Ruth 1
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni. Ngakho indoda ethile yaseBhethilehema koJuda kanye lomkayo lamadodana abo amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana.
2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
Ibizo lalindoda lalingu-Elimeleki, elomkakhe linguNawomi, amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMaheloni loKhiliyoni. Babengama-Efrathi aseBhethilehema koJuda. Baya eMowabi bayahlala khona.
3 Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
U-Elimeleki, umkaNawomi wafa, wasesala lamadodana akhe womabili.
4 who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
Athatha abafazi baseMowabi, omunye wayethiwa ngu-Opha omunye ethiwa nguRuthe. Sebehlale lapho okweminyaka elitshumi,
5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.
bobabili uMaheloni loKhiliyoni labo bafa, uNawomi wasesala engaselamadodana kanye lomkakhe.
6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.
Wathi esizwa eseMowabi ukuthi uThixo wayesesize abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, uNawomi kanye labomalukazana bakhe balungisela ukubuyela kibo.
7 Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
Wasuka endaweni ayekade ehlala kuyo, labomalukazana bakhe bobabili, wangena indlela eyayizabasa emuva elizweni lamaJuda.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
UNawomi wasesithi kubomalukazana bakhe bobabili, “Buyelani emuva, ngulowo lalowo aye emzini kanina. Engani uThixo angalenzela umusa onjengalowo elingitshengise wona kanye labomkenu asebedlule.
9 May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
Sengathi uThixo angenza ukuba ngulowo lalowo athole inhlalo enhle nxa esendele kwenye indoda.” Wasebanga, basebekhala kakhulu
10 and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
bathi kuye, “Sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?
Kodwa uNawomi wathi, “Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Kambe lingabe lihambelani lami? Ngingazala amanye amadodana na angaba ngomkenu?
12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Sengigugile, angingeke ngibe ngisazuza enye indoda. Loba bekungabe kulethemba lokuthi ngende loba bengingaba lendoda ngabona lobubusuku ngizale amadodana,
13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
lingawamelela aze akhule na? Lingahlala lingendanga lilindele wona na? Hatshi, madodakazi ami. Kubuhlungu kakhulu lokho kimi okwedlula kini ngoba ingalo kaThixo isingihlanekele!”
14 Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
Bekuzwa lokho bakhala njalo. U-Opha wasesanga uninazala wamvalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wabambelela kuye.
15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
UNawomi wathi, “Khangela, unyanewenu usebuyela kwabakibo kanye labonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela laye.”
16 But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
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.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Lapho ozafela khona lami ngizafela khona njalo ngizangcwatshelwa khona. Sengathi uThixo angangihlanekela nxa ngingehlukana lawe ngenxa yolunye ulutho olungesikufa.”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
Kwathi uNawomi esebonile ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye, waseyekela ukumcindezela.
19 So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
Basebehamba bobabili baze bayafika eBhethilehema. Bathi befika eBhethilehema, umuzi wonke waba lokuxokozela ngabo, kwathi abesifazane bababaza besithi, “Angabe enguNawomi lo na?”
20 “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
Yena wathi kubo, “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Wothani nginguMara, ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba munyu.
21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
Ngasuka lapha ngigcwele, kodwa uThixo usengibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingangibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi? UThixo ungehlisele uhlupho; uSomandla ungehlisele okubi.”
22 So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ngakho uNawomi wabuyela ngokunjalo eBhethilehema evela eMowabi. Wafika ephelekezelwa nguRuthe umalukazana wakhe waseMowabi. Bafika ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.
