< URuthe 3 >

1 UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumula yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe?
Ngelinye ilanga uNawomi, uninazala wathi kuye, “Ndodakazi yami, akungcono ngikudingele umuzi lapho ozagcineka khona kuhle na?
2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobo zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhe? Khangela, wela ibhali ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku.
UBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana akhe, yisihlobo sethu. Ngobusuku balamhlanje uzabe esela ibhali esizeni.
3 Ngakho geza uzigcobe, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha.
Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke izigqoko zakho zokuceca. Ubususiya esizeni, kodwa ungaze waziveza kuye aze aqede ukudla lokunatha.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kiyo, ungene, ubususembula inyawo zakhe, ulale phansi; yena-ke uzakutshela ozakwenza.
Nxa eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kuyo, ubusufika wambule ezinyaweni zakhe ulale lapho. Uzakutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”
5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.
URuthe wathi, “Ngizakwenza lokho ongitshela khona.”
6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala.
Wasesuka waya esizeni, wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokoza, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenya, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.
Kwathi uBhowazi esethabe kakhulu ngemva kokudla lokunatha, wasuka wayalala ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasondela ngokuthula, wembula inyawo zakhe, waselala lapho.
8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo.
Kwathi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuswa ngokuthile, yasiphenduka yathola owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zayo.
9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho, ngoba ungumhlengi.
Yabuza yathi, “Ungubani wena?” Yena waphendula wathi, “NginguRuthe, incekukazi yakho. Ngembathisa ngesembatho sakho, njengoba uyisihlobo sethu esingumhlengi.”
10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqala, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo.
Yena wathi, “UThixo akubusise, ndodakazi yami. Umusa wakho lo mkhulu ukwedlula lokho okwenze kuqala. Awuzange ukhethe ukulandelana lamajaha, ingabe nganothileyo loba angabayanga.
11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqotho.
Ngakho-ke, ungesabi ndodakazi yami. Ngizakwenzela konke okucelayo. Bonke abantu bakulo umuzi bayakwazi ukuthi wena ungowesifazane oqotho.
12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengi, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulami.
Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo esihlengayo, kodwa ukhona oyisihlobo esiseduze okwedlula mina.
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.
Hlala lapha lobubusuku, kuthi ekuseni nxa efuna ukukuhlenga; uzakwenza njalo. Kodwa nxa engakavumi lokho, mina ngizakwenza lokho njengoba uThixo ephila. Lala lapha kuze kuse.”
14 Waselala enyaweni zayo kwaze kwasa; wavuka omunye engakananzeleli omunye. Yasisithi: Kakungaziwa ukuthi owesifazana ufikile ebaleni lokubhulela.
Ngakho walala kwaze kwasa, wasevuka engakananzelelwa muntu; uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Ungaze watshela muntu ukuthi ukhona owesifazane oke weza esizeni.”
15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, yamethesa; wasengena emzini.
Wengeza wathi, “Letha kimi isembatho leso osembetheyo usivule.” Kwathi esenzenjalo, wathela kuso ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wamethesa. Wasesuka wabuyela ngekhaya.
16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona.
URuthe wathi efika kuninazala, uNawomi wabuza wathi, “Kuhambe njani ndodakazi yami?” Yena wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi,
17 Wathi: Ingiphe lezizilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, ngoba ithe kimi: Ungayi kunyokozala ungelalutho.
wengeza esithi, “Ungiphe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali wathi, ‘Ungaze wabuyela kunyokozala ungelalutho.’”
18 Wasesithi: Hlala, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.
UNawomi wasesithi, “Mana ndodakazi yami, uze ubone okuzakwenzakala. Umuntu lo kasoke aphumule indaba le ize ilungiswe lamhlanje.”

< URuthe 3 >