URUTE 4
UBhowazi uhlenga umndeni ka-Elimeleki
1UBhowazi wakhuphukela esangweni lomuzi wahlala lapho. Kuthe lokha nakufika umhlengi agade akhuluma ngaye, wathi kuye: “Akhe uzapha, mfo; hlala phasi.” Weza-ke wahlala phasi. 2UBhowazi wabiza abaphathi bomuzi abalitjhumi wathi kibo: “Hlalani lapha.” Bahlala-ke. 3Wathi kumhlengi: “UNawomi ovela kwaMowabi uthengisa isabelo senarha yomfowethu u-Elimeleki. 4Ngithe angiyethule kuwe indaba le bengiphakamise bona uyithenge phambi kwabantu abahlezi laphaba naphambi kwabaphathi babantu bekhethwaba. Nange uphumelela ukuyihlenga, kulungile. Kodwana nawungaphumeleliko, ungazise ukuze ngazi. Akakho onelungelo lokwenza lokho ngaphandle kwakho bese kulandela mina.”
Umhlengi wathi: “Awa, ngizayihlenga.”
5UBhowazi wathi: “Mhlana uthenga inarha leyo kuNawomi kufanele uthathe noRute uMowabikazi omhlolokazi kamufi ukuze ilifa lijame ebizweni lehloko leya.” 6Umhlengi wathi: “Awa-ke, nakunjalo angiphumeleli ukuyihlenga ngombana kungalimala ilifa lami. Kungcono uyihlenge wena. Awa-ke khona abe angisaphumeleli.” 7(Kwakumkhuba wekadeni kwa-Israyeli wokobana nakubotjhwa ifindo lokuhlenga nokwenana ipahla ngokomthetho, onikela ngelifa gade akhupha ipatlagwana anikele kowamukela ilifa. Lokhu bekusibopho kwa-Israyeli.) 8Yeke umhlengi wathi kuBhowazi: “Ithenge wena.” Wahlubula ipatlagwana lakhe.
9UBhowazi wabikela boke abaphathi nabo boke abantu wathi: “Namhlanje nibofakazi bokobana ngithenge yoke ipahla yaka-Elimeleki banoKiliyoni noMarhaloni kuNawomi. 10Ngithethe noRute uMowabikazi, umhlolokazi kaMarhaloni abe mkami ukuze ilifa lijame ebizweni lehloko leya, ukwenzela bonyana ibizo lehloko leya lingatjhabalali emndemini nemasangweni wekhabo.” 11Boke abantu nabaphathi abasesangweni lomuzi bathi: “Iye, sibofakazi. Inga uSomnini angenza umfazi ozongena kwakho lowo abe njengoRayitjheli noLeya abakha indlu ka-Israyeli ngokubambisana. Kwanga unganjinga e-Efrata lapha bewube nedumo eBhethe-Lehema. 12Kuthi abantwana uSomnini akupha bona ngeqhakazaneli babe mndeni ofana nowakaPereza, uTamara awubelethela uJuda.”
13Yeke uBhowazi wamthatha uRute waba mkakhe. Wangena naye emabhayini; uSomnini wenza bonyana azithwale, wabeletha umsana. 14Abafazi bathi kuNawomi: “Akudunyiswe uSomnini ongazange akutjhiye unganamhlengi namhlanje. Kwanga ibizo lakhe lingabatjazwa kwa-Israyeli. 15Uzokuvuselela ipilwakho abe akunakekele nasele uluphele ngombana umalukazanakho okuthandako begodu nongcono kuwe kunamadodana alikhomba ukubelethele yena.”
16UNawomi wathatha umntwana lowo wamsingatha wamkhulisa. 17Abafazi bomuzi lowo bathi: “UNawomi ubelethelwe indodana.” Bamthiya ibizo laka-Obede. Yena waba nguyise kaJese onguyise kaDavida.
Ikoro yekosi uDavida
18Le-ke yikoro ka Peretsi:
UPeretsi nguyise kaRhetsironi,
19uRhetsironi nguyise kaRama,
uRama nguyise ka-Aminadaba,
20u-Aminadaba nguyise kaNarhitjhoni,
uNarhitjhoni nguyise kaSalimoni,
21uSalimoni nguyise kaBhowazi,
uBhowazi nguyise ka-Obede,
22u-Obede nguyise kaJese,
© Bible Society of South Africa 2012. Used with permission. All rights reserved.