Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons
1There was a time when Israel didn’t have kings to rule over them. But they had leaders to help them. This is a story about some things that happened during that time. There wasn’t enough food in the land of Judah. So a man went to live for a while in the country of Moab. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. His wife and two sons went with him. 2The man’s name was Elimelek. His wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites whose home had been in Bethlehem in Judah. They went to Moab and lived there.
3Naomi’s husband Elimelek died. So she was left with her two sons. 4They married women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi’s family lived in Moab for about ten years. 5Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her two daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. 7She left the place where she had been living. Her daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Both of you go back. Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. 9May the Lord help each of you find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye. They broke down and wept loudly. 10They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.”
11But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands? 12Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I married a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. 13Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could marry them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s power has turned against me!”
14When they heard that, they broke down and wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on to her.
15“Look,” said Naomi. “Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let even death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.” 18Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back.
19The two women continued on their way. At last they arrived in Bethlehem. The whole town was stirred up because of them. The women in the town asked, “Can this possibly be Naomi?”
20“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara. The Mighty One has made my life very bitter. 21I was full when I went away. But the Lord has brought me back empty. So why are you calling me Naomi? The Lord has made me suffer. The Mighty One has brought trouble on me.”
22So Naomi returned from Moab. Ruth, her daughter-in-law from Moab, came with her. They arrived in Bethlehem just when people were beginning to harvest the barley.
Ang Pag-unong ni Ruth kay Noemi
1-2Sang panahon nga indi pa mga hari ang nagadumala1:1-2 Sang panahon… nagadumala: sa literal, Sang panahon nga ang mga “shoftim” (mga pangulo/hukom) amo pa ang nagapangulo. sa Israel, nag-abot ang gutom sa sini nga lugar. Gani si Elimelec nga taga-Betlehem nga sakop sang Juda nagkadto sa Moab upod sang iya asawa kag duha ka anak nga lalaki, agod didto lang anay mag-estar. Ang ngalan sang iya asawa amo si Noemi kag ang ila duha ka anak amo si Mahlon kag si Kilion. Mga kaliwat sila ni Efrata nga taga-Betlehem.
Karon, sang didto na sila nagaestar sa Moab, 3napatay si Elimelec, gani si Noemi na lang ang nabilin kag ang iya duha ka anak. 4Sang ulihi nagpangasawa ang iya mga anak sang mga Moabnon. Ang ngalan sang isa amo si Orpah kag ang isa amo si Ruth. Pagkaligad sang mga napulo ka tuig, 5napatay man si Mahlon kag si Kilion, gani si Noemi na lang ang nabilin.
6Sang mabalitaan ni Noemi nga gindumdom sang Ginoo ang iya katawhan paagi sa paghatag sa ila sang maayo nga patubas, nagpreparar siya kag ang iya mga umagad sa pagbalik sa Juda. 7Kag sang nagapanglakaton na sila pabalik sa Juda, 8nagsiling si Noemi sa iya duha ka umagad, “Balik na lang kamo sa inyo iloy. Kabay pa nga ipakita sang Ginoo ang iya kaayo sa inyo, subong nga ginpakita ninyo ang inyo kaayo sa inyo nagtaliwan nga mga bana kag amo man sa akon. 9Kag kabay pa nga itugot sang Ginoo nga makapamana kamo liwat agod mapahamtang kamo sa inyo bag-o nga puluy-an.”
Dayon ginhalukan sila ni Noemi. Naghibi sila sing tudo 10kag nagsiling kay Noemi, “Maupod kami sa imo sa pagbalik mo sa imo mga kasimanwa.” 11-12Pero nagsiling si Noemi, “Pauli kamo sa inyo, mga anak. Ngaa maupod pa kamo sa akon? Nagahunahuna bala kamo nga makapamana pa ako kag makapamata sang mga lalaki nga pamanahon ninyo? Indi ina mahimo kay tigulang na ako. Pero butang ta abi nga makapamana ako karon nga gab-i kag sa ulihi makapamata pa, 13ano, hulaton bala ninyo sila nga magdalagko? Indi lang bala anay kamo magpamana tungod lang sa ila? Indi puwede, mga anak. Sa pagkamatuod, mas mapait ang akon kabuhi sang sa inyo, kay ginapaantos ako sang Ginoo.”
14Naghibi naman sila sing tudo. Dayon naghalok si Orpah sa iya ugangan kag nagpauli,1:14 kag nagpauli: Ara ini sa Septuagint pero wala sa Hebreo. pero si Ruth iya nagpabilin kay Noemi. 15Nagsiling si Noemi, “Ti ato na ang imo bilas, nagbalik na siya sa iya mga kasimanwa kag sa iya dios,1:15 dios: ukon, mga dios. gani mag-upod ka sa iya.” 16Pero nagsabat si Ruth, “Indi ako pagpilita sa pagbiya sa imo, kay bisan diin ka magkadto didto man ako makadto, kag bisan diin ka mag-estar didto man ako maestar. Ang imo mga kasimanwa mangin akon man nga kasimanwa, kag ang imo Dios mangin akon man nga Dios. 17Kon diin ka mapatay, didto man ako mapatay kag didto man ilubong. Kabay pa nga silutan ako sang Ginoo sing puwerte gid kon magbulag ako sa imo, luwas lang kon mapatay na ako.”
18Sang makita ni Noemi nga desidido gid si Ruth sa pag-upod sa iya, naghipos na lang siya. 19Gani nagpadayon sila nga duha sa paglakat hasta nga nakaabot sila sa Betlehem. Pag-abot nila didto, nagkinagula1:19 nagkinagula: sa iban nga Bisaya, naggirinual. ang mga tawo. Nagsiling ang mga babayi, “Si Noemi gid bala ini?”
20Nagsiling si Noemi sa ila, “Indi ninyo ako pagtawga nga Noemi,1:20 Noemi: buot silingon sa Hebreo, manami. kundi tawga ninyo ako nga Mara,1:20 Mara: buot silingon sa Hebreo, mapait. kay ginpapait gid sang Makagagahom nga Dios ang akon kabuhi. 21Paghalin ko diri ara sa akon ang tanan, pero ginpabalik ako sang Ginoo nga wala-wala gid. Gani indi na ninyo ako pagtawga nga Noemi, kay ginpaantos ako sang Ginoo nga Makagagahom.”
22Nagasugod pa lang ang tig-alani sang barley sang pag-abot ni Noemi sa Betlehem upod sang iya umagad nga si Ruth nga Moabnon.
