< 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.
And Boaz hath gone up to the gate, and sitteth there, and lo, the redeemer is passing by of whom Boaz had spoken, and he saith, 'Turn aside, sit down here, such a one, such a one;' and he turneth aside and sitteth down.
2 Wasethatha amadoda alitshumi ebadaleni bomuzi, wathi: Hlalani phansi lapha. Asehlala phansi.
And he taketh ten men of the elders of the city, and saith, 'Sit down here;' and they sit down.
3 Wasesithi kulesosihlobo esingumhlengi: Isiqinti sensimu esasingesomfowethu uElimeleki, uyasithengisa uNawomi, osebuyile evela elizweni lakoMowabi.
And he saith to the redeemer, 'A portion of the field which [is] to our brother, to Elimelech, hath Naomi sold, who hath come back from the fields of Moab;
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 said, I uncover thine ear, saying, Buy before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people; if thou dost redeem — redeem, and if none doth redeem — declare to me, and I know, for there is none save thee to redeem, and I after thee.' And he saith, I redeem [it].'
5 UBhowazi wasesithi: Mhla uthenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, uzayithenga lakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umfazi womuyi, ukuze umise ibizo lomuyi elifeni lakhe.
And Boaz saith, 'In the day of thy buying the field from the hand of Naomi, then from Ruth the Moabitess, wife of the dead, thou hast bought [it], to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance.'
6 Lesosihlobo esingumhlengi sasesisithi: Ngingeke ngazihlengela sona, hlezi ngone ilifa lami. Zihlengele wena ilungelo lami lokuhlenga, ngoba kangilamandla okuhlenga.
And the redeemer saith, 'I am not able to redeem [it] for myself, lest I destroy mine inheritance; redeem for thyself — thou — my right of redemption, for I am not able to redeem.'
7 Lokhu-ke kwakukhona mandulo koIsrayeli mayelana lokuhlenga lokuntshintsha, ukuqinisa lonke udaba: umuntu akhiphe inyathela lakhe, alinike umakhelwane wakhe; lokhu-ke kwakuyibufakazi koIsrayeli.
And this [is] formerly in Israel for redemption and for changing, to establish anything: a man hath drawn off his sandal, and given [it] to his neighbour, and this [is] the testimony in Israel.
8 Ngakho isihlobo esingumhlengi sathi kuBhowazi: Zithengele yona; sasesikhipha inyathela laso.
And the redeemer saith to Boaz, 'Buy [it] for thyself,' and draweth off his sandal.
9 UBhowazi wasesithi kubadala lakubo bonke abantu: Lingabafakazi lamuhla bokuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokukaElimeleki lakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni lokukaMaheloni esandleni sikaNawomi.
And Boaz saith to the elders, and [to] all the people, 'Witnesses [are] ye to-day that I have bought all that [is] to Elimelech, and all that [is] to Chilion and Mahlon, 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.
and also Ruth the Moabitess, wife of Mahlon, I have bought to myself for a wife, to raise up the name of the dead over his inheritance; and the name of the dead is not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place; witnesses ye [are] to-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 who [are] in the gate say — also the elders — 'Witnesses! Jehovah make the woman who is coming in unto thy house as Rachel and as Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and do thou virtuously in Ephrathah, and proclaim the Name in Beth-Lehem;
12 lendlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaPerezi uTamari amzalela uJuda, ngenzalo iNkosi ezakunika yona ngalo owesifazana omutsha.
and let thy house be as the house of Pharez (whom Tamar bare to Judah), of the seed which Jehovah doth give to thee of this young woman.'
13 Ngakho uBhowazi wamthatha uRuthe, waba ngumkakhe; wasengena kuye, iNkosi yamnika ukuthi athathe isisu, wazala indodana.
And Boaz taketh Ruth, and she becometh his wife, and he goeth in unto her, and Jehovah giveth to her conception, and she beareth a son.
14 Abesifazana basebesithi kuNawomi: Kayibusiswe iNkosi engakutshiyanga ungelaso isihlobo esingumhlengi lamuhla, ukuthi ibizo laso limenyezelwe koIsrayeli!
And the women say unto Naomi, 'Blessed [is] Jehovah who hath not let a redeemer cease to thee to-day, and his name is proclaimed in Israel,
15 Uzakuba kuwe ngumbuyisi wempilo lomondli wobudala bakho, ngoba umzele umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, ongcono kuwe kulamadodana ayisikhombisa.
and he hath been to thee for a restorer of life, and for a nourisher of thine old age, for thy daughter-in-law who hath loved thee — who is better to thee than seven sons — hath borne him.'
16 UNawomi wasemthatha umntwana, wamfaka esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumlizane wakhe.
And Naomi taketh the lad, and layeth him in her bosom, and is to him for a nurse;
17 Omakhelwanekazi basebemutha ibizo besithi: Kulendodana ezalelwe uNawomi. Babiza ibizo layo uObedi; nguyise kaJese, uyise kaDavida.
and the neighbouring women give to him a name, saying, 'There hath been a son born to Naomi,' and they call his name Obed; he [is] father of Jesse, father of David.
18 Lalezi yizizukulwana zikaPerezi. UPerezi wazala uHezironi,
And these are genealogies of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19 uHezironi wasezala uRamu, uRamu wasezala uAminadaba,
and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminidab,
20 uAminadaba wasezala uNashoni, uNashoni wasezala uSalimoni,
and Amminidab 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 >