1 Ngelinye ilanga uNawomi, uninazala wathi kuye, “Ndodakazi yami, akungcono ngikudingele umuzi lapho ozagcineka khona kuhle na? 2 UBhowazi lo obusebenza lamantombazana akhe, yisihlobo sethu. Ngobusuku balamhlanje uzabe esela ibhali esizeni. 3 Geza, uziqhole ngamakha, ugqoke izigqoko zakho zokuceca. Ubususiya esizeni, kodwa ungaze waziveza kuye aze aqede ukudla lokunatha. 4 Nxa eselala, uqaphelise indawo alala kuyo, ubusufika wambule ezinyaweni zakhe ulale lapho. Uzakutshela ukuthi wenzeni.”

5 URuthe wathi, “Ngizakwenza lokho ongitshela khona.” 6 Wasesuka waya esizeni, wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguninazala.

7 Kwathi uBhowazi esethabe kakhulu ngemva kokudla lokunatha, wasuka wayalala ekucineni kwenqumbi yamabele. URuthe wasondela ngokuthula, wembula inyawo zakhe, waselala lapho. 8 Kwathi phakathi kobusuku indoda yethuswa ngokuthile, yasiphenduka yathola owesifazane elele ezinyaweni zayo.

9 Yabuza yathi, “Ungubani wena?”

Yena waphendula wathi, “NginguRuthe, incekukazi yakho. Ngembathisa ngesembatho sakho, njengoba uyisihlobo sethu esingumhlengi.”

10 Yena wathi, “UThixo akubusise, ndodakazi yami. Umusa wakho lo mkhulu ukwedlula lokho okwenze kuqala. Awuzange ukhethe ukulandelana lamajaha, ingabe nganothileyo loba angabayanga. 11 Ngakho-ke, ungesabi ndodakazi yami. Ngizakwenzela konke okucelayo. Bonke abantu bakulo umuzi bayakwazi ukuthi wena ungowesifazane oqotho. 12 Lanxa kuliqiniso ukuthi mina ngiyisihlobo esihlengayo, kodwa ukhona oyisihlobo esiseduze okwedlula mina. 13 Hlala lapha lobubusuku, kuthi ekuseni nxa efuna ukukuhlenga; uzakwenza njalo. Kodwa nxa engakavumi lokho, mina ngizakwenza lokho njengoba uThixo ephila. Lala lapha kuze kuse.”

14 Ngakho walala kwaze kwasa, wasevuka engakananzelelwa muntu; uBhowazi wathi kuye, “Ungaze watshela muntu ukuthi ukhona owesifazane oke weza esizeni.”

15 Wengeza wathi, “Letha kimi isembatho leso osembetheyo usivule.” Kwathi esenzenjalo, wathela kuso ibhali eyizilinganiso eziyisithupha wamethesa. Wasesuka wabuyela ngekhaya.

16 URuthe wathi efika kuninazala, uNawomi wabuza wathi, “Kuhambe njani ndodakazi yami?”

Yena wamtshela konke ayekwenzelwe nguBhowazi, 17 wengeza esithi, “Ungiphe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali wathi, ‘Ungaze wabuyela kunyokozala ungelalutho.’ ”

18 UNawomi wasesithi, “Mana ndodakazi yami, uze ubone okuzakwenzakala. Umuntu lo kasoke aphumule indaba le ize ilungiswe lamhlanje.”