< 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.
Mumazuva okutonga kwavatongi munyika makaita nzara, uye mumwe murume aibva kuBheterehema Judha, pamwe chete nomukadzi wake navanakomana vake vaviri, akaenda kundogara munyika yeMoabhu kwechinguva.
2 Njalo ibizo lalowomuntu lalinguElimeleki, lebizo lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, lebizo lamadodana akhe amabili lalinguMaheloni loKiliyoni, amaEfratha eBhethelehema-Juda. Basebesiza elizweni lakoMowabi, baba khona.
Murume uyu ainzi Erimereki, mukadzi wake achinzi Naomi, uye mazita avanakomana vake vaviri aiva Maroni naKirioni. Vaiva vaEfurata vaibva kuBheterehema Judha. Uye vakaenda kuMoabhu vakagarako.
3 UElimeleki umkaNawomi wasesifa, wasetshiywa yena lamadodana akhe womabili.
Zvino Erimereki, murume waNaomi akafa, iye akasiyiwa aine vanakomana vake vaviri.
4 Asezithathela abafazi amaMowabikazi, ibizo lomunye lalinguOpha, lebizo lomunye lalinguRuthe. Basebehlala khona phose iminyaka elitshumi.
Vakawana vakadzi vechiMoabhu, zita romumwe rainzi Opa uye romumwe rainzi Rute. Mushure mokunge vagarako kwamakore anenge gumi,
5 Basebesifa labo bobabili oMaheloni loKiliyoni; owesifazana wasetshiywa ngabantwana bakhe bobabili layindoda yakhe.
vose vari vaviri, Maroni naKirioni vakafawo, Naomi akasiyiwa asina vanakomana vake vaviri nomurume wake.
6 Wasesukuma yena labomalokazana bakhe wabuyela esuka eselizweni lakoMowabi, ngoba wayesezwile elizweni lakoMowabi ukuthi iNkosi ihambele abantu bayo ngokubanika ukudla.
Naomi paakanga achiri muMoabhu, akanzwa kuti Jehovha akazoshanyira vanhu vake akavapa zvokudya, iye navaroora vake vakagadzirira kudzokera kumusha vachibva ikoko.
7 Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona labomalokazana bakhe bobabili kanye laye, bahamba endleleni ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda.
Akabva pamwe chete navaroora vake panzvimbo yavaigara vakasimuka vakaenda nenzira yaizovasvitsa kunyika yeJudha.
8 UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili: Hambani libuyele ngulowo lalowo endlini kanina; iNkosi kayilenzele umusa njengoba lenza kwabafileyo lakimi.
Zvino Naomi akati kuvaroora vake vaviri, “Chidzokerai henyu, mumwe nomumwe wenyu kuimba yamai vake. Jehovha ngaakuitirei tsitsi, sezvamakaitirawo vakafa venyu nokwandiri.
9 INkosi kayilinike ukuthi lithole ukuphumula, ngulowo lalowo endlini yomkakhe. Wasebanga, basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
Jehovha ngaaite kuti mumwe nomumwe wenyu awane zororo mumba yomumwe murume.” Ipapo akavatsvoda uye vakachema zvikuru.
10 Basebesithi kuye: Isibili, sizabuyela lawe ebantwini bakini.
Zvino vakati kwaari, “Tichadzokera nemi kuvanhu vokwenyu.”
11 Kodwa uNawomi wathi: Buyelani, madodakazi ami, lizahambelani lami? Kambe ngiselamadodana esiswini sami ukuthi abe ngomkenu?
Asi Naomi akati kwavari, “Dzokerai, vana vangu. Mungadireiko kuenda neni? Ndichazova navamwe vanakomana, vangazova varume venyu here?
