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 Pakikiramay ni Ruth kay Naomi
1-2Noong panahon na hindi pa mga hari ang namumuno1:1-2 Noong panahon … namumuno: sa literal, Noong panahon na ang mga “shoftim” (mga pinuno/hukom) ang siyang namumuno. sa Israel, nagkaroon ng taggutom sa lupaing ito. Kaya si Elimelec na taga-Betlehem na sakop ng Juda ay pumunta sa Moab kasama ang asawa at dalawang anak niyang lalaki, para roon muna manirahan. Ang pangalan ng asawa niya ay Naomi at ang dalawang anak nila ay sina Mahlon at Kilion. Mga angkan sila ni Efrata na taga-Betlehem.
Habang naroon sila sa Moab, 3namatay si Elimelec, kaya si Naomi at ang dalawa niyang anak na lalaki ang naiwan. 4Nag-asawa ang mga anak niya ng mga Moabita. Ang pangalan ng isa ay Orpah at Ruth naman ang isa. Pagkalipas ng mga sampung taon, 5namatay sina Mahlon at Kilion, kaya si Naomi na lang ang naiwan.
6Nang mabalitaan ni Naomi na pinagpala ng Panginoon ang bayan niya sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng mabuting ani, naghanda siya at ang mga manugang niya para bumalik sa Juda. 7At habang naglalakbay na sila pabalik sa Juda, 8sinabi ni Naomi sa dalawang manugang niya, “Bumalik na lang kayo sa inyong ina. Pagpalain nawa kayo ng Panginoon sa mabuti ninyong pakikitungo sa mga yumao ninyong asawa at sa akin. 9At loobin sana ng Panginoon na makapag-asawa kayong muli para magkaroon kayo ng maayos na kalagayan sa panibagong tahanan.”
Pagkatapos, hinalikan sila ni Naomi. Humagulgol sila 10at sinabi sa kanya, “Sasama kami sa inyo sa pagbalik nʼyo sa kababayan ninyo.” 11-12Pero sinabi ni Naomi, “Umuwi na kayo mga anak. Bakit pa kayo sasama sa akin? Akala nʼyo ba makakapag-asawa pa ako at makakapanganak ng mga lalaking mapapangasawa ninyo? Hindi na maaari dahil matanda na ako. Pero ipagpalagay natin na makapag-asawa ako ngayong gabi at magkaanak pa, 13hihintayin nʼyo ba silang lumaki? Hindi ba kayo mag-aasawa alang-alang sa kanila? Hindi maaari mga anak. Ang totoo, mas mapait ang sinapit ko kaysa sa inyo, dahil pinahirapan ako ng Panginoon.”
14At umiyak na naman sila nang malakas. Pagkatapos, hinalikan ni Orpah ang biyenan niya at umuwi,1:14 at umuwi: Itoʼy nasa Septuagint pero wala sa Hebreo. pero si Ruth naman ay nagpaiwang kasama ni Naomi. 15Sinabi ni Naomi, “Bumalik na ang bilas mo sa mga kababayan niya at sa kanyang dios,1:15 dios: o, mga dios. kaya sumama ka na rin sa kanya.” 16Pero sumagot si Ruth, “Huwag po ninyo akong piliting iwan kayo, dahil kung saan kayo pupunta, doon din ako pupunta, at kung saan kayo tumira, doon din po ako titira. Ang mga kababayan nʼyo ay magiging kababayan ko rin, at ang Dios ninyo ay magiging Dios ko rin. 17Kung saan kayo mamamatay, doon din po ako mamamatay at ililibing. Parusahan nawa ako ng Panginoon nang mabigat kapag humiwalay ako sa inyo, maliban na lang kung ang kamatayan na ang maghihiwalay sa ating dalawa.”
18Nang makita ni Naomi na desidido si Ruth na sumama sa kanya, tumahimik na lang siya. 19Kaya nagpatuloy silang dalawa sa paglalakbay hanggang sa nakarating sila sa Betlehem. Ang lahat ng taoʼy nabigla sa kanilang pagdating. Sinabi ng mga babae, “Si Naomi ba talaga ito?”
20Sinabi ni Naomi sa kanila, “Huwag nʼyo na akong tawaging Naomi,1:20 Naomi: Ang ibig sabihin, masarap. kundi tawagin ninyo akong Mara,1:20 Mara: Ang ibig sabihin, mapait. dahil pinapait ng Makapangyarihang Dios ang buhay ko. 21Pag-alis ko rito ay nasa sa akin ang lahat, pero ibinalik ako ng Panginoon nang walang-wala. Kaya huwag na ninyo akong tawaging Naomi, dahil pinahirapan ako ng Makapangyarihang Panginoon.”
22Nagsisimula pa lang ang anihan ng sebada1:22 sebada: sa Ingles, “barley.” nang dumating si Naomi sa Betlehem kasama ang manugang niyang si Ruth na Moabita.
