Verse 1: UNawomi wayenesihlobo somyeni wakhe, umuntu ocebileyo, owomndeni ka-Elimeleki, igama lakhe linguBowazi.
Verse 2: URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi kuNawomi: “Mangihambe, ngiye ensimini, ngikhothoze ezikhwetshini emva kwalowo engiyakufumana umusa emehlweni akhe.” Wathi kuye: “Hamba, ndodakazi yami.”
Verse 3: Wahamba, waya wakhothoza ensimini emva kwabavuni; kwase kwenzeka ukuba afike esiqeshini sensimu sikaBowazi womndeni ka-Elimeleki.
Verse 4: Bheka, uBowazi wafika evela eBetlehema, wathi kwabavunayo: “UJehova makabe nani.” Bathi kuye: “UJehova makakubusise.”
Verse 5: Wayesethi uBowazi encekwini yakhe eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni: “Ngekabani le ntombazana na?”
Verse 6: Inceku eyayibekwe phezu kwabavuni yaphendula yathi: “Kuyintombazana yakwaMowabi ebuye noNawomi ezweni lakwaMowabi;
Verse 7: ithe: ‘Ake ngikhothoze, ngibuthe ezithungwini emva kwabavuni.’ Selokhu ifikile, iqhubekile kusukela ekuseni kuze kube manje, ihlale kancane endlini kuphela.”
Verse 8: UBowazi wayesethi kuRuthe: “Angithi uyezwa, ndodakazi yami? Ungayi ukukhothoza kwenye insimu, futhi ungasuki lapha, kepha namathela kuwo amantombazana ami lapha.
Verse 9: Amehlo akho mawabe sensimini ayivunayo, uwalandele; angithi ngiyalile abafana ukuba bangakuthinti na? Nxa womile, yana ezitsheni, uphuze lokho abakukhileyo abafana.”
Verse 10: Wayesewa ngobuso bakhe, wakhothamela emhlabathini, wathi kuye: “Ngifumaneleni umusa emehlweni akho ukuba unginake, lokhu ngingowezizwe, na?”
Verse 11: UBowazi waphendula, wathi kuye: “Kubikiwe kimi konke omenzele khona unyokozala selokhu afa umyeni wakho nokuthi ushiyile uyihlo nonyoko nezwe lokuzalwa kwakho, weza kubantu ongabazanga ngaphambili.
Verse 12: UJehova makakuvuze ngomsebenzi wakho, uphiwe umvuzo opheleleyo nguJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli oze ukuba uphephele phansi kwamaphiko akhe.”
Verse 13: Wathi: “Mangifumane umusa emehlweni akho, nkosi, ngokuba ungiduduzile nangokuba ukhulume kahle kuyo incekukazi yakho, noma ngingenjengenye yezincekukazi zakho.”
Verse 14: Ngesikhathi sokudla uBowazi wathi kuye: “Woza lapha, udle isinkwa, ugcobhoze ucezu lwakho kuviniga.” Wahlala eceleni kwabavuni, wamnika utshwele, wadla wasutha, washiya phansi.
Verse 15: Esesukile ekukhothozeni uBowazi wayala abafana bakhe, wathi: “Makakhothoze nasezithungwini, ningamkhathazi.
Verse 16: Anoke nimkhiphele nokuthile ezithungwini, nikushiye ukuba akukhothoze, ningamsoli.”
Verse 17: Wakhothoza-ke ensimini kwaze kwahlwa; wakubhula lokho abekukhothozile, kwakungathi i-efa lebhali.
Verse 18: Wakuthatha, wangena emzini; uninazala wabona lokho abekukhothozile; wakhipha, wamnika lokho akushiyile esesuthile.
Verse 19: Uninazala wathi kuye: “Ukhothozephi namuhla na? Usebenzephi? Makabusiswe lowo okunakileyo.” Wamtshela uninazala ukuthi ubesebenza kubani, wathi: “Igama lomuntu engisebenzile kuye namuhla linguBowazi.”
Verse 20: UNawomi wathi kumalokazana wakhe: “Makabusiswe nguJehova ongayekanga umusa wakhe kwabaphilileyo nakwabafileyo.” UNawomi wathi kuye: “Lowo muntu uyisihlobo sethu, ungowabahlengi bethu.”
Verse 21: URuthe wakwaMowabi wathi: “Yebo, wathi kimi: ‘Wonamathela kubafana bami, baze baqede konke ukuvuna kwami.’ ”
Verse 22: UNawomi wayesethi kuRuthe umalokazana wakhe: “Kuhle, ndodakazi yami, ukuba uphume namantombazana akhe, ungafikelwa kwenye insimu.”
Verse 23: Wayesenamathela-ke kuwo amantombazana kaBowazi ukukhothoza kwaze kwaba sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali nokukakolweni; wahlala-ke noninazala.