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 down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down.

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

Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down.

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

He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling 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.

I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” 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 Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.”

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

The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t 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 took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel.

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

So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal.

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

Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from 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, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.”

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,

All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

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

Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the offspring which the LORD will give you by 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 to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son.

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

The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel.

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

He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

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

Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him.

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

The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Lalezi yizizukulwana zikaPerezi. UPerezi wazala uHezironi,

Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,

19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba,

and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab,

20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashoni, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni,

and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon,

21 uSalimoni wasezala uBhowazi, uBhowazi wasezala uObedi,

and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed,

22 uObedi wasezala uJese, uJese wasezala uDavida.

and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.