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Guhitamo Kwa Rusi: Umurage Ukomeye
Guhitamo Kwa Rusi: Umurage Ukomeye
A GREAT INHERITANCE.
by Ruth Dickson
1
Rusi yari umukobwa w’ibwami mu mu-
jyi aho yaturukaga i Mowabo.
Mowabo wari umujyi utangaje. Kari
agahugu gato ugereranije n’ibindi bi-
hugu byari bigakikije.
Abaturage b’I Mowabo basengaga ibi-
girwamana. Se wa Rusi, nyina,
bashiki be na basaza be basengaga
ikigirwamana cyitwaga
SHEMOSHI.
***
Ruth was a young Moabite
princess who lived in the town of
Moab. Moab was a funny sort of town.
It was a small nation compared to
those around it. Everyone lived as they
pleased. The people of Moab wor-
shipped idols. Ruth’s father, mother,
brothers and sisters worshipped a god
called Chemosh.
Umunsi umwe, igihe nyina yari amu-
tumye ahura n’umusore witwaga
MAHILONI. Yari umusore w’uburanga
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kandi akaba n’umushyitsi muri icyo
gihugu cy’I Mowabo.
Rusi na Mahiloni babaye inshuti ndetse
bigera umunsi umwe biyemeza ku-
bana nk’umugore n’umugabo. Rusi na
Mahilon bagize urugo rw’umunezero,
ariko nyuma gato Rusi yamenye ko by-
ose byenda guhinduka.
****
One day, while she was running er-
rands for her mother, she met a young
man by the name of Mahlon. He was
a good looking young man and a for-
eigner in the land of Moab. They be-
came friends and one day they decid-
ed to get married. Ruth and Mahlon
were a very happy couple, but little
did Ruth know that all was about to
change.
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Umunsi umwe umugabo wa Rusi,
Mahiloni yararwaye bikomeye.
Yakomeje kumuba hafi ariko ari nako
uburwayi bwe bukomera kuko yari
yanze kugira icyo arya. Rusi yakomeje
gutakamba cyane kuko atarazi icyo
ashobora gukora kubw’umugabo we
muri icyo kibazo.
Ikintu kimwe gusa cyabashije kum-
wongerera ibyiringiro ni ugusenga
guhoraho kwaranze nyirabukwe Nao-
mi muri icyo gihe.
Yari umupfakazi kandi ubona wanyuze
mubihe bitoroshye kandi by’mubabaro
mugihe cy’ubuzima bwe. Rusi rero
yagombaga kurebera kuri nyirabuk-
we umunsi kuwundi kandi agasenga
Imana ye. Yatangariye Imana Naomi
yasengaga. Yari Imana itandukanye na
SHEMOSHI we n’umuryango we basen-
gaga.
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***
Ruth’s husband, Mahlon, became very
ill. She had watched him grow thinner
and thinner, every day, as he refused
to eat. Ruth cried a lot because she
did not know what to do about her
husband. The only thing that gave
her hope was the constant prayers of
her husband’s mother Naomi. She was
a widow and had experienced much
sorrow in her life. Ruth would watch
Mahlon’s mother day in and day out
praying to her God. She wondered
about the God of Naomi. He was very
different to the god she and her family
worshipped.
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Nawomi yari umudamu w’isengesho.
Umugabo we yari yarapfuye hashize
igihe kitari kinini. Umwana we muto
w’umuhungu, Shilioni nawe yari
yarapfuye asigaye abana n’umugore
wari ukiri muto witwanga Orupa. Rusi
nawe yari afite ubwoba ko umugabo
we nawe agiye gupfa. Rusi yahise
atekereza umubabaro wose umury-
ango w’umugabowe wagiye uhura
nawo. Muri ayo marira n’ibyo bibazo
yabashije kuboneramo neza ubut-
wari nyirabukwe yagize, kuko Naomi
yahoraga asenga ibihe byose kandi
aririmba indirimbo zo gusingiza Imana.
Rusi yibazaga uburyo Nyirabukwe ya-
komeza gusingiza Imana ye, akurikije
ibyo yanyuzemo byose, aravuga ati:
ntibishoboka, biragoye kubisobanukir-
wa.
*****
9
Naomi was a woman of prayer. Her
husband had died not so long ago.
Her younger son Chilion had also died,
leaving his young wife Orpah behind.
Ruth was worried that her husband
was going to die also? Ruth thought
about all the sadness her husband’s
family had been through and wept.
Through her tears, she looked at her
mother-in law, Naomi, she thought,
“What a strong woman”. Naomi was
always praying and singing praises
onto her God. “How could she still sing
praises to her God, look at all the sad
things that had happened to her,” she
said out loud.
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Hashize ibyumweru bicye, umugabo
wa Rusi, Mahiloni yaje kwitaba Imana.
