Ruth Is Loyal to Naomi
1-2 Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the clan of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed in Israel, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there, 3 Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.
4 Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later, 5 Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.
6-7 When Naomi heard that the Lord had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, 8 Naomi said to them, “Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you've always been kind to me. I pray that the Lord will be just as kind to you. 9 May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own.”
Naomi kissed them. They cried 10 and said, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”
11 But she replied, “My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry? 12 You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons, 13 would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the Lord has turned against me.”
14 They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her. 15 Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?”
16 Ruth answered,
“Please don't tell me
to leave you
and return home!
I will go where you go,
I will live where you live;
your people will be my people,
your God will be my God.
17 I will die where you die
and be buried beside you.
May the Lord punish me
if we are ever separated,
even by death!”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.
19 They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, “Can this really be Naomi?”
20 Then she told them, “Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter. 21 I had everything when I left, but the Lord has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?”
22 The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.
Nawomi niŋ Ruti
1 Kiitindirilaalu la marali tiloolu la, konko baa le be keriŋ nuŋ bankoo kaŋ. Wo kamma la, kewo doo le bota Betilehemu saatewo to Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ, a niŋ a la musoo niŋ a dinkee fula, ka taa sabati Mowabi bankoo kaŋ fo waati. 2 Ñiŋ kewo too mu Elimeleki le ti, a la musoo too mu Nawomi le ti, aniŋ a dinkee fuloo fanaa toolu mu Maaloni aniŋ Kiliyoni le ti. Efurata* kaabiila moolu le mu, Betilehemu saatewo to Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ. Bituŋ ì taata Mowabi bankoo kaŋ ka tara jee.
3 Ì la taroo jee, Elimeleki meŋ mu Nawomi keemaa ti, naata baŋ. Bituŋ a tuta, a niŋ a dinkee fuloo la. 4 Wo dinkee fuloo naata Mowabi musoolu le futuu. Doo too mu Oripa le ti, doo Ruti. Ì ye sanji taŋ ñoŋ kontoo le ke jee, 5 bituŋ Maaloni niŋ Kiliyoni bee naata baŋ. Saayiŋ, Nawomi niŋ a dinkee fuloo te, aniŋ a keemaa fanaa te.
6 Kabiriŋ a ye a moyi Mowabi bankoo kaŋ ko Yaawe* la deemaaroo naata a la moolu kaŋ ne domori kuwo la karoo la, bituŋ a niŋ a bitammusoolu pareeta ka muru suwo kono, ka bo Mowabi bankoo kaŋ. 7 A niŋ a bitammusu fuloo ye jee bula teŋ ne. Kabiriŋ ì be siloo kaŋ ka seyi Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ, 8 Nawomi ko a bitammusu fuloo ye ko, “Ali bee ye seyi ali baañolu yaa. Allamaa Yaawe ye hiinoo soto ali ye, ko ali ye hiinoo soto ali la saabantee furewolu ye ñaameŋ, ì niŋ nte faŋo. 9 Allamaa Yaawe ye dahaa dii ali bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa la ali kee koteŋolu la buŋolu kono.” A ye ì sumbu. Kabiriŋ a ye ì sumbu, ì kumboota ka wuuri santo, 10 ì ko a ye ko, “Ntolu niŋ i be muru la i la moolu yaa le.”
11 Bari Nawomi ko ì ye le ko, “N dimmusoolu, ali muru suwo kono! Muŋ ne ye a tinna alitolu niŋ nte be taa? Fo nte be naa dinkewolu le soto la baŋ kotenke, mennu be naa alitolu futuu la? 12 N dimmusoolu, dukaree, ali muru suwo kono! Nte keebaayaata le ka kewo soto kotenke. Bari hani niŋ wo jikoo be n ye, niŋ ŋa kewo soto ñiŋ suutoo faŋo, ŋa dinkewolu soto a la, 13 alitolu si wolu batu noo baŋ, fo ì ye meŋ? Fo ì batoo si ali bali noo futuwo la baŋ? Ali te wo noo la, n dimmusoolu! Ñiŋ niikuyaa warata nte le kaŋ ka tambi alitolu la, kaatu Yaawe ye a koo dii n na le.”
14 Kabiriŋ a ye wo fo, ì kumboota kotenke. Wo le to Oripa ye a bitammusu sumbu, a muruta suwo kono, bari Ruti, wo balanta ka muru. 15 Nawomi ko a ye ko, “A juubee, i kansiinaa musu be muru kaŋ ka taa a la moolu yaa aniŋ a la alla kaŋ. I niŋ a ye muru ñoo la.”
16 Bari Ruti ko a ye le ko, “Kana nte marisa ka bo i bala, waraŋ ka n koo dii i la. I taata daa-wo-daa, nte be taa la jee le, aduŋ i be sabati la daa-wo-daa, m fanaa be sabati la wo le to. I la moolu be ke la n na moolu le ti, aniŋ i la Alla fanaa be ke la n na Alla le ti. 17 I faata daa-wo-daa, m be faa la wo le to, aduŋ m be baadee la jee le to. Allamaa Yaawe ye n yankankati, niŋ kuu doo ye nte niŋ ite talandi, meŋ maŋ ke saayaa ti.”
18 Kabiriŋ Nawomi ye a je ko, Ruti ye a niŋ a la taa laa a niyo le kaŋ, a ye a bula. 19 Bituŋ ì moo fuloo naata taa, fo ì futata Betilehemu. Kabiriŋ ì futata Betilehemu, saatewo bee dunta ñoo to ì la kuwo kamma la. Jee musoolu ko, “Fo ñiŋ si ke noo Nawomi ti baŋ?”
20 Nawomi naata a fo ì ye ko, “Ali kana nte kumandi Nawomi la. Ali n kumandi Mara la, kaatu Alla Tallaa ye nte niyo kuyandi le. 21 M bulu faariŋo le bota jaŋ, bari Yaawe ye m bulu kenseŋo le murundi naŋ. Ali ka nte kumandi Nawomi la muŋ ne la? Yaawe Alla Tallaa ye bataa kuwo le laa n kaŋ, a ye niikuyaa kuwo le laa nte kaŋ.”
22 Nawomi la Mowabi bankoo buloo keta wo le ñaama, a niŋ Ruti Mowabinkoo, a bitammusu. Ì la futoo Betilehemu, wo waatoo le mu baali* siimaŋ katoo datita.
