URuthe 4

1 UBhowazi wasesenyukela esangweni, wahlala phansi lapho. Khangela-ke, kwedlula isihlobo esingumhlengi leso uBhowazi ayekhulume ngaso. Wasesithi: Phambuka uhlale phansi lapha, we zibanibani. Wasephambuka, wahlala phansi.

Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there; and, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said: 'Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here.' And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 Wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ebadaleni bomuzi, wathi: Hlalani phansi lapha. Asehlala phansi.

And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said: 'Sit ye down here.' And they sat down.

3 Wasesithi kulesosihlobo esingumhlengi: Isiqinti sensimu esasingesomfowethu uElimeleki, uyasithengisa uNawomi, osebuyile evela elizweni lakoMowabi.

And he said unto the near kinsman: 'Naomi, that is come back out of the field of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's;

4 Ngakho mina ngithe: Ngikwembule endlebeni yakho ngisithi: Sithenge phambi kwabahlali laphambi kwabadala babantu bakithi. Uba uzasihlenga, sihlenge. Kodwa uba engekho ongasihlenga, ungitshele, ukuze ngazi; ngoba engekho ngaphandle kwakho ongasihlenga, mina-ke ngilandela wena. Wasesithi: Mina ngizasihlenga.

and I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying: Buy it before them that sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it; but if it will not be redeemed, then tell me, that I may know; for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee.' And he said: 'I will redeem it.'

5 UBhowazi wasesithi: Mhla uthenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, uzayithenga lakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umfazi womuyi, ukuze umise ibizo lomuyi elifeni lakhe.

Then said Boaz: 'What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi — hast thou also bought of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance?'

6 Lesosihlobo esingumhlengi sasesisithi: Ngingeke ngazihlengela sona, hlezi ngone ilifa lami. Zihlengele wena ilungelo lami lokuhlenga, ngoba kangilamandla okuhlenga.

And the near kinsman said: 'I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance; take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it.' —

7 Lokhu-ke kwakukhona mandulo koIsrayeli mayelana lokuhlenga lokuntshintsha, ukuqinisa lonke udaba: umuntu akhiphe inyathela lakhe, alinike umakhelwane wakhe; lokhu-ke kwakuyibufakazi koIsrayeli.

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour; and this was the attestation in Israel. —

8 Ngakho isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi kuBhowazi: Zithengele yona; sasesikhipha inyathela laso.

So the near kinsman said unto Boaz: 'Buy it for thyself.' And he drew off his shoe.

9 UBhowazi wasesithi kubadala lakubo bonke abantu: Lingabafakazi lamuhla bokuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokukaElimeleki lakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni lokukaMaheloni esandleni sikaNawomi.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people: 'Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

10 LoRuthe laye umMowabikazi, umkaMaheloni, ngizithengele ukuze abe ngumkami, ukuze ngimise ibizo likamuyi elifeni lakhe, ukuze ibizo lomuyi lingaqunywa lisuke phakathi kwabafowabo lesangweni lendawo yakhe. Lingabafakazi lamuhla.

Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I acquired to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; ye are witnesses this day.'

11 Bonke abantu ababesesangweni labadala basebesithi: Singabafakazi; kungathi iNkosi ingamenza lo owesifazana ongena endlini yakho abe njengoRasheli lanjengoLeya abakha bobabili indlu kaIsrayeli. Njalo wenze ngamandla eEfratha, uzenzele ibizo eBhethelehema,

And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said: 'We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; and do thou worthily in Ephrath, and be famous in Beth-lehem;

12 lendlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaPerezi uTamari amzalela uJuda, ngenzalo iNkosi ezakunika yona ngalo owesifazana omutsha.

and let thy house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.'

13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe, waba ngumkakhe; wasengena kuye, iNkosi yamnika ukuthi athathe isisu, wazala indodana.

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife; and he went in unto her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

14 Abesifazana basebesithi kuNawomi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi engakutshiyanga ungelaso isihlobo esingumhlengi lamuhla, ukuthi ibizo laso limenyezelwe koIsrayeli!

And the women said unto Naomi: 'Blessed be the LORD, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman, and let his name be famous in Israel.

15 Uzakuba kuwe ngumbuyisi wempilo lomondli wobudala bakho, ngoba umzele umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, ongcono kuwe kulamadodana ayisikhombisa.

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age; for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him.'

16 UNawomi wasemthatha umntwana, wamfaka esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumlizane wakhe.

And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

17 Omakhelwanekazi basebemutha ibizo besithi: Kulendodana ezalelwe uNawomi. Babiza ibizo layo uObedi; nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying: 'There is a son born to Naomi'; and they called his name Obed; he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Lalezi yizizukulwana zikaPerezi. UPerezi wazala uHezironi,

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;

19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba,

and Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;

20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashoni, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni,

and Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;

21 uSalimoni wasezala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wasezala uObedi,

and Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;

22 uObedi wasezala uJese, uJese wasezala uDavida.

and Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.