Uburwayi bwari bwaribasiye ubuzima
bwe. Rusi yatekereje inzozi z’ubuzima
zose bari bafite, kuko n’ugabowe yari
akiri muto. Ni gute yari gukomeza
kubaho atari kumwe n’umugabo we?
Rusi yararize arahogora.Nirabukwe
wa Naomi yamusanze mucyumba,
Rusi amupfukama imbere y’ibirenge.
Afata mubugombambari bwa Nao-
mi. Naomi yakomeje Rusi amusaba
kwiringira Nyagasani Imana ya Israel.
Kwizera kwa Naomi kwamuahaye iby-
iringiro. Yarahagaze, asubiza ubwenge
kugihe ko agomba kureba ku Mana
ya Naomi.“Aha niho Naomi, Mabukwe
yakuye ibyiringiro bye no gukomezwa”
“Ngomba kuyihanga amaso” niko ya-
vuze.
***
12
A few weeks later, Ruth’s husband,
Mahlon, died. The sickness had
claimed his life. She thought about all
the dreams he had about the future.
He was still very young. How was she
going to live without him? Ruth wept
bitterly. Naomi came into the room
and Ruth fell at her feet. She held onto
Naomi’s ankles. Naomi comforted
Ruth and asked her to trust in the Lord
God of Israel. The faith of Naomi gave
her hope. She stood and made up her
mind that she would lift up her eyes
and look unto the God of Naomi. “This
is where Naomi, my Chilion’s mother
gets her hope and Strength from”. “I
must look at Him also,” she said.
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Hashize imyaka, Rusi yari amaze
kugira imishikirano ihamye na ny-
irabukwe. Bari babanye neza kuburyo
na nyina ubyara Rusi yagezeho agira
ishyari ry’uwo mubano. Rusi yabonye
ikintu kigiciro muri Naomi. Naomi
yavuganaga n’Imana ye nk’uvugana
n’inshuti y’umuntu isanzwe. Imbere
y’ibigeragezo byose yabonaga neza
ko Naomi ahora asenga. Uko yari at-
eye ntibyigeze bihinduka, yari umu-
nyangeso nziza kandi yitonze. Nao-
mi yari yaramubwiye ku bitangaza
by’Imana ya Isiraheli. Rusi yifuje mu
mutima we kugirana imishyikirano yi-
hariye n’Imana ya Naomi.
***
Over the years, Ruth had developed a
strong loving relationship with Naomi.
She was so kind to Ruth that even her
real mother became jealous about
their relationship. Ruth saw something
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great in Naomi. Naomi talked to her
God like He was her personal friend. In
the face of hardship, she had watched
Naomi always praying. Her character
never changed, she was always kind
and gentle. Naomi had taught her
about the great miracles the God of
Israel. Ruth desired in her heart to also
have this personal relationship with
Naomi’s God.
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Naomi Agira ati “Turimo kujya i Betele-
hemu” . Rusi yakuwe umutima n’ibyo
nyirabukwe yagombaga kuvuga. “
Numvise uburyo Imana yasuye ub-
woko bwacu hamwe n’umugisha
w’igitangaza” “Ni igihe cyo kuzinga
ibyacu tukava hano I Mowabo”. Rusi
yatekereje kuri nyina na se n’uburyo
bazakira kuva i Mowabo kwe. Nta-
nubwo yabonaga ko ashobora ku-
bibabwira. Yagombaga kuba umu-
nyamahanga i Betelehemu, nyine
nkuko Naomi yari umunyamahanaga
i Mowabo. Icyo gihe yagombaga ku-
menya neza uburyo Naomi yumvaga
amerewe mugihe nawe yari mugihugu
cy’amahanga.Ese yari buzemerwe,
anonako atari n’umuheburayokazi.
Gutekereza gutyo byabangamira-
ga Rusi, ariko yari yarabonye ikintu
cy’igiciro, ndetse kirenze icy’igiciro.
Cyari ikintu isi itashoboraga gusoba-
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nura. Yakimanuye ndetse akibika kure
mumutima we.
***
“We are leaving for Bethlehem,” she
said. Ruth was shocked about what
Naomi had to say. “I have heard how
the Lord has visited my people with
great blessings”. It is time for us to pack
up our things and leave Moab. Ruth
thought about her mother and father
and how they would feel about her
leaving Moab. She was not looking for-
ward to telling them. She would be a
foreigner in Bethlehem, just like Naomi
was in Moab. Now she would know
how Naomi felt living in a foreign land.
“Would she be accepted seeing she
was not Hebrew?” These thoughts
bothered Ruth, but she saw something
greater, something that words could
not describe. She felt it deep within
her heart.
