URuthe 3
1 UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumula yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe?
Then said Na'omi her mother-in-law unto her, My daughter, behold I will seek for thee a resting-place, where it may be well with thee.
2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobo zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhe? Khangela, wela ibhali ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku.
And now, behold, Bo'az is our kinsman, he with whose maidens thou hast been. Lo, he is winnowing the barley to-night in the threshing-floor.
3 Ngakho geza uzigcobe, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha.
Therefore bathe, and anoint thyself, and put thy garments upon thee, and go down to the threshing-floor; [but] make thyself not known unto the man, until he shall have finished 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 be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt note the place where he will lie, and thou shalt then go in, and lift up the covering that is on his feet, and lay thyself down: and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me will I do.
6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala.
And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did in accordance with all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokoza, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenya, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.
And Bo'az ate and drank, and his heart became merry; and he then went in to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came in softly, and lifted up the covering that was on his feet, and laid herself down.
8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo.
And it came to pass at midnight, that the man became terrified, and bent himself forward; and, behold, a woman was lying at his feet.
9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho, ngoba ungumhlengi.
And he said, Who art thou? And she said, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqala, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo.
And he said, Blessed be thou unto the Lord, my daughter; for thou hast shown more kindness in the last instance than the first, by not going after the young men, whether they be poor or rich.
11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqotho.
And now, my daughter, fear not: all that thou mayest say will I do for thee; for all [the men in] the gate of my people know that thou art a virtuous woman.
12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengi, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulami.
And now, it is indeed true that I am thy near kinsman; 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.
Remain here this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will redeem thee, well, let him redeem; but if he be not willing to redeem thee, then will I redeem thee, as the Lord liveth: lie still until 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 one could know another. And he said, It must not be known that this woman came into the threshing-floor.
15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, yamethesa; wasengena emzini.
Also he said, Bring hither the cloak that thou hast upon thee, and lay hold of it. And she laid hold of it, and he measured six [measures] of barley, and laid it on her, and went into the city.
16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona.
And she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, How is it with thee, my daughter? And she 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, These six measures of barley gave he unto me; for he said to me, Thou shalt not come empty to thy mother-in-law.
18 Wasesithi: Hlala, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.
Then said she, Remain still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall out; for the man will not rest, until he have finished the matter this day.
