< Ruth 1 >

1 In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
Kwasekusithi ensukwini abahluleli abahlulela ngazo kwaba khona indlala elizweni. Umuntu weBhethelehema-Juda wasehamba ukuyahlala njengowezizwe elizweni lakoMowabi, yena lomkakhe lamadodana akhe amabili.
2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there.
Njalo ibizo lalowomuntu lalinguElimeleki, lebizo lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, lebizo lamadodana akhe amabili lalinguMaheloni loKiliyoni, amaEfratha eBhethelehema-Juda. Basebesiza elizweni lakoMowabi, baba khona.
3 Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
UElimeleki umkaNawomi wasesifa, wasetshiywa yena lamadodana akhe womabili.
4 They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
Asezithathela abafazi amaMowabikazi, ibizo lomunye lalinguOpha, lebizo lomunye lalinguRuthe. Basebehlala khona phose iminyaka elitshumi.
5 Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.
Basebesifa labo bobabili oMaheloni loKiliyoni; owesifazana wasetshiywa ngabantwana bakhe bobabili layindoda yakhe.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
Wasesukuma yena labomalokazana bakhe wabuyela esuka eselizweni lakoMowabi, ngoba wayesezwile elizweni lakoMowabi ukuthi iNkosi ihambele abantu bayo ngokubanika ukudla.
7 She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
Ngakho waphuma endaweni lapho ayekhona labomalokazana bakhe bobabili kanye laye, bahamba endleleni ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda.
8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
UNawomi wasesithi kubomalokazana bakhe bobabili: Hambani libuyele ngulowo lalowo endlini kanina; iNkosi kayilenzele umusa njengoba lenza kwabafileyo lakimi.
9 May the LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
INkosi kayilinike ukuthi lithole ukuphumula, ngulowo lalowo endlini yomkakhe. Wasebanga, basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi.
10 They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”
Basebesithi kuye: Isibili, sizabuyela lawe ebantwini bakini.
11 Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Kodwa uNawomi wathi: Buyelani, madodakazi ami, lizahambelani lami? Kambe ngiselamadodana esiswini sami ukuthi abe ngomkenu?
12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons,
Buyelani, madodakazi ami, zihambeleni, ngoba sengimdala kakhulu ukuthi ngibe lendoda. Loba ngingathi ngilethemba lokuthi lami ngalobubusuku ngibe lendoda, njalo ngizale amadodana,
13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for the LORD’s hand has gone out against me.”
belingawalindela yini aze akhule? Belingazivimbela lingabi lendoda yini? Hatshi, madodakazi ami, ngoba kuyababa kakhulu kimi kulakini ukuthi isandla seNkosi siphume ukumelana lami.
14 They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her.
Basebephakamisa ilizwi labo bakhala inyembezi futhi. UOpha wasemanga uninazala, kodwa uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
15 She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”
Wasesithi: Khangela, umkamfowenu usebuyele ebantwini bakibo lakubonkulunkulu bakhe; buyela umlandele umkamfowenu.
16 Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
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;
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
lapho ozafela khona, ngizafela khona, ngingcwatshelwe lapho. INkosi kayenze njalo kimi ngokunjalo yengezelele, ngoba yikufa kuphela okuzakwehlukanisa phakathi kwami lawe.
18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
Kwathi esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba laye waseyekela ukukhuluma kuye.
19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?”
Basebehamba bobabili baze bafika eBhethelehema. Kwasekusithi sebefikile eBhethelehema umuzi wonke wayaluzela ngenxa yabo, bathi: Lo nguNawomi yini?
20 She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
Wasesithi kibo: Lingangibizi ngokuthi Nawomi, lingibize ngokuthi Mara; ngoba uSomandla ungiphethe ngokubaba okukhulu.
21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Mina ngasuka ngigcwele, njalo iNkosi ingibuyise ngingelalutho. Lingibizelani ngokuthi Nawomi lokhu iNkosi ifakaze imelane lami, loSomandla ungihluphile?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
Wabuyela ngokunjalo uNawomi loRuthe umMowabikazi umalokazana wakhe kanye laye, owabuyela evela elizweni lakoMowabi. Bona-ke bafika eBhethelehema ekuqaliseni kwesivuno sebhali.

< Ruth 1 >