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Nkuko barimo bitegura urugendo
rurerure, yatekereje kuri byose yag-
ombaga gusiga inyuma. Ntiyari bu-
zongere kubona ababeyi be hafiye ye
ukundi. Bari bifuje ko yasigara I Mowa-
bo bityo akongera akarongorwa maze
agatangira undi muryango. Ntabwo
byari bigiye kumworohera gujyana
n’umupfakazi w’umucyene.
Ariko Rusi yari yiteguye gukurikira Na-
womi, kabone n’ubwo byagaragaraga
ko bigoye. Maze Rusi ajya gusezera ku-
muryango we. Akomanga kurugi rwo
ku irembo nyina aba ariwe umuha ika-
ze anagira ati “ Kucyi wumva utagaruka
murugo iwanyu bityo tukagushakira
umugabo mwiza?”
Nubwo Rusi yakundaga se na nyina
cyane, ntiyagombaga gutakaza igitek-
erezo cya nyirabukwe, Nawomi, akora
urugendo ruhambaye kubwe. Yaba-
bwiye ko ari bugende I Betelehemu
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umunsi wari bukurikire. Bamuhesheje
umugisha maze bamuha n’ubufasha,
ariko Rusi arabyanga.
Yari yarabonye Nawomi yizera Imana,
Yehova, imyaka yose, kandi ntiyigeze
acika intege. Yamenye ko nawe agom-
ba kwiringira Imana.
***
As they prepared to set out on the
long journey, she thought about her
mother and father. They had wanted
her to stay in Moab so that she would
remarry and start a family. It was not
going to be easy travelling with a poor
widow. But Ruth was prepared to fol-
low Naomi despite her situation. So
Ruth went to say goodbye to her fam-
ily. She knocked on the front door and
her mother answered it. “Why don’t
you come back home so we can find a
good husband for you,” she said. Even
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though Ruth loved her parents so
much, she could not bear the thought
of Naomi making such a dangerous
journey on her own. She told them
that she was leaving for Bethlehem the
following day. They blessed her and
offered to help, but Ruth refused. She
had seen Naomi trust her God over the
years and he had never failed her. She
knew that she must now learn to do
the same, trust Him also.
36
Nawomi yatekereje kuri mubyara we
Bowazi n’uburyo ashobora kubera Rusi
umugabo mwiza. Yahise agira ikifuzo
cyo kuba yahuza Bowazi na Rusi. Yasa-
bye Rusi gukaraba akisiga n’amavuta
maze akanashyiramo umwenda we
w’igiciro. Gahunda ye yari uko Rusi ya-
saba Bowazi kumurongora ariko aka-
bimubwira mubwenge adahutiyeho,
yikubita imbere y’ibirenge bye kuko
muri icyo gihe niwo wari umuco. Rusi
yari umugore w’intwari. Yiyumviriye
kugitekerezo cya nyirabukwe maze
aramubwira ati “ ndizera ko amasenge-
sho yawe azasubizwa”. Amureba amu-
hanze amaso, maze Nawomi azunguza
umutwe. Wabonaga ibyo avuga abyi-
yumvamo binamugaragara mu maso
ndetse Rusi ntiyongera kuzunguza
umutwe ukundi kuko ntagushidikanya
kwari kugihari. Bowazi yishimiye icyo
gitekerezo. Bowazi yanejejwe n’uko
Rusi ahisemo kuba yarongorwa nawe
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yirengajije abandi basore bo mukigero
cye.
***
Naomi thought about her cousin Boaz
and how he would make a good hus-
band for Ruth. It was her desire to
bring Ruth and Boaz together. She
asked Ruth to wash, anoint herself and
put on her best clothes. Her plan was
that Ruth would indirectly ask Boaz to
marry her by lying at his feet. This was
the custom in those days. Ruth was a
virtuous woman and she trembled at
the thought. “I do hope our prayers
will be answered”, she said to Naomi.
Looking her straight in the eye, Naomi
chuckled. She had a very confident
look on her face and Ruth trembled no
more. Boaz was happy about this plan.
He praised her because she wanted
to marry him and not any of the other
young men around.
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Rusi na Bowazi bakora ubukwe maze
habaho ibirori by’akataraboneka.
Bowazi yibukije Rusi uburyo yamazwe
impungenge no kumenyako Nawomi
yari afite inshuti nziza. Hakurikijwe
amategeko y’icyo gihugu, yagombye
kuba yararongoye Rusi mbere. Uko
byari bimeze kose iyo mibanire myiza
hagati y’iyo miryango siyo yari ishishi-
kaje mukuzuza amategeko y’igihugu.
Rusi na Bowazi babyaye umwana
w’imfura bamwita Obedi. Ibyo byane-
jeje Nawomi cyane. Ubwo aba abonye
umwuzukuru w’igikundiro yagombaga
kwitaho kandi ibyo byari bishimishije
inshuti ze zose. Rusi yarashimishije
nyirabukwe kumurutira abahungu
barindwi bari baritabye Imana. Yeretse
Nawomi umutima mwiza no kuzirika-
na.
