URuthe 3
1 UNawomi uninazala wasesithi kuye: Ndodakazi yami, ngingakudingeli ukuphumula yini ukuze kube kuhle kuwe?
One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘My daughter, should I not seek to secure a home for you where you will be happy and prosperous?
2 Ngakho-ke uBhowazi ayisuye wezihlobo zethu yini, obulamantombazana akhe? Khangela, wela ibhali ebaleni lokubhulela ngalobubusuku.
Is not Boaz, with whose girls you have been, a relative of ours?
3 Ngakho geza uzigcobe, ugqoke isembatho sakho, wehlele ebaleni lokubhulela; ungazivezi endodeni ize iqede ukudla lokunatha.
Tonight he is going to winnow barley on the threshing-floor. So bathe and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kiyo, ungene, ubususembula inyawo zakhe, ulale phansi; yena-ke uzakutshela ozakwenza.
Then when he lies down, mark the place where he lies. Go in, uncover his feet, lie down, and then he will tell you what to do.’
5 Wasesithi kuye: Konke okutshoyo kimi ngizakwenza.
‘I will do as you say.’ Ruth said to her.
6 Wasesehlela ebaleni lokubhulela, wenza njengakho konke ayemlaye khona uninazala.
So she went down to the threshing-floor and did just as her mother-in-law told her.
7 Kwathi uBhowazi esedlile wanatha, lenhliziyo yakhe yathokoza, wayalala phansi ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasenyenya, wembula inyawo zakhe, walala phansi.
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in a happy mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then Ruth came quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down.
8 Kwasekusithi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuka, yaphenduka, khangela-ke owesifazana elele enyaweni zayo.
At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 Yathi: Ungubani? Wasesithi: NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho; ngakho yendlala umphetho wesembatho sakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho, ngoba ungumhlengi.
‘Who are you?’ he said. ‘I am Ruth your servant,’ she answered, ‘Spread your cloak over your servant, for you are a near relative.’
10 Yasisithi: Kawubusiswe yiNkosi, ndodakazi yami, usuwenze umusa wakho ube mkhulu ekucineni kulowokuqala, njengoba ungalandelanga amajaha loba angabayanga loba anothileyo.
He said, ‘May you be blest by the Lord, my daughter. You have shown me greater favour now than at first, for you have not followed young men, whether poor or rich.
11 Ngakho-ke, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi, ngizakwenzela konke okutshoyo, ngoba umuzi wonke wabantu bakithi uyazi ukuthi ungowesifazana oqotho.
My daughter, have no fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for the whole town knows that you are a virtuous woman.
12 Yebo-ke, sibili, kuliqiniso ukuthi ngiyisihlobo esingumhlengi, kanti-ke kukhona isihlobo esingumhlengi esiseduze kulami.
Now it is true that I am a near relative, but there is another man nearer than I.
13 Hlala lobubusuku; kuzakuthi-ke ekuseni uba ezakwenza imfanelo yesihlobo esingumhlengi, kulungile, kakuhlenge; kodwa uba engathandi ukukuhlenga, mina-ke ngizakuhlenga, kuphila kukaJehova. Lala kuze kuse.
Stay here tonight, and then in the morning, if he will perform for you the duty of a kinsman, well, let him do it. But if he will not perform for you the duty of a kinsman, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will do it for you. Lie down until morning.’
14 Waselala enyaweni zayo kwaze kwasa; wavuka omunye engakananzeleli omunye. Yasisithi: Kakungaziwa ukuthi owesifazana ufikile ebaleni lokubhulela.
So she lay at his feet until morning, but rose before anyone could recognise her, for Boaz said, ‘No one must know that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’
15 Yasisithi: Letha isembatho osigqokileyo, usibambe; wasesibamba, yasilinganisa izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, yamethesa; wasengena emzini.
He also said, ‘Bring the cloak which you have on and hold it.’ So she held it while he poured into it six measures of barley and laid it on her shoulders. Then he went into the city.
16 Kwathi esefike kuninazala, wathi: Ungubani, ndodakazi yami? Wasemtshela konke indoda eyayimenzele khona.
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, ‘Is it you, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that the man had done for her.
17 Wathi: Ingiphe lezizilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali, ngoba ithe kimi: Ungayi kunyokozala ungelalutho.
‘He gave me these six measures of barley,’ she said, ‘for he said I should not go to my mother-in-law empty-handed.’
18 Wasesithi: Hlala, ndodakazi yami, uze wazi ukuthi udaba luzaphetha njani, ngoba indoda kayiyikuphumula ize iluqede udaba lamuhla.
‘Wait quietly, my daughter.’ Naomi said, ‘Until you know how the affair will turn out, for the man will not rest unless he settles it all today.’
