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
1Ɛberɛ a na atemmufoɔ di Israel so no, ɛkɔm baa asase no so. Ɔbarima bi a ɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda ne ne yere ne ne mmammarima baanu tutu firii asase no so kɔtenaa Moab. 2Na ɔbarima no din de Elimelek1.2 Wɔnyaa edin Efrati firii abusua a Elimelek firi mu no. Ɛno enti, Elimelek de nʼabusua din no too ɔmantam a ɛbɛn Betlehem a ɛtɔ da a wɔfrɛ no Betlehem Efrati no (4.11; 1 Mose 35.19; 1 Sam 17.12; Mika 5.2). ɛnna ne yere nso din de Naomi. Ne mmammarima baanu no nso, na wɔn din de Mahlon ne Kilion. Wɔyɛ Efratifoɔ a wɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda. Wɔkɔɔ Moab kɔtenaa hɔ. 3Ɛbaa sɛ Naomi kunu Elimelek wuiɛ ma ɛkaa ne mmammarima baanu no. 4Wɔwarewaree Moabfoɔ mmaa. Na ɔbaako din de Orpa na deɛ ɔka ho no nso din de Rut. Wɔtenaa hɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mfeɛ edu no, 5Mahlon ne Kilion nso wuwuiɛ. Enti, ɛmaa Naomi tenaa ase a wahwere ne mmammarima baanu no ne ne kunu.
6Ɛberɛ a ɔtee wɔ Moab hɔ sɛ Awurade abɛdom ne nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yuda na wama wɔn aduane no, Naomi ne ne nsenom yi yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ wɔrefiri Moab asane akɔ ne kurom. 7Ɔne ne nsenom baanu yi tutu firii beaeɛ hɔ faa ɛkwan a ɛde wɔn bɛkɔ akɔsi Yuda so.
8Afei, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ ne nsenom yi sɛ, “Monsane nkɔ mo maamenom fie. Awurade ne mo nni no yie sɛdeɛ mo ne awufoɔ ne me dii no yie no. 9Awurade mmoa mo mu biara na ɔnnya ɔhome wɔ okunu foforɔ fie.” Afei, ɔfefee wɔn ano na wɔn nyinaa maa wɔn nne so suiɛ.
10Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Naomi sɛ, “Yɛne wo bɛsane akɔ wo nkurɔfoɔ nkyɛn.”
11Nanso, Naomi kaa sɛ, “Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mo ne me kɔ? Merekɔwo mmammarima bio a wɔbɛtumi awareware mo anaa? 12Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Manyini, sɛ meware kunu bio a, ɛrenyɛ yie. Mpo, sɛ medwene sɛ anidasoɔ bi wɔ hɔ ma me sɛ nso anadwo yi ara mɛnya kunu na me ne no wo mmammarima a, 13mobɛtwɛn kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛnyinyini? Mobɛtena atwɛn wɔn anaa? Dabi, me mma. Asɛm no yɛ den ma me sen mo, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ayi ne nsa afiri me so!”
14Wɔsane twaa adwo bio. Afei, Orpa fee nʼase ano de gyaa no kwan, nanso Rut bebaree Naomi sɛ ɔne no bɛtena.
15Nanso, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ, wo kora asane kɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ ne nʼanyame nkyɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nso woyɛ saa ara.”
16Na Rut buaa sɛ, “Nhyɛ me sɛ memfiri wo nkyɛn nsane nkɔ. Baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ hɔ bi na baabiara a wobɛtena no nso, mɛtena hɔ bi. Wo nkurɔfoɔ bɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ na wo Onyankopɔn ayɛ me Onyankopɔn. 17Baabi a wobɛwuo no, mɛwu hɔ bi na wɔasie me hɔ. Sɛ mamma owuo antete me ne wo ntam na ɛnam biribi foforɔ biara so a, Awurade ntwe mʼaso.” 18Enti, Naomi hunuu sɛ Rut ayɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔne no bɛkɔ no, ɔgyaa ne pɛ maa no.
19Ɛno enti, wɔn baanu no toaa wɔn akwantuo no so. Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Betlehem no, wɔn enti kuro mu no nyinaa bɔɔ twi. Mmaa no bisaa sɛ, “Naomi nie anaa?”
20Ɔkaa sɛ, “Mommfrɛ me Naomi, na mmom, momfrɛ me Mara, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ama asetena ayɛ nwono ama me. 21Merefiri ha akɔ no na mewɔ biribiara nanso, Awurade de me aba fie nsapan. Adɛn enti na mofrɛ me Naomi wɔ ɛberɛ a Awurade ama me ahunu amane na Otumfoɔ de saa abɛbrɛsɛ yi aba me so?”
22Enti, Naomi firi Moab baeɛ a, nʼase Rut, Moabni babunu ka ne ho. Wɔduruu Betlehem atokotwa berɛ ahyɛaseɛ no mu.