12 Buyelani, madodakazi ami, zihambeleni, ngoba sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngibe lendoda. Loba ngingathi ngilethemba lokuthi lami ngalobubusuku ngibe lendoda, njalo ngizale amadodana,
Dzokerai, vanasikana vangu; ini ndachembera kwazvo zvokuti handingavi nomumwe murume. Kunyange dai ndaifunga kuti ndichine tariro, kunyange ndaiva nomurume usiku huno ndikabereka vanakomana,
13 belingawalindela yini aze akhule? Belingazivimbela lingabi lendoda yini? Hatshi, madodakazi ami, ngoba kuyababa kakhulu kimi kulakini ukuthi isandla seNkosi siphume ukumelana lami.
maizovamirira kusvikira vakura here? Mungazogara musina kuwanikwa nokuda kwavo here? Kwete, vanasikana vangu. Izvi zvandishungurudza kwazvo kupinda imi, nokuti ruoko rwaJehovha rwauya kuzorwisana neni!”
14 Basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi futhi. UOpha wasemanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
Nokuda kwaizvozvo, vakachema zvakare. Ipapo Opa akasvetana navamwene akaonekana navo, asi Rute akanamatirana navo.
15 Wasesithi: Khangela, umkamfowenu usebuyele ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela umlandele umkamfowenu.
Naomi akati kwaari, “Tarira, mukadzinyina wako adzokera kuvanhu vokwake nokuvamwari vake. Chidzokera naye.”
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;
Asi Rute akapindura akati, “Musandigombedzera kuti ndikusiyei kana kukufuratirai. Kwamunoenda ndiko kwandichaendawo, uye pamunogara ndipo pandichagarawo. Vanhu venyu vachava vanhu vangu uye Mwari wenyu achava Mwari wangu.
17 lapho ozafela khona, ngizafela khona, ngingcwatshelwe lapho. INkosi kayenze njalo kimi ngokunjalo yengezelele, ngoba yikufa kuphela okuzakwehlukanisa phakathi kwami lawe.
Pamunofira ndipo pandichafirawo, uye ndipo pandichavigwa. Jehovha ngaandirange, zvinorwadza kwazvo, kana pakava nechimwe chinhu chingatiparadzanisa kunze kworufu.”
18 Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukukhuluma kuye.
Zvino Naomi akati aona kuti Rute akanga ashinga kuenda naye, akarega kumugombedzera.
19 Basebehamba bobabili baze bafika eBhethelehema. Kwasekusithi sebefikile eBhethelehema umuzi wonke wayaluzela ngenxa yabo, bathi: Lo nguNawomi yini?
Saka vakadzi vaviri ava vakaramba vachifamba kusvikira vasvika kuBheterehema. Vakati vasvika muBheterehema, guta rose rakazungunuswa nokuda kwavo, uye vakadzi vakakatyamara vachiti, “Angava Naomi here uyu?”
20 Wasesithi kibo: Lingangibizi ngokuthi Nawomi, lingibize ngokuthi Mara; ngoba uSomandla ungiphethe ngokubaba okukhulu.
Iye akati kwavari, “Musandidaidza kuti Naomi. Ndidaidzei kuti Mara, nokuti Wamasimba Ose akashungurudza upenyu hwangu kwazvo.
21 Mina ngasuka ngigcwele, njalo iNkosi ingibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingibizelani ngokuthi Nawomi lokhu iNkosi ifakaze imelane lami, loSomandla ungihluphile?
Ndakaenda ndakazara, asi Jehovha akandidzosa ndisina chinhu. Seiko muchinditi Naomi? Jehovha akandirwadzisa; Wamasimba Ose akauyisa rushambwa pamusoro pangu.”
22 Wabuyela ngokunjalo uNawomi loRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe kanye laye, owabuyela evela elizweni lakoMowabi. Bona-ke bafika eBhethelehema ekuqaliseni kwesivuno sebhali.
Naizvozvo Naomi akadzokera achibva kuMoabhu, naRute muMoabhu, muroora wake, vakasvika muBheterehema nguva yokukohwa bhari ichangotanga.

< URuthe 1 >