< URuthe 1 >
1 Kwasekusithi ensukwini abahluleli abahlulela ngazo kwaba khona indlala elizweni. Umuntu weBhethelehema-Juda wasehamba ukuyahlala njengowezizwe elizweni lakoMowabi, yena lomkakhe lamadodana akhe amabili.
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 Njalo ibizo lalowomuntu lalinguElimeleki, lebizo lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, lebizo lamadodana akhe amabili lalinguMaheloni loKiliyoni, amaEfratha eBhethelehema-Juda. Basebesiza elizweni lakoMowabi, baba khona.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 UElimeleki umkaNawomi wasesifa, wasetshiywa yena lamadodana akhe womabili.
And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 Asezithathela abafazi amaMowabikazi, ibizo lomunye lalinguOpha, lebizo lomunye lalinguRuthe. Basebehlala khona phose iminyaka elitshumi.
And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
5 Basebesifa labo bobabili oMaheloni loKiliyoni; owesifazana wasetshiywa ngabantwana bakhe bobabili layindoda yakhe.
And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6 Wasesukuma yena labomalokazana bakhe wabuyela esuka eselizweni lakoMowabi, ngoba wayesezwile elizweni lakoMowabi ukuthi iNkosi ihambele abantu bayo ngokubanika ukudla.
Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that YHWH had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona labomalokazana bakhe bobabili kanye laye, bahamba endleleni ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda.
Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili: Hambani libuyele ngulowo lalowo endlini kanina; iNkosi kayilenzele umusa njengoba lenza kwabafileyo lakimi.
And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: YHWH deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 INkosi kayilinike ukuthi lithole ukuphumula, ngulowo lalowo endlini yomkakhe. Wasebanga, basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
YHWH grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 Basebesithi kuye: Isibili, sizabuyela lawe ebantwini bakini.
And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi: Buyelani, madodakazi ami, lizahambelani lami? Kambe ngiselamadodana esiswini sami ukuthi abe ngomkenu?
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Buyelani, madodakazi ami, zihambeleni, ngoba sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngibe lendoda. Loba ngingathi ngilethemba lokuthi lami ngalobubusuku ngibe lendoda, njalo ngizale amadodana,
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 belingawalindela yini aze akhule? Belingazivimbela lingabi lendoda yini? Hatshi, madodakazi ami, ngoba kuyababa kakhulu kimi kulakini ukuthi isandla seNkosi siphume ukumelana lami.
Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of YHWH is gone out against me.
14 Basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi futhi. UOpha wasemanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 Wasesithi: Khangela, umkamfowenu usebuyele ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela umlandele umkamfowenu.
And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her elohim: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 Kodwa uRuthe wathi: Ungangincengi ukuthi ngikutshiye, ngibuyele ngiyekele ukukulandela; ngoba lapho oya khona, ngizakuya khona, lalapho olala khona, ngizalala khona. Abantu bakho bangabantu bami, loNkulunkulu wakho unguNkulunkulu wami;
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy Elohim my Elohim:
17 lapho ozafela khona, ngizafela khona, ngingcwatshelwe lapho. INkosi kayenze njalo kimi ngokunjalo yengezelele, ngoba yikufa kuphela okuzakwehlukanisa phakathi kwami lawe.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: YHWH do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18 Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukukhuluma kuye.
When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bafika eBhethelehema. Kwasekusithi sebefikile eBhethelehema umuzi wonke wayaluzela ngenxa yabo, bathi: Lo nguNawomi yini?
So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 Wasesithi kibo: Lingangibizi ngokuthi Nawomi, lingibize ngokuthi Mara; ngoba uSomandla ungiphethe ngokubaba okukhulu.
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 Mina ngasuka ngigcwele, njalo iNkosi ingibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingibizelani ngokuthi Nawomi lokhu iNkosi ifakaze imelane lami, loSomandla ungihluphile?
I went out full, and YHWH hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing YHWH hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 Wabuyela ngokunjalo uNawomi loRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe kanye laye, owabuyela evela elizweni lakoMowabi. Bona-ke bafika eBhethelehema ekuqaliseni kwesivuno sebhali.
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.