< 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 lo! the kinsman, passing by, of whom Boaz had spoken, so he said—Turn aside! and sit down here, such a one! And he turned aside, and sat down.
2 UBhowazi wabiza abadala bakulelodolobho abalitshumi wathi, “Hlalani lapha,” benza njalo.
Then fetched he 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.
Then said he to the kinsman, The parcel of land that was our brother Elimelech’s, is to be disposed of by Naomi, who hath returned out of the country 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, thought, I would unveil thine ear, saying—Take it over in presence of such as are here seated, and in presence of the elders of my people. If thou wilt act as kinsman, act as kinsman, but, if thou wilt not so act, only tell me—that I may know, for there is none who can set thee aside as kinsman, but, I, am after thee. And he said, I, will act as kinsman.
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 takest over the land from the hand of Naomi, also, of Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, dost thou take [it], 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.”
Then said the kinsman—I cannot act as kinsman for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance, —do, thou, for thyself act as kinsman in my right, for I cannot so redeem.
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 aforetime, [was the way] in Israel, at a redeeming, and at an exchanging, to confirm every word: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour, —yea, this, was the way of taking to witness, in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esihlengayo sakhupha inyathela laso sathi kuBhowazi, “Sithenge wena.”
So the kinsman said unto Boaz, Take it over 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.
Then said Boaz to the elders, and all the people—Witnesses, are ye to-day, that I have taken over all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s, and Mahlon’s, —from 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, wife of Mahlon, have I taken over, 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 dwelling- place, —Witnesses, are ye to-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.
Then said all the people who were in the gate, and the elders—Witnesses!, —Yahweh grant the woman who is coming into thy house, to be as Rachel, and as Leah, which two of them did build the house of Israel. Do thou bravely, then, in Ephrathah, and proclaim thou a name in Bethlehem,
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 to Judah, —of the seed which—may Yahweh 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 Yahweh granted her conception, and she bare a son.
14 Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi, “Kadunyiswe uThixo, yena ongakutshiyanga wasala ungelasihlobo esihlengayo. Sengathi angaba lodumo kulolonke elako-Israyeli!
Then said the women unto Naomi, Blessed, be Yahweh! who hath not let thee fail of a kinsman to-day, —and may his name, be proclaimed, in Israel;
15 Uzakwenza impilo yakho ibentsha, akulondoloze ebudaleni bakho. Ngoba umalukazana wakho, yena okuthandayo njalo ongcono kulamadodana ayisikhombisa, usemuphe inzalo.”
So shall he become a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age, —for, thy daughter-in-law who loveth thee, hath borne him, even, she, who is better to thee than seven sons.
16 UNawomi wasethatha umntwana, wamanga, wamondla.
So Naomi took the boy, and laid him in her bosom, and she became his nurse.
17 Abesifazane ababehlala lapho bathi, “UNawomi uselendodana.” Bamutha ibizo bathi ngu-Obhedi. Nguye owaba nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.
And the women, her neighbours, gave him a name, saying, There is born a son to Naomi, —So they called his name Obed, he, was, the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Lesi yiso isizukulwane sikaPherezi: uPherezi wayenguyise kaHezironi,
These, then, 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.