Rute 4:1-22
4 UBhohazi wenyuka waya kwigeyithi yesixeko+ waza wahlala apho. Wathi esahleli kwadlula laa mhlawuleli wayethethe ngaye.+ Akumbona, uBhohazi wathi: “Zibani-bani khawuze ngapha, uhlale phantsi.” Waya, wafika wahlala phantsi.
2 Emva koko wabiza amadoda alishumi kumadoda amakhulu esixeko,+ wathi: “Hlalani apha.” Ahlala.
3 UBhohazi wathi kumhlawuleli:+ “UNahomi ubuyile kwiilali zakwaMowabhi+ ibe umele athengise umhlaba obungowomntakwethu uElimeleki.+
4 Ndiye ndabona ke ukuba mandikuxelele, ndithi, ‘Wuthenge phambi kwabemi namadoda amakhulu abantu bakowethu.+ Ukuba uyawuthenga, wuthenge. Ukuba awuwuthengi, ndixelele ukuze ndazi, kuba nguwe onelungelo lokuwuthenga, ize ibe ndim emva kwakho.’” Yena wathi: “Ndiza kuwuthenga.”+
5 Wathi ke uBhohazi: “Ngemini owuthenga ngayo lo mhlaba kuNahomi, umele uwuthenge nakuRute umMowabhikazi, umfazi walaa ndoda yaswelekayo, ukuze ubuyisele igama layo kwilifa layo.”+
6 Akuva loo nto, lo mhlawuleli wathi: “Andizukukwazi ukuwuthenga, kuba loo nto isenokuphazamisa elam ilifa. Zithengele wona ngelungelo lam lokuhlawulela, kuba mna andizukukwazi.”
7 Kudala kwaSirayeli, xa abantu bethengiselana okanye bevumelana ngento ethile, umntu wayekhulula imbadada+ ayinike lowo enza isivumelwano naye. Loo nto yayisenza eso sivumelwano sibe semthethweni kwaSirayeli.
8 Ngoko xa umhlawuleli wathi kuBhohazi: “Zithengele wona,” wakhulula imbadada yakhe.
9 Yena ke uBhohazi wathi kumadoda amakhulu nakubo bonke abantu: “Ningamangqina+ namhlanje, okuba ndithenga kuNahomi yonke into eyayiyekaElimeleki nayo yonke into eyayiyekaKiliyon noMahalon.
10 Ndiyamthatha noRute umMowabhikazi, umfazi kaMahalon, ukuba abe ngumfazi wam, ukuze kubuyiselwe igama lalaa ndoda yaswelekayo kwilifa layo,+ nokuze igama layo lingacinywa phakathi kwabantakwayo nakwigeyithi yesixeko sakowayo. Ningamangqina namhlanje.”+
11 Emva koko, bonke abantu ababesesangweni lesixeko namadoda amakhulu bathi: “Singamangqina! Wanga uYehova angenza umfazi oza endlini yakho abe njengoRakeli noLeya, abakha indlu kaSirayeli.+ Kwanga nawe ungaphumelela kwaEfratha+ uze uzenzele igama elihle* eBhetelehem.+
12 Kwanga abantwana aza kukunika bona uYehova ngalo mfazana+ bangenza indlu yakho ibe njengekaPeretse,+ unyana owazalelwa uYuda nguTamare.”
13 Ngoko uBhohazi wamthatha uRute waba ngumfazi wakhe. Walala naye, waza uYehova wamsikelela, wakhulelwa, wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe.
14 Abafazi bathi kuNahomi: “Makadunyiswe uYehova, okwenze wanomhlawuleli namhlanje. Igama lakhe malidunyiswe ngumntu wonke kwaSirayeli!
15 Uye* wakubuyisela kubomi bakho, kwaye uza kukugcina ebudaleni bakho, kuba lo mntwana uzelwe ngumolokazana wakho okuthandayo,+ nobhetele kunoonyana abasixhenxe.”
16 UNahomi wamthatha umntwana wambeka esifubeni sakhe waza wamgcina.
17 Abafazi abangabamelwane bamthiya igama lo mntwana. Bambiza ngokuba nguObhedi,+ besithi: “UNahomi uzalelwe unyana.” UObhedi ngutata kaYese,+ ongutata kaDavide.
18 Nanku ke umnombo kaPeretse:*+ UPeretse wazala uHetseron;+
19 uHetseron wazala uRam; uRam wazala uAminadabhi;+
20 uAminadabhi+ wazala uNashon; uNashon wazala uSalmon;
21 uSalmon wazala uBhohazi; uBhohazi wazala uObhedi;
22 uObhedi wazala uYese;+ yena uYese wazala uDavide.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “ubhengeze igama.”
^ Oko kukuthi, umzukulwana kaNahomi.
^ Ngokoqobo, “ezi zizizukulwana zikaPeretse.”
