Naomi Loses Her Husband and Sons
1In the days when the judges ruled,1:1 Traditionally judged there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
3Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”
14At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung 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 urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20“Don’t call me Naomi,1:20 Naomi means pleasant.” she told them. “Call me Mara,1:20 Mara means bitter. because the Almighty1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21 has made my life very bitter. 21I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted1:21 Or has testified against me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
22So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
Elimelek Tutu Kɔtena Moab
1Bere a na atemmufo di Israel so no, ɔkɔm baa asase no so. Ɔbarima bi a ofi Betlehem wɔ Yuda ne ne yere ne ne mmabarima baanu tutu fii asase no so kɔtenaa Moab. 2Na ɔbarima no din de Elimelek1.2 Wonyaa din Efrati fii abusua a Elimelek fi mu no. Ɛno nti, Elimelek de nʼabusua din no ɔmantam a ɛbɛn Betlehem a ɛtɔ da a wɔfrɛ no Betlehem Efrata no (4.11; 1 Mose 35.19; 1 Sam 17.12; Mika 5.2). na ne yere nso din de Naomi. Ne mmabarima baanu no nso, na wɔn din de Mahlon ne Kilion. Wɔyɛ Efratifo a wofi Betlehem wɔ Yuda. Wɔkɔɔ Moab kɔtenaa hɔ. 3Ɛbaa sɛ Naomi kunu Elimelek wu ma ɛkaa ne mmabarima baanu no. 4Wɔwarewaree Moabfo mmea. Na ɔbaako din de Orpa na nea ɔka ho no nso din de Rut. Wɔtenaa hɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mfe du no, 5Mahlon ne Kilion nso wuwui. Enti ɛmaa Naomi tenaa ase a wahwere ne mmabarima baanu no ne ne kunu.
6Bere a ɔtee wɔ Moab hɔ sɛ Awurade abɛdom ne nkurɔfo a wɔwɔ Yuda na wama wɔn aduan no, Naomi ne ne nsenom yi yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ wɔrefi Moab asan akɔ ne kurom. 7Ɔne ne nsenom baanu yi tutu fii beae hɔ faa kwan a ɛde wɔn bɛkɔ akosi Yuda so.
8Afei, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ ne nsenom yi se, “Monsan nkɔ mo nanom fi. Awurade ne mo nni no yiye sɛnea mo ne awufo ne me dii no yiye no. 9Awurade mmoa mo mu biara na onya ɔhome wɔ okunu foforo fi.” Afei, ofifew wɔn ano na wɔn nyinaa maa wɔn nne so sui.
10Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Naomi se, “Yɛne wo bɛsan akɔ wo nkurɔfo nkyɛn.”
11Nanso Naomi kae se, “Me mma, monsan nkɔ fie. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mo ne me kɔ? Merekɔwo mmabarima bio a wobetumi awareware mo ana? 12Me mma, monsan nkɔ fie. Manyin, sɛ meware kunu bio a, ɛrenyɛ yiye. Mpo, sɛ midwen sɛ anidaso bi wɔ hɔ ma me sɛ nso anadwo yi ara minya okunu na me ne no wo mmabarima a, 13mobɛtwɛn kosi sɛ wobenyinyin? Mobɛtena atwɛn wɔn ana? Dabi, me mma. Asɛm no yɛ den ma me sen mo, efisɛ Awurade ayi ne nsa afi me so!”
14Wɔsan twaa adwo bio. Afei, Orpa few nʼase ano de gyaa no kwan, nanso Rut bebaree Naomi sɛ ɔne no bɛtena.
15Nanso Naomi ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Hwɛ, wo kora asan kɔ ne nkurɔfo ne nʼanyame nkyɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nso woyɛ saa ara.”
16Na Rut buae se, “Nhyɛ me sɛ mimfi wo nkyɛn nsan nkɔ. Baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ hɔ bi na baabiara a wobɛtena no nso, mɛtena hɔ bi. Wo nkurɔfo bɛyɛ me nkurɔfo na wo Nyankopɔn ayɛ me Nyankopɔn. 17Baabi a wubewu no, mewu hɔ bi na wɔasie me hɔ. Sɛ mamma owu antetew me ne wo ntam na ɛnam biribi foforo biara so a, Awurade ntwe mʼaso.” 18Enti Naomi huu sɛ Rut ayɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔne no bɛkɔ no, ogyaa ne pɛ maa no.
19Ɛno nti, wɔn baanu no toaa wɔn akwantu no so. Bere a woduu Betlehem no, wɔn nti kurow mu no nyinaa bɔɔ twi. Mmea no bisae se, “Naomi ni ana?”
20Ɔkae se, “Mommfrɛ me Naomi, na mmom, momfrɛ me Mara, efisɛ Awurade ama asetena ayɛ nwen ama me. 21Merefi ha akɔ no na mewɔ biribiara, nanso Awurade de me aba fie nsapan. Adɛn nti na mofrɛ me Naomi wɔ bere a Awurade ama mahu amane na Otumfo de saa abɛbrɛsɛ yi aba me so?”
22Enti Naomi fi Moab bae a, nʼase Rut, Moabni babun ka ne ho. Woduu Betlehem atokotwa bere mfiase no mu.
