¹ Chasholokele mu matangwa aje ba ka kuyula ba yulile ngwabo mu lifuti mwakele njala, cho lalo munalume umo wa mu lifuti lya Mbetelehema ka Yunda waile na kutumbama ngwe litandinda mu lifuti lya Mowambu amolika na munakathzi wendi na bana bendi babali ba banalume. ² Lithzina lyou munalume lya pwile Elimeleki, na lithzina lya munakathzi wendi lya pwile Naomi. Mathzina a bana babo babali ba banalume ba pwile Maloni na Kiliyoni, baje bapwile ma Efulathite baku Mbethelehemu mu Yunda. Bethzile mu lifuti lya Mowambu cho batungile kuje bene. ³ Cho Elimeleki, munalume wa Naomi, wathsile, cho oni wathalele endi lika amo na bana bendi babali ba banalume. ⁴ Aba bambatele banakathzi babo kutunda mu banakathzi ba mu Mowambu; lithzina lya umo wabo lya pwile Opa, na lithzina lya mukwabo lalo lya pwile Lute. Cho ba tumbamene kuje a myaka yakweta likumi. ⁵ Chojo boshe ba Maloni na Kiliyoni bathsile, cho uje munakathzi wathalele kwa ku jeneka bana bendi babali na kujeneka munalume wendi. ⁶ Cho wakatukile amolika na ba ina-mweno na kwiluka kutunda mu lifuti lya Mowambu mwafwa wathzibile ngwabo mu lifuti lya Mowambu Shukulu wanene banu bendi bya kuli kwathelamo a ku bana bya kulya. ⁷ Cho oni watundileko kuje ku mwela kwa tumbamene amo lika na ba ina-mweno, cho bathikumukile na kwenda mu ngila kwiluka ku lifuti lya Yunda. ⁸ Cho Naomi wendekele kuli ba ina-mweno bendi babali ngwendi, " Yeni, ilukeni, yeni boshe, ku bi njubo bya ba nyokweni. Echeleni Shukulu asholwethe ng'eke ali yeni, ngechi omu mwasholwetha ng'eke kuli bathsi na kuli yange. ⁹ Echeleni Shukulu amiwanene mwakuhwimina, yeni boshe mu njubo ya munalume weka." Cho waba thsembele, cho bajundwile majwi abo na kulila. ¹⁰ Bendekele kuli ikeye ngwabo, "Kwai ! Twiluka amolika nobe ku banu bobe." ¹¹ Olojo Naomi wendekele ngwendi," Alumukeni, bana bange! Bikoni bi muyila amo lika nange? Njili nawa na bana ba banalume mwimo lyange bapwe beni, mangana bapwe lalo banalume beni? ¹² Alumukeni, bana bange, yeni ngila yeni, mwafwa yange njakolo manene kukala na munalume. Ngwe njendekele ngwange, 'Amo njikale na munalume buthsiki bwa lelo,' na kukita bana babali ba banalume, ¹³ mwatha ku bandamena nomu bakakola ndi? Kumwatha kushakula kushomboka ku munalume ndi? Embwe, bana bange! Chatubakana manene kubabala kuli yange mwafwa yeni nge liboko lya Shukulu lya nji shondoloka yange." ¹⁴ Cho baje ba ina-mweno bajundwile majwi abo na kulila lalo. Opa wathsembele ba ina-mweno na kuba thalethao, olojo Lute ka mu thethzele. ¹⁵ Cho Naomi wendekele ngwendi, "Tolilila, mukweni neluka kuli banu bendi na kuli tu njambi twendi. Iluka nendi." ¹⁶ Oloni Lute wendekele ngwendi, "Kethi unji thindiye ku kuthethza, kujeneka kuku kabangeya, mwafwa kuje uya, nange njiya; kuje ukakala nange kukeko njikakala; banu bobe bakapwa banu bange, na Njambi yobe akapwa Njambi yange. ¹⁷ Kuje ukathsila, nange kukeko njikathsila, cho kuje bene kukeko baka nji thsinda. Echeleni Shukulu anji nyanyamethe, na wa kelao , oloni bya ku twandununa thina kuthsa." ¹⁸ Cho omwo Naomi wa mwene ngwendi Lute chili bene washakele kuya nendi , wechele kuli kanangana nendi . ¹⁹ Cho boshe babali bendele nomu betele ku mbongi ya Mbetelehema. Chethzile na kusholoka omu betele ku Mbehelehema, mbongi yoshe ya bwahelelele manene hali bakebo. Cho banakathzi bendekele ngwabo, " Ou ikeye Naomi?" ²⁰ Olojo wendekele kuli bakebo ngwendi, "Kethi munjithane ngweni Naomi. Njithanenei ngweni kuyanda, mwafwa bwaku Tubakana nanji yandetha yange. ²¹ Njayele wa kushula, olojo njineluka wa mupolongwa. Cho bika munjithanena ngweni Naomi, mwamono ngweni Shukulu nanjumbila cho na bwaku Tubakana nanji yandetha?" ²² Cho Naomi na Lute uje munakthzi ka Mowambite, ina-mweno yendi, belukile kutunda mu lifuti lya Mowambu. Bethzile ku Mbetelehema akushangumuka kuteja cha mbale.