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.
Nawomi ne Luusi
11:1 a Bal 2:16-18 b Lub 12:10; Zab 105:16 c Bal 3:30Awo olwatuuka mu nnaku ezo abalamuzi ze baafugiramu, enjala n’egwa mu nsi. Awo omusajja ow’e Besirekemu mu Yuda ne mukazi we, ne batabani be bombi, ne basengukira mu nsi ya Mowaabu. 21:2 Lub 35:19Erinnya ly’omusajja yali Erimereki, erya mukazi we Nawomi, n’amannya ga batabani be bombi, Maloni ne Kiriyoni. Baali Bayefulaasi1:2 Erinnya Bayefulaasi liva mu nju Erimereki mw’asibuka. Erimereki yabbula erinnya Efulaasi okuva mu nnyumba ye mu kifo gye yali abeera, okumpi n’e Besirekemu (4:11; Lub 35:19; 1Sa 17:12; Mi 5:2) ab’e Besirekemu mu Yuda, bwe baatuuka mu nsi ya Mowaabu, ne babeera omwo.
3Naye Erimereki bba wa Nawomi n’afa; nnamwandu Nawomi n’asigalawo ne batabani be bombi. 41:4 Mat 1:5Batabani be baawasa ku bakazi Abamowaabu, omu Olupa, n’omulala Luusi, ne babeera eyo okumala emyaka nga kkumi.
5Oluvannyuma Maloni ne Kiriyoni ne bafa, Nawomi n’asigala nga talina baana wadde bba.
61:6 a Kuv 4:31; Yer 29:10; Zef 2:7 b Zab 132:15; Mat 6:11Bwe yawulira ng’ali mu nsi ya Mowaabu nti Mukama Katonda yajjira abantu be n’abawa emmere, n’agolokoka ne baka baana be okuddayo mu Isirayiri. 7Ye ne baka baana be, ne bava mu kifo mwe baali, ne bakwata ekkubo okuddayo mu nsi ya Yuda.
81:8 a Lus 2:20; 2Ti 1:16 b nny 5Awo Nawomi n’agamba baka baana be nti, “Mugende muddeeyo buli muntu mu nnyumba ya nnyina1:8 Abawala ne bannamwandu baabeeranga ne bannyaabwe (Lub 24:28, 67). Kitaawe wa Luusi yali akyali mulamu (2:11)., era Mukama Katonda abakolere ebyekisa, nga nammwe bwe mwakolera abaafa era ne bye mwakolera nze. 91:9 Lus 3:1Mukama Katonda abawe omukisa era buli omu ku mmwe, amuwe omusajja omulala.” N’alyoka abanywegera, nabo ne bayimusa amaloboozi gaabwe, ne bakaaba amaziga, 10nga bagamba nti, “Nedda, tuligenda naawe ng’oddayo eri abantu bo.” 111:11 Lub 38:11; Ma 25:5Naye Nawomi n’abagamba nti, “Muddeeyo ewammwe bawala bange. Kiki ekibaagaza okugenda nange? Sikyasobola kuzaala baana balala bafuuke babba mmwe1:11 Ekyo kyogera ku mpisa y’Ekiyudaaya egamba nti nnamwandu atalina mwana ateekwa kufumbirwa muganda w’omugenzi bba (Lub 38:6-8; Ma 25:5-10). 12Mweddireyo ewammwe, bawala bange, kubanga nze nkaddiye nnyo sikyafumbirwa. Ne bwe nnandifumbiddwa ne nzaala abaana aboobulenzi; 131:13 Bal 2:15; Yob 4:5; 19:21; Zab 32:4mwandibalindiridde okutuusa lwe bandikuze nga temunnafumbirwa? Nedda, bawala bange. Nnumwa nnyo okusinga mmwe, kubanga omukono gwa Mukama Katonda tegubadde nange.”
141:14 a Lus 2:11 b Nge 17:17; 18:24Bwe baawulira ekyo, ne baddamu okukaaba. Awo Olupa n’anywegera nnyazaala we, n’amusiibula. Naye Luusi namunywererako ddala.
151:15 Yos 24:14; Bal 11:24Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba ekyo, namugamba nti, “Laba, munno azzeeyo eri abantu be ne balubaale be, naawe kwata ekkubo omugoberere.” 161:16 a 2Bk 2:2 b Lus 2:11, 12Naye Luusi n’amwegayirira ng’agamba nti, “Tompaliriza kukuvaako, wadde obutakugoberera, kubanga gy’onoogendanga, nange gye nnaagendanga, gy’onooberanga, nange gye nnaaberanga, era abantu bo be banaabanga abantu bange, era ne Katonda wo y’anaaberanga Katonda wange. 171:17 1Sa 3:17; 25:22; 2Sa 19:13; 2Bk 6:31Gy’olifiira nange gye ndifiira era eyo gye balinziika. Mukama Katonda ankangavvule nnyo bwe ndyawukana naawe wabula mpozi okufa.” 181:18 Bik 21:14Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba nga Luusi amaliridde okugenda naye, n’atayongerako kigambo kirala.
191:19 Mat 21:10Oluvannyuma bombi ne batambula okutuuka e Besirekemu. Bwe batuuka e Besirekemu, ekibuga kyonna ne kisasamala ku lwabwe, era abakazi ne beebuuza nti, “Ddala ono ye Nawomi?”
201:20 a Kuv 6:3 b nny 13; Yob 6:4Bwe yawulira ekyo, n’abaddamu nti, “Temumpita Nawomi, naye mumpite Mala, kubanga Mukama Ayinzabyonna yalumya obulamu bwange n’okukaawa bunkayiridde. 211:21 Yob 1:21Nagenda nnina ebintu bingi, naye Mukama Katonda ankomezzaawo nga sirina kantu, kale lwaki mumpita Nawomi? Katonda Ayinzabyonna yandeetera okubonaabona.”
221:22 a Kuv 9:31; Lus 2:23 b 2Sa 21:9Bw’atyo Nawomi n’akomawo e Besirekemu, okuva mu Mowaabu ne muka mwana we Luusi Omumowaabu, mu kiseera eky’okukungula sayiri1:22 Sayiri ye yasookanga okukungulwa. Eŋŋaano yakungulwanga wayiseewo wiiki nnyigiko (laba 2:23) nga kyakatandika.
