Verse 1: Kwathi emihleni abahlulela ngayo abahluleli kwaba khona indlala ezweni. Umuntu othile waseBetlehema Juda waya ukuyohlala ezweni lakwaMowabi, yena nomkakhe, namadodana akhe amabili.
Verse 2: Igama lalowo muntu lalingu-Elimeleki, igama lomkakhe lalinguNawomi, amagama amadodana akhe amabili ayengoMahaloni noKiliyoni; babe ngama-Efratha aseBetlehema Juda. Bafika ezweni lakwaMowabi, bahlala khona.
Verse 3: U-Elimeleki umyeni kaNawomi wafa; kepha yena wasala namadodana akhe amabili.
Verse 4: Azithathela abafazi kwabesifazane bakwaMowabi; igama lomunye lalingu-Orpa, igama lomunye lalinguRuthe; bahlala khona kwangathi iminyaka eyishumi.
Verse 5: OMahaloni noKiliyoni bafa bobabili; owesifazane washiywa-ke ngabantwana bakhe ababili nangumyeni wakhe.
Verse 6: Wayesesuka nawomalokazana bakhe ukuba abuye ezweni lakwaMowabi, ngokuba wayezwile ezweni lakwaMowabi ukuthi uJehova uhambele abantu bakhe ukuba abaphe ukudla.
Verse 7: Waphuma endaweni lapho wayekhona, omalokazana bakhe benaye; bahamba ngendlela yokubuyela ezweni lakwaJuda.
Verse 8: UNawomi wathi komalokazana bakhe ababili: “Hambani nibuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini kanina; uJehova makanenzele umusa, njengalokho nanenza kwabafileyo nakimi.
Verse 9: UJehova makaninike ukuba nifumane ukuphumula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yomyeni wakhe.” Wayesebanga, badazuluka, bakhala.
Verse 10: Bathi kuye: “Hhayi! Kepha sobuyela nawe kubantu bakini!”
Verse 11: Wayesethi uNawomi: “Buyani, madodakazi ami; nohambelani nami na? Ngisenamadodana ezibilinini zami ukuba abe ngabayeni benu na?
Verse 12: Buyani, madodakazi ami, nihambe, ngokuba sengimdala ukuba ngibe nomyeni. Noma ngangithi nginethemba, noma ngingaba nendoda kulobu busuku, ngizale amadodana,
Verse 13: beningawahlalela aze abe ngakhulileyo na? Beniyakuzivimbela ningabi namadoda na? Hhayi, madodakazi ami, kumunyu kimi ngenxa yenu, ngokuba isandla sikaJehova siphumele kimi.”
Verse 14: Badazuluka, baphinda bakhala; u-Orpa wamanga uninazala, kepha uRuthe wanamathela kuye.
Verse 15: Wathi: “Bheka, umnakwenu usebuyele kwabakubo nakunkulunkulu wakhe; buya nawe, umlandele umnakwenu.”
Verse 16: Kepha uRuthe wathi: “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, ngibuye, ngingakulandeli, ngokuba lapho uya khona, ngiyakuya khona nami, nalapho uhlala khona, ngiyakuhlala khona nami; abantu bakho bayakuba ngabantu bami, uNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami.
Verse 17: Lapho ufela khona, ngiyakufela khona nami, ngimbelwe khona; uJehova akenze njalo kimi, enezele futhi, ngokuba ngukufa kuphela okuyakusahlukanisa.”
Verse 18: Esebonile ukuthi uzimisele ukuhamba naye, wayeka ukukhuluma kuye.
Verse 19: Base behamba bobabili baze bafika eBetlehema. Kwathi sebefikile eBetlehema, wonke umuzi wanyakaziswa, bathi: “Lo unguNawomi na?”
Verse 20: Wathi kubo: “Ningangibizi ngokuthi uNawomi; ngibizeni ngokuthi uMara, ngokuba uSomandla ungiphathe ngomunyu omkhulu.
Verse 21: Ngahamba ngigcwele, uJehova ungibuyise ngize; ningibizelani ngokuthi uNawomi, lokhu uJehova efakazile ngami, uSomandla engenzele okubi, na?”
Verse 22: Wabuya-ke uNawomi kanye noRuthe wakwaMowabi umalokazana wakhe owabuya ezweni lakwaMowabi, bafika eBetlehema ekuqaleni kokuvunwa kwebhali.