¹ Kwathi emihleni abahlulela ngayo abahluleli kwaba khona indlala ezweni . Umuntu othile waseBetlehema Juda waya u kuyohlala ezweni lakwaMowabi, yena nomkakhe, namadodana akhe amabili. ² Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi , amagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMahaloni noKiliyoni; babe ngama- Efratha aseBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona. ³ U-Elimeleki umyeni kaNawomi wafa ; kepha yena wasala namadodana akhe amabili. ⁴ Azithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi ; igama lomunye lalingu - Orpa, igama lomunye lalinguRuthe ; bahlala khona kwangathi iminyaka eyishumi. ⁵ OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane washiywa-ke ngabantwana bakhe ababili nangumyeni wakhe. ⁶ Wayesesuka nawomalokazana bakhe ukuba abuye ezweni lakwaMowabi , ngokuba wayezwile ezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova uhambele abantu bakhe ukuba abaphe ukudla. ⁷ Waphuma endaweni lapho wayekhona , omalokazana bakhe benaye ; bahamba ngendlela yokubuyela ezweni lakwaJuda. ⁸ UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili : Hambani nibuyele , kube yilowo nalowo endlini kanina ; uJehova makanenzele umusa , njengalokho nanenza kwabafileyo nakimi. ⁹ UJehova makaninike ukuba nifumane ukuphumula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yomyeni wakhe. Wayesebanga, badazuluka, bakhala. ¹⁰ Bathi kuye: Hhayi! Kepha sobuyela nawe kubantu bakini! ¹¹ Wayesethi uNawomi : Buyani, madodakazi ami ; nohambelani nam i na ? Ngisenamadodana ezibilinini zami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu na? ¹² Buyani, madodakazi ami , nihambe, ngokuba sengimdala ukuba ngibe nomyeni. Noma ngangithi nginethemba , noma ngingaba nendoda kulobu busuku, ngizale amadodana, ¹³ beningawahlalela aze abe n gakhulileyo na ? Beniyakuzivimbela ningabi namadoda na? Hhayi, madodakazi ami, kumunyu kimi ngenxa yenu, ngokuba isandla sikaJehova siphumele kimi. ¹⁴ Badazuluka, baphinda bakhala; u-Orpa wamanga uninazala , kepha uRuthe wanamathela kuye. ¹⁵ Wathi: Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kwabakubo nakunkulunkulu wakhe ; buya nawe, umlandele umnakwenu. ¹⁶ Kepha uRuthe wathi : Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye , ngibuye, ngingakulandeli, ngokuba lapho uya khona , ngiyakuya khona nami, nalapho uhlala khona , ngiyakuhlala khona nami ; abantu bakho bayakuba ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami. ¹⁷ Lapho ufela khona , ngiyakufela khona nami , ngimbelwe khona ; uJehova akenze njalo kimi , enezele futhi , ngokuba ngukufa kuphela okuyakusahlukanisa. ¹⁸ Esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba naye, wayeka ukukhuluma kuye. ¹⁹ Base behamba bobabili baze bafika eBetlehema . Kwathi sebefikile eBetlehema, wonke umuzi wanyakaziswa, bathi: Lo unguNawomi na? ²⁰ Wathi kubo : Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi ; ngibizeni ngokuthi uMara , ngokuba uSomandla ungiphathe ngomunyu omkhulu. ²¹ Ngahamba ngigcwele , uJehova ungibuyise ngize ; ningibizelani ngokuthi uNawomi, lokhu uJehova efakazile ngami, uSomandla engenzele okubi, na? ²² Wabuya-ke uNawomi kanye noRuthe wakwaMowabi umalokazana wakhe owabuya ezweni lakwaMo wabi, bafika eBetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.