< URuthe 3 >

1 UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumula yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe?
And she lodged with her mother-in-law: and Noemin her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobo zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhe? Khangela, wela ibhali ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku.
And now [is] not Booz our kinsman, with whose damsels you were? behold, he winnows barley this night in the floor.
3 Ngakho geza uzigcobe, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha.
But do you wash, and anoint yourself, and put your raiment upon you, and go up to the threshing floor: do not discover yourself to the man until he has done eating and drinking.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kiyo, ungene, ubususembula inyawo zakhe, ulale phansi; yena-ke uzakutshela ozakwenza.
And it shall come to pass when he lies down, that you shall mark the place where he lies down, and shall come and lift up the covering of his feet, and shall lie down; and he shall tell you what you shall do.
5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.
And Ruth said to her, All that you shall say, I will do.
6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala.
And she went down to the threshing floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law enjoined her.
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokoza, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenya, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.
And Booz ate and drank, and his heart was glad, and he came to lie down by the side of the heap of corn; and she came secretly, and lifted up the covering of his feet.
8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo.
And it came to pass at midnight that the man was amazed, and troubled, and behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho, ngoba ungumhlengi.
And he said, Who are you? and she said, I am your handmaid Ruth; spread therefore your skirt over your handmaid, for you are a near relation.
10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqala, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo.
And Booz said, Blessed [be] you of the Lord God, [my] daughter, for you have made your latter kindness greater than the former, in that you follow not after young men, whether [any be] poor or rich.
11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqotho.
And now fear not, my daughter, whatever you shall say I will do to you; for all the tribe of my people knows that you are a virtuous woman.
12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengi, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulami.
And now I am truly akin to you; nevertheless there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Hlala lobubusuku; kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni uba ezakwenza imfanelo yesihlobo esingumhlengi, kulungile, kakuhlenge; kodwa uba engathandi ukukuhlenga, mina-ke ngizakuhlenga, kuphila kukaJehova. Lala kuze kuse.
Lodge [here] for the night, and it shall be in the morning, if he will do the part of a kinsman to you, well—let him do it: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to you, I will do the kinsman's part to you, [as] the Lord lives; lie down till the morning.
14 Waselala enyaweni zayo kwaze kwasa; wavuka omunye engakananzeleli omunye. Yasisithi: Kakungaziwa ukuthi owesifazana ufikile ebaleni lokubhulela.
And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before a man could know his neighbor; and Booz said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, yamethesa; wasengena emzini.
And he said to her, Bring the apron that is upon you: and she held it, and he measured six measures of barley, and put them upon her, and she went into the city.
16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona.
And Ruth went in to her mother-in-law, and she said to her, [My] daughter! and [Ruth] told her all that the man had done to her.
17 Wathi: Ingiphe lezizilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, ngoba ithe kimi: Ungayi kunyokozala ungelalutho.
And she said to her, He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, Go not empty to your mother-in-law.
18 Wasesithi: Hlala, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.
And she said, Sit still, [my] daughter, until you shall know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest until the matter be accomplished this day.

< URuthe 3 >