waba ngumzanyana wakhe.
17 Abesifazane abangomakhelwane bakaNawomi bamqamba igama bathi ngu-Obhedi, ngokuba bethi: “Le ngane izalelwe uNawomi, iyindodana yakhe.” Waba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavide.
18 Naba-ke abozalo lukaPherezi: uPherezi wazala uHezironi,
19 uHezironi wazala uRamu, uRamu wazala u-Aminadaba,
20 u-Aminadaba wazala uNaheshoni, uNaheshoni wazala uSalimoni,
21 uSalimoni wazala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wazala u-Obhedi,
22 u-Obhedi wazala uJese, uyise kaDavide.