***
Ruth and Boaz got married and it was a
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wonderful celebration. Boaz reminded
Ruth about how anxious he got when
he discovered that Naomi had a closer
relative. By law of the land, he would
have been entitled to marry Ruth first.
However, this closer relative was not
interested in fulfilling the law of the
land. Ruth and Boaz gave birth to a
son called Obed. This made Naomi
very happy. Now she had a lovely boy
to take care of and she was the envy of
all her friends. The same friends who
had laughed at her, now praised her
for the wonderful work God had done
in her life. Ruth meant more to her
than seven sons. She had shown kind-
ness and loyalty to Naomi.
****
Guhitamo kwa Rusi, icyo byamutwaye
cyose ariko yabonye umurage uturutse
ku Mana. Yari umuntu usuzuguritse
w’umunyamahanaga I Betelehemu.
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Yaciye intege umuryango we maze
akurikira Nawomi. Ntiyigeze areba in-
yuma. Ikintu gito Rusi yakoze mugihe
yafataga inzira ava mu mutekano w’I
Mowabo, cyatumye yinjira mu biseku-
ruza bya Yesu Kristo. Rusi yazirikanye
Imana ya Nawomi kuba ariyo Mana
yonyine kandi y’ukuri. Rusi ntiyigeze
areba kubucyene bwa Nawomi cy-
angwa kungorane bari buhure nazo
mu rugendo runini bakoze. Yarebye
kure y’ibyo byose. Rusi yagize guhi-
tamo kwiza. Imana yaramwubahishije,
imuha umugabo mwiza imuha umu-
gisha imuha umwana w’umuhungu.
Ubu izina rye rirazwi muri Isiraheli
ndetse no mwisi yose. Ni umwe muri
ba nyirakuru bakomeye ba Yesu Kristo.
Ninde wari gutekereza ko Rusi umu-
nyamowabokazi yagera kuri Yesu.
Umuhunge Obedi yrarongoye abyara
umumwa w’umuhungu amwita Yese.
Mugihe Yese yaramaze gukura, nawe
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yararongowe abyara umwami Dawidi.
Uvuye ku mwami Dawidi kugeza kum-
wami w’abami, Yesu kristo. Niryo her-
ezo ryiza ry’inkuru itangaje.
*****
Ruth’s choice though costly, earned
her a heavenly inheritance. She was a
despised foreigner in Bethlehem. She
gave up her family and all that she was
familiar with to follow Naomi. She did
not look back. Little did Ruth know
that when she walked away from the
security of Moab, she would walk into
the secure lineage of Jesus Christ. Ruth
recognised the God of Naomi to be the
true God. Ruth did not see the poverty
of Naomi nor the difficulty of the jour-
ney. She looked beyond these things.
Ruth made the right choice. God hon-
oured her, by giving her a good hus-
band and blessing her with a son. Now
her name is known throughout Israel
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and indeed the whole world. She is
one of the great grandmothers of Je-
sus Christ! Who would have thought
that she would be linked to Jesus
Christ? Her son Obed got married and
gave birth to Jesse, who in turn gave
birth to King David. From King David
came the link to the King of Kings, Je-
sus Christ. Though her beginning was
little, her end was very great. Wow,
what a wonderful story.
Subiza ibibazo:
t̓/JJSJIF[JOBSZVNVKZJ3VTJZBCBHBNP
t̓/JJSJIF[JOBSZJLJHJSXBNBOB*.PXB
bo basengaga?
t/JJSJIF[JOBSZVNVHBCP3VTJZBIVZFOBXF*
Mowabo?
t̓/BXPNJOJNVOUV
t/JCJLJCZBCBZFLVSJ.BIJMPOJ ̓
t̓0SVQBOJOEF ̓
t̓4PCBOVSBJNJUFSFSFZB/BXPNJ
t̓4PCBOVSBJNJUFSFSFZB3VTJ
46
t̓/JJCJLJCZBCBZFLVSJ3VTJOB.BPNJ
bakigera I Betelehemu?
Answer these questions:
t 8IBUJTUIFOBNFPGUIF
town Ruth lived in?
t 8IBUJTUIFOBNFPGUIF
God they worshipped in
Moab?
t 8IBUJTUIFOBNFPGUIF
man Ruth met in Moab?
t 8IPJT/BPNJ
t 8IBUIBQQFOFEUP
Mahlon?
t 8IPXBT0SQBI
t %FTDSJCF/BPNJTDIBSBDUFS
t %FTDSJCF3VUITDIBSBDUFS
t 8IBUIBQQFOFEXIFO3VUIBOE
Naomi got to Bethlehem?
t 8IBUXBT3VUITDIPJDF
t 8IPJT3VUISFMBUFEUPBOEIPX
is she related to him?
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