URuthe 1
1 Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni. Ngakho indoda ethile yaseBhethilehema koJuda kanye lomkayo lamadodana abo amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana.
In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
2 Ibizo lalindoda lalingu-Elimeleki, elomkakhe linguNawomi, amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMaheloni loKhiliyoni. Babengama-Efrathi aseBhethilehema koJuda. Baya eMowabi bayahlala khona.
He was named Elimelech, and his wife, Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.
3 U-Elimeleki, umkaNawomi wafa, wasesala lamadodana akhe womabili.
And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.
4 Athatha abafazi baseMowabi, omunye wayethiwa ngu-Opha omunye ethiwa nguRuthe. Sebehlale lapho okweminyaka elitshumi,
And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years.
5 bobabili uMaheloni loKhiliyoni labo bafa, uNawomi wasesala engaselamadodana kanye lomkakhe.
And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.
6 Wathi esizwa eseMowabi ukuthi uThixo wayesesize abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, uNawomi kanye labomalukazana bakhe balungisela ukubuyela kibo.
And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.
7 Wasuka endaweni ayekade ehlala kuyo, labomalukazana bakhe bobabili, wangena indlela eyayizabasa emuva elizweni lamaJuda.
Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda,
8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalukazana bakhe bobabili, “Buyelani emuva, ngulowo lalowo aye emzini kanina. Engani uThixo angalenzela umusa onjengalowo elingitshengise wona kanye labomkenu asebedlule.
She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 Sengathi uThixo angenza ukuba ngulowo lalowo athole inhlalo enhle nxa esendele kwenye indoda.” Wasebanga, basebekhala kakhulu
May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands which you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice and began to weep,
10 bathi kuye, “Sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.”
And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.
11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi, “Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Kambe lingabe lihambelani lami? Ngingazala amanye amadodana na angaba ngomkenu?
But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come ye with me? have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me?
12 Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Sengigugile, angingeke ngibe ngisazuza enye indoda. Loba bekungabe kulethemba lokuthi ngende loba bengingaba lendoda ngabona lobubusuku ngizale amadodana,
Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children,
13 lingawamelela aze akhule na? Lingahlala lingendanga lilindele wona na? Hatshi, madodakazi ami. Kubuhlungu kakhulu lokho kimi okwedlula kini ngoba ingalo kaThixo isingihlanekele!”
If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man’s estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 Bekuzwa lokho bakhala njalo. U-Opha wasesanga uninazala wamvalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wabambelela kuye.
And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother in law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law.
15 UNawomi wathi, “Khangela, unyanewenu usebuyela kwabakibo kanye labonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela laye.”
And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her.
16 URuthe waphendula wathi, “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikutshiye loba ukuba ngikufulathele. Lapho oya khona ngizakuya khona, lalapho ozahlala khona ngizahlala khona. Abantu bakini bazakuba ngabakithi loNkulunkulu wakho uzakuba nguNkulunkulu wami.
She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17 Lapho ozafela khona lami ngizafela khona njalo ngizangcwatshelwa khona. Sengathi uThixo angangihlanekela nxa ngingehlukana lawe ngenxa yolunye ulutho olungesikufa.”
The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee.
18 Kwathi uNawomi esebonile ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye, waseyekela ukumcindezela.
Then Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends:
19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bayafika eBhethilehema. Bathi befika eBhethilehema, umuzi wonke waba lokuxokozela ngabo, kwathi abesifazane bababaza besithi, “Angabe enguNawomi lo na?”
So they went together and came to Bethlehem. And when they were come into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said: This is that Noemi.
20 Yena wathi kubo, “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Wothani nginguMara, ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba munyu.
But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful, ) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter, ) for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.
21 Ngasuka lapha ngigcwele, kodwa uThixo usengibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingangibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi? UThixo ungehlisele uhlupho; uSomandla ungehlisele okubi.”
I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled and the Almighty hath afflicted?
22 Ngakho uNawomi wabuyela ngokunjalo eBhethilehema evela eMowabi. Wafika ephelekezelwa nguRuthe umalukazana wakhe waseMowabi. Bafika ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.
So Noemi came with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest.
