URuthe 2
1 UNawomi wayelesihlobo sakwabozala, indoda eyayinothile osendweni luka-Elimeleki, ibizo layo linguBhowazi.
But there was a man related to Elimelech, a powerful man, and very wealthy, named Boaz.
2 URuthe umʼMowabi wathi kuNawomi, “Yekela ngiye emasimini ngiyedobha inhlamvu zamabele asala emuva kulowo ozakuba lomusa kimi.” UNawomi wathi, “Kulungile, hamba ndodakazi yami.”
And Ruth, the Moabite, said to her mother-in-law, “If you order, I will go into the field and gather the ears of grain which escape the reaping hand, wherever I will find favor with the father of a family, who will be compassionate to me.” She answered her, “Go, my daughter.”
3 Wasehamba, wafika wadobha amabele asala ngemuva kwabavunayo. Kwenzakala ukuthi wafika wasebenza ensimini kaBhowazi, owayengowosendo luka-Elimeleki.
And so she went and gathered the ears of grain after the completion of the reaping. But it happened that this field was owned by Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
4 Kwasekufika uBhowazi evela eBhethilehema, wabingelela abavuni wathi, “UThixo kabe lani!” Baphendula bathi, “UThixo akubusise!”
And behold, he came out of Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” They answered him, “May the Lord bless you.”
5 UBhowazi wabuza inceku yakhe eyayikhangele abavunayo wathi, “Intombi le ngekabani?”
And Boaz said to the young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
6 Yena wathi, “NgeyaseMowabi eyabuya loNawomi.
He answered him, “This is the Moabite woman, who came with Naomi, from the land of the Moabites,
7 Uthe, ‘Ngicela ukudobha okusalayo phakathi kwezithungo ngemva kwabavunayo.’ Ulokhu efike emasimini ekuseni lokhu esebenza kuze kube khathesi, ngaphandle kokuphumula kancinyane nje emthunzini.”
and she asked to gather the remnants of the ears of grain, following the steps of the reapers, and from morning until now she has remained in the field, and, indeed, not for one moment has she returned home.”
8 UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe, “Lalela lapha-ke ndodakazi yami. Ungaze wayadobha kwenye insimu, ungasuki lapha. Hlala lapha lamantombazana azincekukazi zami.
And Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen to me, daughter. Do not go to gather in any other field, nor depart from this place, but join with my young women,
9 Nanzelela leyonsimu lapho amadoda avuna khona, wena ulandele amantombazana. Ngiwalayile amadoda ukuba angakuhluphi. Ungezwa usuwomile, uhambe uyenatha ezimbizeni ezikhelelwe zagcwaliswa ngamadoda.”
and follow where they reap. For I have given orders to my young men, so that no one is to harass you. And so, whenever you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from the waters that the young men also drink.”
10 Ekuzwa lokhu uRuthe wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, wambuza wathi, “Kungani ngifumane umusa ongaka kuwe uze ungizwele mina ngingowezizweni?”
She, falling on her face and paying homage on the ground, said to him: “How did this happen to me, that I should find favor before your eyes, and that you would condescend to accept me, a foreign woman?”
11 UBhowazi wathi, “Sengitsheliwe ngakho konke owakwenzela unyokozala kusukela ekufeni komkakho lokuthi watshiya uyihlo lonyoko lelizwe lakini weza ukuzahlala labantu owawungabazi ngaphambilini.
He answered her, “Everything has been reported to me, what things you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your parents, and the land in which you were born, and came to a people you did not know before.
12 Sengathi uThixo angakupha umvuzo ngalokhu okwenzileyo. Sengathi uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, oze ukuphephela ngaphansi kwamaphiko akhe angakupha umvuzo omkhulu.”
May the Lord repay you for your work, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you have come, and under whose wings you have taken refuge.”
