1 Yav'age ha itungo lya kale, aho v'ayangu'zi v'av'age v'atemile mu nsi' ya Izilaeli, nzala ndi' yagwa mu nsi' yeni'yo. Wav'age ali'ho muntu' yu'mo lina lyakwe Elimeleki* wa mu kaya ya Betelehemu, ya mu Yuda, haki'mo na muki' wakwe u'yo witanagwe Naomi, na v'ana v'av'o v'av'i'li' v'a ki'gosya, mina gav'o Maloni* na Kilioni*. V'awonaga v'aye ku'kikala ku' nsi' ya Mowabu ki'ti' v'ageni. 2 V'antu' v'enav'a v'av'age v'a igongo lya V'aefulati, v'a ku' kaya ya Betelehemu ku' nsi' yamwa Yuda. Ku'nguno ya nzala v'awu'kaga ku'ya ku'kikala ku' nsi' ya Mowabu ki'ti' v'ageni v'izi'li'zi. V'afikaga ku' nsi' ya Mowabu na v'ikalaga kwenu'ko.

3 Mugati' na wikalo wav'o kwenu'ko, Elimeleki, mugosi wamwa Naomi, wagulalaga. Naomi walekagwa haki'mo na v'aane v'av'i'li'. 4 V'asu'mbana v'enav'a v'atoolaga v'aniki' v'a Ki'mowabu, na mina gav'o v'itanagwe yu'mo Olipa na wa wu'v'i'li' Luti. V'ikalaga nav'o kwenu'ko ku' itungo lya ki'ti' myaka iku'mi. 5 Haho Maloni na Kilioni nav'o v'agulalaga. Hohene muki'ma mwenu'yu' wav'a wafwi'lwa na mugosi haki'mo na v'aane v'av'i'li'.

6 Aho Naomi wigagwa mmola ku'v'a Gu'ku' Mulungu wav'izi'i'lile v'antu' v'akwe na wav'apile viliwa, haho wawonaga awu'ke ku'fuma ku' Mowabu na ku'su'v'a ku' wav'o, mweni'ki'li' haki'mo na v'akamwana v'akwe. 7 Hohene v'awu'kaga ku'fuma aho v'av'age v'ikalile, mweni'ki'li' haki'mo na v'akamwana v'akwe v'av'i'li', na v'adimaga nzi'la ya ku'su'v'i'la ku' nsi' yamwa Yuda.

8 Haho Naomi wav'awi'laga v'akamwana v'akwe, "Su'v'agi, ki'la yu'mo aye ku' lu'go lwamwa nnina. Gu'ku' Mulungu akamuv'ezezye chelu' ki'ti' i'vi inywe mwambezezizye ene haki'mo na v'antu' v'anne av'o v'agulalile. 9 Gu'ku' Mulungu amutongelele, ki'la yu'mo akapandi'ke mugosya, na ku'v'a na wikalo wu'soga mu lu'go lwakwe." Haho wav'asu'naga, nav'o v'ali'laga ku' muzwi muhanya 10 na ku'yomba, "Ayi' ng'o! Ku'ku'su'v'a haki'mo nanho ku' v'antu' v'ako."

11 Ali'vi Naomi wav'awi'laga, "Inywe v'ana v'anne, su'v'agi! Ku' ki' mwilonde nanne? Vihe, muli'wiganika ku'v'a nkowolile hangi' ku'v'yala v'ana v'a ki'gosya ki'gele v'av'e v'agosi v'inywe? 12 V'ana v'anne, su'v'agi ku' winywe, ku'nguno ene nakiku'lile na nkakowola ku'toolwa hangi'. Ninga mbe nali' njombe ati' ni'na isigi'zyo lya ku'toolwa wu'ziku' wa walelo, na ku'pandi'ka v'ana v'a ki'gosya, 13 vihe, mwali' muku'kowola ku'lindi'la v'aku'le? Ninga vihe, mwali' muku'kowola kwilambi'ki'zya ku'du' mutoolwe na v'agosya v'angi'? Yi'kav'ile vyene v'ana v'anne, ku'nguno yi'li' vilambu ku' wanne ku'ki'la ku' winywe, ku'nguno Gu'ku' Mulungu wampile lu'duko lu'hanya."

14 Nav'o v'ali'laga hangi' ku' muzwi muhanya. Olipa wamusu'naga mukwiye na ku'mudahya, sumbwa Luti wamung'ang'ani'laga mukwiye. 15 Haho Naomi wamuwi'laga Luti, "Lingaga, mudu'gu'yo asu'v'ile ku' lu'go lwav'o, ku' v'antu' v'akwe na ku' mulungu wakwe, nanho su'v'a wilonde na mudu'gu'yo." 16 Ali'vi Luti wasu'v'yaga,

"U'leke ku'nikonga nku'leke ev'e,

ninga ku'du' u'ngizye ku'ku'londa.

U'ko u'ku'ya, nanne nku'ya,

na u'ko u'lakikale nanne ndakikale.

V'antu' v'ako v'alav'e v'antu' v'anne,

na Mulungu wako alav'e Mulungu wanne.

17 U'ko u'lakafwi'le nanne ndafwi'le kwenu'ko,

na kwene ku'ko ndazyi'ki'lwe.

Gu'ku' Mulungu ampe lu'duko lu'hanya u'lu' nize ndekane nanho,

sumbwa lu'fu du' lu'laku'lekanie."

18 Naomi aho wawonaga ku'v'a Luti ali' na ndaka ya ku'ya nawe, walekaga ku'mwikonga.Luti ali'mwikonga Naomi awu'ke nawe 19 Haho v'endeleyaga na musi'nzo v'ose v'av'i'li' ku'ya ku' Betelehemu. Aho v'afikaga kwenu'ko, v'antu' v'ose v'akumyaga, na v'aki'ma v'iwu'zyaga ati', "Vihe, u'yu' hu' Naomi?"

20 Naomi wav'awi'laga ati', "Ku'du' munitane hangi' Naomi*, sumbwa munitane Mala*, ku'nguno Mulungu wa Nguzu wambezezyaga magambo ga wu'satu muno. 21 Aho ndi' nu'wu'ka henanha, nav'age ngelani'lile ali'vi Gu'ku' Mulungu wansu'v'yaga makono du'. Ku' ki' muli'nitana Naomi? Gu'ku' Mulungu wampile lu'duko, nawe Mulungu wa Nguzu wampile makoye."

22 I'vi hu' vyene Naomi haki'mo na Luti, Mumowabu, mukamwana wakwe, v'asu'v'aga ku'fuma ku' nsi' ya Mowabu, na ku'fiki'i'la ku' Betelehemu. Itungo lyeni'lo yav'age hu' ntangi'lo ya lyi'mbu'la lya shayili*.