< 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.
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake 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 kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a 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 advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside tree; 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, thou must buy it also 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 kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; 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 manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi kuBhowazi: Zithengele yona; sasesikhipha inyathela laso.
Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So 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 purchased 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. YHWH make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
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 Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which YHWH 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 was his wife: and when he went in unto her, YHWH gave her conception, and she bare 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 YHWH, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may 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 thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born 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 Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba,
And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashoni, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni,
And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21 uSalimoni wasezala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wasezala uObedi,
And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22 uObedi wasezala uJese, uJese wasezala uDavida.
And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

< URuthe 4 >