2. Wathatha amadoda ayishumi kuwo amalunga omuzi, wathi: “Hlalani phansi lapha.” Ahlala.
3. Wayesethi kuye umhlengi: “UNawomi obuyile ezweni lakwaMowabi uyathengisa ngesiqephu sezwe esasingesika-Elimeleki;
4. bengithi ngiyakukwambulela kuwe, ngithi: Lithenge phambi kwabahleziyo lapha naphambi kwamalunga abantu bakithi; uma ulithenga, lihlenge; kepha uma ungalithengi, ngitshele ukuba ngazi, ngokuba akakho ongalihlenga ngaphandle kwakho, mina ngisemva kwakho.”Wayesethi: “Ngiyakulihlenga.”
5. Wathi uBowazi: “Msukwana ulithenga izwe esandleni sikaNawomi, ulithenga nakuRuthe wakwaMowabi umkamufi ukuba ulivuse igama lofileyo efeni lakhe.”
6. Umhlengi wathi: “Anginakuzihlengela lona, funa ngone ifa lami; zihlengele wena, ngokuba anginakukuhlenga.”
7. Lokhu kwakunje ngokuhlenga nokwenana endulo kwa-Israyeli ukuba kuqiniswe izindaba zonke: umuntu wakhumula isicathulo sakhe, wasinika umakhelwane wakhe; lokho kwakungubufakazi kwa-Israyeli.
8. Umhlengi wayesethi kuBowazi: “Zithengele.” Wakhumula isicathulo sakhe.
9. UBowazi wayesethi kumalunga nakubantu bonke: “Ningofakazi namuhla ukuthi ngithengile konke okwakungokuka-Elimeleki, nakho konke okwakungokukaKiliyoni nokukaMahaloni esandleni sikaNawomi.
10. NoRuthe wakwaMowabi umkaMahaloni ngimthengile abe ngumkami ukuvusa igama lofileyo efeni lakhe ukuba igama lofileyo linganqunywa phakathi kwabafowabo nasesangweni lendawo yakhe; nina ningofakazi namuhla.”
11. Bonke abantu ababesesangweni namalunga bathi: “Singofakazi; uJehova makenze lowo wesifazane ongene endlini yakho abe njengoRaheli noLeya abakha bobabili indlu yakwa-Israyeli, ucebe e-Efratha, ube nodumo eBetlehema;
12. indlu yakho mayibe njengendlu kaPheresi uTamari amzalela uJuda ngenzalo uJehova ayakukunika yona ngale ntombazana.”
13. UBowazi wayesemthatha uRuthe, waba ngumkakhe; wangena kuye; uJehova wamnika ukuba akhulelwe; wazala indodana.
14. Abesifazane bathi kuNawomi: “Makabusiswe uJehova ongakushiyanga namuhla ungenamhlengi; igama lakhe malidume kwa-Israyeli.
15. Uyakuba ngumbuyisi wokuphila kuwe, nomondli ebudaleni bakho, ngokuba umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, omuhle kuwe kunamadodana ayisikhombisa umzele.”
16. UNawomi wamthatha umntwana, wamgona esifubeni sakhe, waba ngumzanyana wakhe.