URuthe 3
1 Ngelinye ilanga uNawomi, uninazala wathi kuye, “Ndodakazi yami, akungcono ngikudingele umuzi lapho ozagcineka khona kuhle na?
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2 UBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana akhe, yisihlobo sethu. Ngobusuku balamhlanje uzabe esela ibhali esizeni.
And now [is] not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
3 Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke izigqoko zakho zokuceca. Ubususiya esizeni, kodwa ungaze waziveza kuye aze aqede ukudla lokunatha.
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and go down to the floor: [but] make not thyself known to the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4 Nxa eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kuyo, ubusufika wambule ezinyaweni zakhe ulale lapho. Uzakutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”
And it shall be when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 URuthe wathi, “Ngizakwenza lokho ongitshela khona.”
And she said to her, All that thou sayest to me I will do.
6 Wasesuka waya esizeni, wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.
And she went down to the floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her.
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esethabe kakhulu ngemva kokudla lokunatha, wasuka wayalala ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasondela ngokuthula, wembula inyawo zakhe, waselala lapho.
And when Boaz had eaten and drank, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid herself down.
8 Kwathi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuswa ngokuthile, yasiphenduka yathola owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zayo.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 Yabuza yathi, “Ungubani wena?” Yena waphendula wathi, “NginguRuthe, incekukazi yakho. Ngembathisa ngesembatho sakho, njengoba uyisihlobo sethu esingumhlengi.”
And he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou [art] a near kinsman.
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 said, Blessed [be] thou of the LORD, my daughter: [for] thou hast shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou didst not follow young men, whether 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, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou [art] a virtuous woman.
12 Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo esihlengayo, kodwa ukhona oyisihlobo esiseduze okwedlula mina.
And now it is true that I [am thy] near kinsman: yet there is a kinsman 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.”
Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, [that] if he will perform to thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, [as] the LORD liveth: 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 lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came to the floor.
15 Wengeza wathi, “Letha kimi isembatho leso osembetheyo usivule.” Kwathi esenzenjalo, wathela kuso ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wamethesa. Wasesuka wabuyela ngekhaya.
Also he said, Bring the vail that [thou hast] upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid [it] on her: and she went into the city.
16 URuthe wathi efika kuninazala, uNawomi wabuza wathi, “Kuhambe njani ndodakazi yami?” Yena wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi,
And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Who [art] thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17 wengeza esithi, “Ungiphe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali wathi, ‘Ungaze wabuyela kunyokozala ungelalutho.’”
And she said, These six [measures] of barley he gave me; for he said to me, Go not empty to thy mother-in-law.
18 UNawomi wasesithi, “Mana ndodakazi yami, uze ubone okuzakwenzakala. Umuntu lo kasoke aphumule indaba le ize ilungiswe lamhlanje.”
Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou knowest how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he hath finished the thing this day.
