URuthe 3
1 Ngelinye ilanga uNawomi, uninazala wathi kuye, “Ndodakazi yami, akungcono ngikudingele umuzi lapho ozagcineka khona kuhle na?
And her mother-in-law Naomi says to her, “My daughter, do I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
2 UBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana akhe, yisihlobo sethu. Ngobusuku balamhlanje uzabe esela ibhali esizeni.
And now, is not Boaz of our acquaintance, with whose young women you have been? Behold, he is winnowing the threshing-floor of barley tonight,
3 Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke izigqoko zakho zokuceca. Ubususiya esizeni, kodwa ungaze waziveza kuye aze aqede ukudla lokunatha.
and you have bathed, and anointed yourself, and put your garments on you, and gone down to the threshing-floor; do not let yourself be known to the man until he completes to eat and to drink;
4 Nxa eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kuyo, ubusufika wambule ezinyaweni zakhe ulale lapho. Uzakutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”
and it comes to pass, when he lies down, that you have known the place where he lies down, and have gone in, and uncovered his feet, and lain down—and he declares to you that which you do.”
5 URuthe wathi, “Ngizakwenza lokho ongitshela khona.”
And she says to her, “All that you say—I do.”
6 Wasesuka waya esizeni, wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.
And she goes down [to] the threshing-floor, and does according to all that her mother-in-law commanded her
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esethabe kakhulu ngemva kokudla lokunatha, wasuka wayalala ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasondela ngokuthula, wembula inyawo zakhe, waselala lapho.
And Boaz eats and drinks, and his heart is glad; and he goes in to lie down at the end of the heap; and she comes in gently, and uncovers his feet, and lies down.
8 Kwathi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuswa ngokuthile, yasiphenduka yathola owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zayo.
And it comes to pass, at the middle of the night, that the man trembles, and turns himself, and behold, a woman is lying at his feet.
9 Yabuza yathi, “Ungubani wena?” Yena waphendula wathi, “NginguRuthe, incekukazi yakho. Ngembathisa ngesembatho sakho, njengoba uyisihlobo sethu esingumhlengi.”
And he says, “Who [are] you?” And she says, “I [am] Ruth your handmaid, and you have spread your skirt over your handmaid, for you [are] a redeemer.”
10 Yena wathi, “UThixo akubusise, ndodakazi yami. Umusa wakho lo mkhulu ukwedlula lokho okwenze kuqala. Awuzange ukhethe ukulandelana lamajaha, ingabe nganothileyo loba angabayanga.
And he says, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, my daughter; you have dealt more kindly at the latter end than at the beginning—not to go after the young men, either poor or rich.
11 Ngakho-ke, ungesabi ndodakazi yami. Ngizakwenzela konke okucelayo. Bonke abantu bakulo umuzi bayakwazi ukuthi wena ungowesifazane oqotho.
And now, my daughter, do not fear, all that you say I do to you, for all the gate of my people knows that you [are] a virtuous woman.
12 Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo esihlengayo, kodwa ukhona oyisihlobo esiseduze okwedlula mina.
And now, surely, true, that I [am] a redeemer, but also there is a redeemer nearer than I.
13 Hlala lapha lobubusuku, kuthi ekuseni nxa efuna ukukuhlenga; uzakwenza njalo. Kodwa nxa engakavumi lokho, mina ngizakwenza lokho njengoba uThixo ephila. Lala lapha kuze kuse.”
Lodge tonight, and it has been in the morning, if he redeems you, well: he redeems; and if he does not delight to redeem you, then I have redeemed you—I; YHWH lives! Lie down until the morning.”
14 Ngakho walala kwaze kwasa, wasevuka engakananzelelwa muntu; uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Ungaze watshela muntu ukuthi ukhona owesifazane oke weza esizeni.”
And she lies down at his feet until the morning, and rises before one discerns another; and he says, “Let it not be known that the woman has come into the floor.”
15 Wengeza wathi, “Letha kimi isembatho leso osembetheyo usivule.” Kwathi esenzenjalo, wathela kuso ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wamethesa. Wasesuka wabuyela ngekhaya.
And he says, “Give the covering which [is] on you, and keep hold on it”; and she keeps hold on it, and he measures six [measures] of barley, and lays [it] on her; and he goes into the city.
16 URuthe wathi efika kuninazala, uNawomi wabuza wathi, “Kuhambe njani ndodakazi yami?” Yena wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi,
And she comes to her mother-in-law, and she says, “Who [are] you, my daughter?” And she declares to her all that the man has done to her.
17 wengeza esithi, “Ungiphe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali wathi, ‘Ungaze wabuyela kunyokozala ungelalutho.’”
And she says, “These six [measures] of barley he has given to me, for he said, You do not go in empty to your mother-in-law.”
18 UNawomi wasesithi, “Mana ndodakazi yami, uze ubone okuzakwenzakala. Umuntu lo kasoke aphumule indaba le ize ilungiswe lamhlanje.”
And she says, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls, for the man does not rest except he has completed the matter today.”