13 URuthe wathi, “Sengathi ngingaqhubeka ngithola umusa kuwe, nkosi yami. Usungiphe ukududuzeka njalo ukhulume ngomusa encekukazini yakho loba ngingafanele ukuba ngomunye wamantombazana azincekukazi zakho.”
She said, “I have found favor before your eyes, my lord, who has consoled me, and you have spoken to the heart of your handmaid, who is unlike one of your young women.”
14 Ngesikhathi sokudla, uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Woza lapha. Nansi isinkwa, dlana utshebe ngewayini elileviniga.” Wahlala phansi labavunayo, uBhowazi wasemupha amabele akhanzingiweyo. Wadla wasutha waze watshiya.
And Boaz said to her, “When mealtime begins, come here, and eat bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” And so she sat beside the reapers, and she piled up parched grain for herself, and she ate and was satisfied, and carried off the leftovers.
15 Esesukuma ukuthi ayebutha, uBhowazi walaya amadoda wathi, “Loba angaze adobhe phakathi kwezithungo, lingaze lamhlupha.
And then she arose from there, so as to gather the ears of grain, according to the custom. But Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “If she is even willing to reap with you, do not prevent her,
16 Kodwa, hwatshani amanye amahlanga ezithungweni limtshiyele ukuze adobhe kuwo, lingaze lamkhuza.”
and purposely let fall some from your bundles, and allow them to remain, so that she may gather without blushing, and let no one rebuke her gathering.”
17 Ngakho uRuthe wadobha ensimini kwaze kwahwalala. Wasebhula ibhali ayeyidobhile, yagcwala phamu amagokoko amabili.
And so she gathered in the field until evening. And striking and threshing with a staff what she had gathered, she found about the measure of an ephah of barley, that is, three measures.
18 Wayithwala waya layo ngekhaya, uninazala wabona lokho ayekuvunile. URuthe wakhupha ayekutshiyile esedle wasutha, weza lakho wamupha.
Carrying this, she returned into the city and showed it to her mother-in-law. Moreover, she offered it to her and even gave her the leftovers of her food, with which she had been satisfied.
19 Uninazala wabuza wathi, “Udobhe ngaphi lamhlanje? Usebenze ngaphi? Ubusisiwe lowomuntu okunanzeleleyo!” URuthe wasemtshela uninazala ngalowo lapho ayekade esebenza khona wathi, “Ibizo lendoda engisebenze kuyo lamhla nguBhowazi.”
And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gathered today, and where have you found work? Blessed is he who took pity on you!” And she informed her with whom she had been working, and she said the man’s name, that he was called Boaz.
20 UNawomi wathi kumalukazana wakhe, “UThixo kambusise! Kayekelanga ukutshengisa umusa wakhe kwabaphilayo lakwasebafayo.” Wengeza njalo wathi, “Indoda leyo iyisihlobo sethu esiseduze; ingomunye wezihlobo zethu ezingabahlengi.”
Naomi answered her, “May he be blessed by the Lord, because the same kindness which he provided for the living, he also kept for the dead.” And again she said: “This man is our near relative.”
21 URuthe umʼMowabi wasesithi, “Uze wathi kimi, ‘Ubohlala ulandela izisebenzi zami zize ziqede ukuvuna amabele ami.’”
And Ruth said, “He charged me with this also, that from now on I should join with his reapers until all the crop has been reaped.”
22 UNawomi wathi kuRuthe umalukazana wakhe, “Kuzakuba kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuthi uhambe lamantombazana akhe, ngoba ungahlutshwa ensimini yomunye.”
And her mother-in-law said to her, “It is better, my daughter, to go out reaping with his young women, lest in a stranger’s field someone may confront you.”
23 Ngakho uRuthe waba seduze lamantombazana azincekukazi zikaBhowazi ekudobheni kwaze kwaphela ukuvuna ibhali lengqoloyi. Njalo wahlala loninazala.
And so, she joined with the young women of Boaz, and from then on reaped with them, until the barley and the wheat were stored in the barns.
