URuthe 4
1 Kusenjalo uBhowazi waya esangweni ledolobho wahlala lapho. Kwathi isihlobo esihlengayo ayekhulume ngaso sisedlula lapho, uBhowazi wathi, “Woza lapha mngane wami, uhlale phansi.” Waya kuye wahlala phansi.
And Boaz went up to the public place of the town, and took his seat there: and the near relation of whom he had been talking came by; and Boaz, crying out to him by name, said, Come and be seated here. And he came and was seated.
2 UBhowazi wabiza abadala bakulelodolobho abalitshumi wathi, “Hlalani lapha,” benza njalo.
Then he got ten of the responsible men of the town, and said, Be seated here. And they took their seats.
3 Wasesithi esihlotsheni esihlengayo, “UNawomi osebuyile evela eMowabi uthengisa isiqinti esasingesomnewethu u-Elimeleki.
Then he said to the near relation, Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is offering for a price that bit of land which was our brother Elimelech's:
4 Ngibone kufanele ukuthi ngilethe loludaba kuwe njalo ngicebise ukuthi usithenge phambi kwabo laba abahlezi lapha laphambi kwabadala bakithi. Nxa usihlenga, yenza njalo. Kodwa nxa ungasihlengi ungazise. Phela kakho olelungelo lokwenza lokho ngaphandle kwakho, besekulandela mina.” Yena wathi, “Ngizasihlenga.”
And it was in my mind to give you the chance of taking it, with the approval of those seated here and of the responsible men of my people. If you are ready to do what it is right for a relation to do, then do it: but if you will not do it, say so to me now; for there is no one who has the right to do it but you, and after you myself. And he said, I will do it.
5 UBhowazi wasesithi, “Mhla uthenga umhlabathi kuNawomi loRuthe umʼMowabi, uzazuza lomfelokazi womufi, ukuze umise ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe.”
Then Boaz said, On the day when you take this field, you will have to take with it Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, so that you may keep the name of the dead living in his heritage.
6 Sikuzwa lokho, isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi, “Angingeke-ke ngisihlenge ngoba sekungonakala okwelifa lami. Sihlenge wena ngokwakho. Mina anganelisi.”
And the near relation said, I am not able to do the relation's part, for fear of damaging the heritage I have: you may do it in my place, for I am not able to do it myself.
7 (Ngalezonsuku zakuqala ko-Israyeli, ukuze umkhuba wokuhlenga impahla zisuka komunye zisiya komunye uphelele, oyedwa wayekhupha inyathela lakhe aliphe omunye. Le yayiyindlela yokuqinisa isivumelwano ko-Israyeli.)
Now, in earlier times this was the way in Israel when property was taken over by a near relation, or when there was a change of owner. To make the exchange certain one man took off his shoe and gave it to the other; and this was a witness in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esihlengayo sakhupha inyathela laso sathi kuBhowazi, “Sithenge wena.”
So the near relation said to Boaz, Take it for yourself. And he took off his shoe.
9 UBhowazi wasebika ebadaleni lakubo bonke abantu wathi, “Lamhlanje lingofakazi bokuthi sengithengile kuNawomi yonke impahla ka-Elimeleki, loKhiliyoni loMaheloni.
Then Boaz said to the responsible men and to all the people, You are witnesses today that I have taken at a price from Naomi all the property which was Elimelech's, and everything which was Chilion's and Mahlon's.
10 LoRuthe umʼMowabi, umfelokazi kaMaheloni sengimzuzile ukuba abe ngumkami, ukuze kugcinakale ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe, lokuze ibizo lakhe linganyamalali emulini loba embalini yomuzi. Lingofakazi lamhlanje!”
And, further, I have taken Ruth, the Moabitess, who was the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to keep the name of the dead man living in his heritage, so that his name may not be cut off from among his countrymen, and from the memory of his town: you are witnesses this day.
11 Abadala kanye labo bonke ababesesangweni bathi, “Singofakazi. Sengathi uThixo angenza owesifazane ozayo emzini wakho abe njengoRasheli loLeya, abayakhayo indlu ka-Israyeli bendawonye. Sengathi ungahlonitshwa e-Efrathi ube lodumo eBhethilehema.
And all the people who were in the public place, and the responsible men, said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make this woman, who is about to come into your house, like Rachel and Leah, which two were the builders of the house of Israel: and may you have wealth in Ephrathah, and be great in Beth-lehem;
12 Ngenzalo uThixo azakunika yona ngalo owesifazane, sengathi imuli yakho ingaba njengekaPherezi, uThamari ayizalela uJuda.”
May your family be like the family of Perez, the son whom Tamar gave to Judah, from the offspring which the Lord may give you by this young woman.
13 UBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe waba ngumkakhe. Wembatha laye, uThixo wenza wakhulelwa, wasezala indodana.
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the Lord made her with child and she gave birth to a son.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo, yena ongakutshiyanga wasala ungelasihlobo esihlengayo. Sengathi angaba lodumo kulolonke elako-Israyeli!
And the women said to Naomi, A blessing on the Lord, who has not let you be this day without a near relation, and may his name be great in Israel.
15 Uzakwenza impilo yakho ibentsha, akulondoloze ebudaleni bakho. Ngoba umalukazana wakho, yena okuthandayo njalo ongcono kulamadodana ayisikhombisa, usemuphe inzalo.”
He will be a giver of new life to you, and your comforter when you are old, for your daughter-in-law, who, in her love for you, is better than seven sons, has given birth to him.
16 UNawomi wasethatha umntwana, wamanga, wamondla.
And Naomi took the child and put her arms round it, and she took care of it.
17 Abesifazane ababehlala lapho bathi, “UNawomi uselendodana.” Bamutha ibizo bathi ngu-Obhedi. Nguye owaba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.
And the women who were her neighbours gave it a name, saying, Naomi has a child; and they gave him the name of Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Lesi yiso isizukulwane sikaPherezi: uPherezi wayenguyise kaHezironi,
Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron;
19 uHezironi enguyise kaRamu, uRamu enguyise ka-Aminadabi,
And Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab;
20 u-Aminadabi enguyise kaNahashoni, uNahashoni enguyise kaSalimoni,
And Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon;
21 uSalimoni enguyise kaBhowazi, uBhowazi enguyise ka-Obhedi,
And Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed;
22 u-Obhedi enguyise kaJese, uJese enguyise kaDavida.
And Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.
