< URuthe 2 >

1 UNawomi wayelesihlobo sakwabozala, indoda eyayinothile osendweni luka-Elimeleki, ibizo layo linguBhowazi.
Now Naomi was related through her husband to a very wealthy man of the family of Elimelech 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.”
Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me now go into the fields and gather leftover grain behind anyone who will allow me.’ ‘Go, my daughter,’ she replied.
3 Wasehamba, wafika wadobha amabele asala ngemuva kwabavunayo. Kwenzakala ukuthi wafika wasebenza ensimini kaBhowazi, owayengowosendo luka-Elimeleki.
So she went to glean in the field after the reapers. As it happened, she was in that part of the field which belonged to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
4 Kwasekufika uBhowazi evela eBhethilehema, wabingelela abavuni wathi, “UThixo kabe lani!” Baphendula bathi, “UThixo akubusise!”
When Boaz came from 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?”
‘Whose girl is this?’ Boaz asked his servant who had charge of the reapers.
6 Yena wathi, “NgeyaseMowabi eyabuya loNawomi.
The servant who had charge of the reapers replied, ‘It is the Moabite girl who came back with Naomi from the territory of Moab.
7 Uthe, ‘Ngicela ukudobha okusalayo phakathi kwezithungo ngemva kwabavunayo.’ Ulokhu efike emasimini ekuseni lokhu esebenza kuze kube khathesi, ngaphandle kokuphumula kancinyane nje emthunzini.”
She asked to be allowed to glean and gather sheaves after the reapers. So she came and has continued to work until now and she has not rested a moment in the field.’
8 UBhowazi wasesithi kuRuthe, “Lalela lapha-ke ndodakazi yami. Ungaze wayadobha kwenye insimu, ungasuki lapha. Hlala lapha lamantombazana azincekukazi zami.
Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field nor leave this place, but stay here with my girls.
9 Nanzelela leyonsimu lapho amadoda avuna khona, wena ulandele amantombazana. Ngiwalayile amadoda ukuba angakuhluphi. Ungezwa usuwomile, uhambe uyenatha ezimbizeni ezikhelelwe zagcwaliswa ngamadoda.”
Watch where the men are reaping and follow the gleaners. I have told the young men not to trouble you. When you are thirsty, go to the jars and drink of that which the young men have drawn.’
10 Ekuzwa lokhu uRuthe wathi mbo phansi ngobuso, wambuza wathi, “Kungani ngifumane umusa ongaka kuwe uze ungizwele mina ngingowezizweni?”
Then she bowed low and said to him, ‘Why are you so kind to me, to take interest in me when I am just a foreigner?’
11 UBhowazi wathi, “Sengitsheliwe ngakho konke owakwenzela unyokozala kusukela ekufeni komkakho lokuthi watshiya uyihlo lonyoko lelizwe lakini weza ukuzahlala labantu owawungabazi ngaphambilini.
Boaz replied, ‘I have heard what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you left your father and mother and your native land to come to a people that 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 what you have done, and may you be fully rewarded by the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take 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.”
Then she said, ‘I trust I may please you, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, although I am not really equal to one of your own servants.’
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.
At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Come here and eat some of the food and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.’ So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed her some roasted grain. She ate until she was satisfied and had some left.
15 Esesukuma ukuthi ayebutha, uBhowazi walaya amadoda wathi, “Loba angaze adobhe phakathi kwezithungo, lingaze lamhlupha.
When she rose to glean, Boaz gave this order to his young men: ‘Let her glean even among the sheaves and do not disturb her.
16 Kodwa, hwatshani amanye amahlanga ezithungweni limtshiyele ukuze adobhe kuwo, lingaze lamkhuza.”
Also pull out some for her from the bundles and leave for her to glean, and do not find fault with her.’
17 Ngakho uRuthe wadobha ensimini kwaze kwahwalala. Wasebhula ibhali ayeyidobhile, yagcwala phamu amagokoko amabili.
So she gleaned in the field until evening, then beat out what she had gleaned. It was about a bushel of barley.
18 Wayithwala waya layo ngekhaya, uninazala wabona lokho ayekuvunile. URuthe wakhupha ayekutshiyile esedle wasutha, weza lakho wamupha.
Then she took it up and went into the town and showed her mother-in-law what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her that which she had left from her meal after she had had enough.
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.”
‘Where did you glean today, and where did you work?’ asked her mother-in-law. ‘A blessing on him who took notice of you!’ So she told her mother-in-law where she had worked. ‘The name of the man with whom I worked today,’ she said, ‘is 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 said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May the blessing of the Lord rest on this man who has not ceased to show his loving-kindness to the living and to the dead. The man,’ she added, ‘is a near relation of ours.’
21 URuthe umʼMowabi wasesithi, “Uze wathi kimi, ‘Ubohlala ulandela izisebenzi zami zize ziqede ukuvuna amabele ami.’”
‘He told me,’ Ruth said, ‘that I must keep near his young men until they have completed all his harvest.’
22 UNawomi wathi kuRuthe umalukazana wakhe, “Kuzakuba kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuthi uhambe lamantombazana akhe, ngoba ungahlutshwa ensimini yomunye.”
Naomi said to Ruth, ‘It is best, my daughter, that you should go out with his girls because you might not be as safe in another field.’
23 Ngakho uRuthe waba seduze lamantombazana azincekukazi zikaBhowazi ekudobheni kwaze kwaphela ukuvuna ibhali lengqoloyi. Njalo wahlala loninazala.
So she gleaned with the girls of Boaz until the end of the barley and wheat harvest; but she lived with her mother-in-law.

< URuthe 2 >