URuthe 1
1 Ngezinsuku kubusa abahluleli, kwaba lendlala elizweni. Ngakho indoda ethile yaseBhethilehema koJuda kanye lomkayo lamadodana abo amabili, basuka bayahlala elizweni lamaMowabi okwesikhatshana.
And it comes to pass, in [the] days [when] the ones judging judge, that there is a famine in the land, and there goes a man from Beth-Lehem-Judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and 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.
And the name of the man [is] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephraimites from Beth-Lehem-Judah; and they come into the fields of Moab, and are there.
3 U-Elimeleki, umkaNawomi wafa, wasesala lamadodana akhe womabili.
And Elimelech husband of Naomi dies, and she is left, she and her two sons;
4 Athatha abafazi baseMowabi, omunye wayethiwa ngu-Opha omunye ethiwa nguRuthe. Sebehlale lapho okweminyaka elitshumi,
and they take to them wives, Moabitesses: the name of the first [is] Orpah, and the name of the second Ruth; and they dwell there about ten years.
5 bobabili uMaheloni loKhiliyoni labo bafa, uNawomi wasesala engaselamadodana kanye lomkakhe.
And they die also, both of them—Mahlon and Chilion—and the woman is left of her two children and of her husband.
6 Wathi esizwa eseMowabi ukuthi uThixo wayesesize abantu bakhe ngokubapha ukudla, uNawomi kanye labomalukazana bakhe balungisela ukubuyela kibo.
And she rises, she and her daughters-in-law, and turns back from the fields of Moab, for she has heard in the fields of Moab that God has looked after His people—to give to them bread.
7 Wasuka endaweni ayekade ehlala kuyo, labomalukazana bakhe bobabili, wangena indlela eyayizabasa emuva elizweni lamaJuda.
And she goes out from the place where she has been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they go in the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalukazana bakhe bobabili, “Buyelani emuva, ngulowo lalowo aye emzini kanina. Engani uThixo angalenzela umusa onjengalowo elingitshengise wona kanye labomkenu asebedlule.
And Naomi says to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return, each to the house of her mother; YHWH does with you kindness as you have done with the dead, and with me;
9 Sengathi uThixo angenza ukuba ngulowo lalowo athole inhlalo enhle nxa esendele kwenye indoda.” Wasebanga, basebekhala kakhulu
YHWH grants to you, and you find rest each in the house of her husband”; and she kisses them, and they lift up their voice and weep.
10 bathi kuye, “Sizahamba lawe ebantwini bakini.”
And they say to her, “Surely with you we go back to your people.”
11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi, “Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Kambe lingabe lihambelani lami? Ngingazala amanye amadodana na angaba ngomkenu?
And Naomi says, “Turn back, my daughters; why do you go with me? Are there yet to me sons in my bowels that they have been to you for husbands?
12 Buyelani ngekhaya madodakazi ami. Sengigugile, angingeke ngibe ngisazuza enye indoda. Loba bekungabe kulethemba lokuthi ngende loba bengingaba lendoda ngabona lobubusuku ngizale amadodana,
Turn back, my daughters, go, for I am too aged to be to a husband; though I had said, There is for me hope, also, I have been tonight to a husband, and also I have borne sons:
13 lingawamelela aze akhule na? Lingahlala lingendanga lilindele wona na? Hatshi, madodakazi ami. Kubuhlungu kakhulu lokho kimi okwedlula kini ngoba ingalo kaThixo isingihlanekele!”
do you wait for them until they grow up? Do you shut yourselves up for them, not to be to a husband? No, my daughters, for more bitter to me than to you, for the hand of YHWH has gone out against me.”
14 Bekuzwa lokho bakhala njalo. U-Opha wasesanga uninazala wamvalelisa, kodwa uRuthe wabambelela kuye.
And they lift up their voice, and weep again, and Orpah kisses her mother-in-law, and Ruth has cleaved to her.
15 UNawomi wathi, “Khangela, unyanewenu usebuyela kwabakibo kanye labonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela laye.”
And she says, “Behold, your sister-in-law has turned back to her people, and to her god, turn back after your sister-in-law.”
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.
And Ruth says, “Do not urge me to leave you—to turn back from after you; for to where you go I go, and where you lodge I lodge; your people [is] my people, and your God my God.
17 Lapho ozafela khona lami ngizafela khona njalo ngizangcwatshelwa khona. Sengathi uThixo angangihlanekela nxa ngingehlukana lawe ngenxa yolunye ulutho olungesikufa.”
Where you die I die, and there I am buried; thus does YHWH to me, and thus He adds—for death itself parts between me and you.”
18 Kwathi uNawomi esebonile ukuthi uRuthe uzimisele ukuhamba laye, waseyekela ukumcindezela.
And she sees that she is strengthening herself to go with her, and she ceases to speak to her;
19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bayafika eBhethilehema. Bathi befika eBhethilehema, umuzi wonke waba lokuxokozela ngabo, kwathi abesifazane bababaza besithi, “Angabe enguNawomi lo na?”
and the two of them go until their coming to Beth-Lehem; and it comes to pass at their coming to Beth-Lehem, that all the city is moved at them, and they say, “Is this Naomi?”
20 Yena wathi kubo, “Lingangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Wothani nginguMara, ngoba uSomandla wenze impilo yami yaba munyu.
And she says to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly to me,
21 Ngasuka lapha ngigcwele, kodwa uThixo usengibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingangibizelani ngokuthi nginguNawomi? UThixo ungehlisele uhlupho; uSomandla ungehlisele okubi.”
I went out full, and YHWH has brought me back empty, why do you call me Naomi, and YHWH has testified against me, and the Almighty has done evil to me?”
22 Ngakho uNawomi wabuyela ngokunjalo eBhethilehema evela eMowabi. Wafika ephelekezelwa nguRuthe umalukazana wakhe waseMowabi. Bafika ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukuvuna ibhali.
And Naomi turns back, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who has turned back from the fields of Moab, and they have come to Beth-Lehem at the commencement of barley-harvest.
