< 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 Booz went up to the gate, and sat there; and behold, the relative passed by, of whom Booz spoke: and Booz said to him, Turn aside, sit down here, such a one: and he turned aside and sat down.
2 UBhowazi wabiza abadala bakulelodolobho abalitshumi wathi, “Hlalani lapha,” benza njalo.
And Booz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit you here; and they sat down.
3 Wasesithi esihlotsheni esihlengayo, “UNawomi osebuyile evela eMowabi uthengisa isiqinti esasingesomnewethu u-Elimeleki.
And Booz said to the relative, [The matter regards] the portion of the field which was our brother Elimelech's which was given to Noemin, now returning out of the land of Moab;
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 I said, I will inform you, saying, Buy it before those that sit, and before the elders of my people: if you will redeem it, redeem it, but if you will not redeem it, tell me, and I shall know; for there is no one beside you to do the office of a kinsman, and I am after you: and he said, I am [here], I will redeem it.
5 UBhowazi wasesithi, “Mhla uthenga umhlabathi kuNawomi loRuthe umʼMowabi, uzazuza lomfelokazi womufi, ukuze umise ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe.”
And Booz said, In the day of your buying the field of the hand of Noemin and of Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased, you must also buy her, so as to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6 Sikuzwa lokho, isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi, “Angingeke-ke ngisihlenge ngoba sekungonakala okwelifa lami. Sihlenge wena ngokwakho. Mina anganelisi.”
And the kinsman said, I shall not be able to redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; do you redeem my right for yourself, for I shall not be able to redeem [it].
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.)
And this [was] in former time the ordinance in Israel for redemption, and for a bargain, to confirm every word: A man loosed his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour that redeemed his right; and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esihlengayo sakhupha inyathela laso sathi kuBhowazi, “Sithenge wena.”
And the kinsman said to Booz, Buy my right for yourself: and he took off his shoe and gave it to him.
9 UBhowazi wasebika ebadaleni lakubo bonke abantu wathi, “Lamhlanje lingofakazi bokuthi sengithengile kuNawomi yonke impahla ka-Elimeleki, loKhiliyoni loMaheloni.
And Booz said to the elders and to all the people, You [are] this day witnesses, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that belonged to Chelaion and Maalon, of the hand of Noemin.
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!”
Moreover I have bought for myself for a wife Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Maalon, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance; so the name of the dead shall not be destroyed from amongst his brethren, and from the tribe of his people: you [are] this day witnesses.
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 gate said, [We are] witnesses: and the elders said, The Lord make your wife who goes into your house, as Rachel and as Lia, who both [together] built the house of Israel, and wrought mightily in Ephratha, and there shall be a name [to you] in Bethleem.
12 Ngenzalo uThixo azakunika yona ngalo owesifazane, sengathi imuli yakho ingaba njengekaPherezi, uThamari ayizalela uJuda.”
And let your house be as the house of Phares, whom Thamar bore to Juda, of the seed which the Lord shall give you of this handmaid.
13 UBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe waba ngumkakhe. Wembatha laye, uThixo wenza wakhulelwa, wasezala indodana.
And Booz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her; and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo, yena ongakutshiyanga wasala ungelasihlobo esihlengayo. Sengathi angaba lodumo kulolonke elako-Israyeli!
And the woman said to Noemin, Blessed [is] the Lord, who has not suffered a redeemer to fail you this day, even to make your name famous in Israel.
15 Uzakwenza impilo yakho ibentsha, akulondoloze ebudaleni bakho. Ngoba umalukazana wakho, yena okuthandayo njalo ongcono kulamadodana ayisikhombisa, usemuphe inzalo.”
And he shall be to you a restorer of your soul, and one to cherish your old age; for your daughter-in-law which has loved you, who is better to you than seven sons, has born him.
16 UNawomi wasethatha umntwana, wamanga, wamondla.
And Noemin took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became a nurse to it.
17 Abesifazane ababehlala lapho bathi, “UNawomi uselendodana.” Bamutha ibizo bathi ngu-Obhedi. Nguye owaba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.
And the neighbours gave it a name, saying, A son has been born to Noemin; and they called his name Obed; this [is] the father of Jessae the father of David.
18 Lesi yiso isizukulwane sikaPherezi: uPherezi wayenguyise kaHezironi,
And these [are] the generations of Phares: Phares begot Esrom:
19 uHezironi enguyise kaRamu, uRamu enguyise ka-Aminadabi,
Esrom begot Aram; and Aram begot Aminadab.
20 u-Aminadabi enguyise kaNahashoni, uNahashoni enguyise kaSalimoni,
And Aminadab begot Naasson; and Naasson begot Salmon.
21 uSalimoni enguyise kaBhowazi, uBhowazi enguyise ka-Obhedi,
And Salmon begot Booz; and Booz begot Obed.
22 u-Obhedi enguyise kaJese, uJese enguyise kaDavida.
And Obed begot Jessae; and Jessae begot David.

< URuthe 4 >