< 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.
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 UBhowazi wabiza abadala bakulelodolobho abalitshumi wathi, “Hlalani lapha,” benza njalo.
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3 Wasesithi esihlotsheni esihlengayo, “UNawomi osebuyile evela eMowabi uthengisa isiqinti esasingesomnewethu u-Elimeleki.
And he said unto the near kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel 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 I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
5 UBhowazi wasesithi, “Mhla uthenga umhlabathi kuNawomi loRuthe umʼMowabi, uzazuza lomfelokazi womufi, ukuze umise ibizo lomufi kanye lempahla yakhe.”
Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, 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 near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot 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.)
Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, for to confirm all things; a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esihlengayo sakhupha inyathela laso sathi kuBhowazi, “Sithenge wena.”
So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe.
9 UBhowazi wasebika ebadaleni lakubo bonke abantu wathi, “Lamhlanje lingofakazi bokuthi sengithengile kuNawomi yonke impahla ka-Elimeleki, loKhiliyoni loMaheloni.
And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.
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 Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye 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 that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:
12 Ngenzalo uThixo azakunika yona ngalo owesifazane, sengathi imuli yakho ingaba njengekaPherezi, uThamari ayizalela uJuda.”
and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of 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 unto her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo, yena ongakutshiyanga wasala ungelasihlobo esihlengayo. Sengathi angaba lodumo kulolonke elako-Israyeli!
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman, and let his name be 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 unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.
16 UNawomi wasethatha umntwana, wamanga, wamondla.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 Abesifazane ababehlala lapho bathi, “UNawomi uselendodana.” Bamutha ibizo bathi ngu-Obhedi. Nguye owaba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.
And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name 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 begat Hezron;
19 uHezironi enguyise kaRamu, uRamu enguyise ka-Aminadabi,
and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab;
20 u-Aminadabi enguyise kaNahashoni, uNahashoni enguyise kaSalimoni,
and Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon;
21 uSalimoni enguyise kaBhowazi, uBhowazi enguyise ka-Obhedi,
and Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed;
22 u-Obhedi enguyise kaJese, uJese enguyise kaDavida.
and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

< URuthe 4 >