Elīmelehs ar ģimeni dodas uz Moāba zemi
1 Tas notika soģu valdīšanas laikā. Zemē bija bads, un kāds vīrs devās no Betlēmes Jūdā, lai apmestos Moāba laukos, – viņš pats, viņa sieva un divi viņa dēli. 2 Šā vīra vārds bija Elīmelehs, viņa sievu sauca Naomi un abus viņa dēlus – Mahlons un Kiljons, tie bija efrātieši no Betlēmes Jūdā. Viņi devās uz Moāba laukiem un dzīvoja tur. 3 Bet Elīmelehs, Naomi vīrs, nomira un atstāja viņu ar abiem dēliem. 4 Tie ņēma sev sievas moābietes. Vienas vārds bija Orpa un otras vārds – Rute. Viņi tur dzīvoja kādus desmit gadus. 5 Bet arī tie abi nomira – Mahlons un Kiljons. Tā šī sieva palika bez abiem bērniem un vīra.
Naomi un viņas vedeklas
6 Kad viņa Moāba laukos uzzināja, ka Kungs ir gādājis par savu tautu un devis tai maizi, viņa kopā ar abām vedeklām cēlās, lai dotos atpakaļ no Moāba laukiem. 7 Viņa atstāja vietu, kur bija dzīvojusi, un abas vedeklas devās ceļā kopā ar viņu, lai atgrieztos Jūdas zemē. 8 Tad Naomi teica abām vedeklām: “Ejiet, atgriezieties katra savas mātes namā, un Kungs būs jums žēlīgs, un arī jūs esat tādas bijušas pret abiem mirušajiem un mani. 9 Kungs jums dos – jūs atradīsiet drošību katra sava vīra namā.” Un viņa tās skūpstīja, bet tās sāka raudāt. 10 Viņas teica: “Mēs kopā ar tevi atgriezīsimies pie tavas tautas!” 11 Bet Naomi sacīja: “Ejiet atpakaļ, manas meitas! Kāpēc lai jūs nāktu ar mani? Vai tad man vēl būtu dēli, kas kļūtu jums par vīriem? 12 Ejiet atpakaļ, manas meitas! Ejiet! Jo es esmu par vecu, lai būtu vīram. Ja es arī teiktu: man ir vēl cerība! – un pat ja es būtu naktī bijusi vīram un dzemdētu dēlus, 13 vai tāpēc jums gaidīt, kamēr tie izaug? Vai tāpēc jums ieslēgties, paliekot bez vīra? Nē, manas meitas! Man ir ļoti rūgti jūsu dēļ, jo Kunga roka nākusi pār mani.” 14 Tad viņas atkal sāka raudāt. Orpa atvadoties skūpstīja savu vīramāti, bet Rute pieglaudās tai. 15 Un Naomi sacīja: “Redzi, tava svaine dodas atpakaļ pie savas tautas un saviem dieviem. Dodies atpakaļ arī tu tāpat kā tava svaine.” 16 Bet Rute atbildēja: “Nespied mani tevi atstāt, ļauj sekot tev: kurp tu iesi – es iešu, kur tu mājosi – es mājošu, tava tauta būs mana tauta, tavs Dievs būs mans Dievs! 17 Kur tu mirsi – es miršu, un tur mani apraks. Lai Kungs dara man tā – un vēl pieliek! – nāve vien šķirs mani no tevis!”
18 Kad Naomi redzēja, ka viņa cieši apņēmusies nākt līdzi, viņa tai vairs neteica ne vārda. 19 Tā viņas abas gāja, līdz nonāca Betlēmē. Kad viņas ieradās Betlēmē, visa pilsēta sarosījās viņu dēļ, un sievas runāja: “Vai tik tā nav Naomi!?” 20 Bet viņa tām sacīja: “Nesauciet mani Naomi , sauciet mani – Mārā , jo Visuvarenais mani pārlieku sarūgtinājis. 21 Pilna es aizgāju, un tukšu mani Kungs ir pārvedis. Kāpēc gan jūs saucat mani Naomi, ja Kungs ir liecinājis pret mani un Visuvarenais man pāri darījis!” 22 Tā Naomi atgriezās, un kopā ar viņu no Moāba laukiem pārnāca viņas vedekla moābiete Rute. Viņas nonāca Betlēmē miežu pļaujas sākumā.
Elimelech and His Family Move to Moab
1-2 Long ago, in the days before Israel had a king, there was a famine in the land. So a man named Elimelech, who belonged to the clan of Ephrath and who lived in Bethlehem in Judah, went with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion to live for a while in the country of Moab. While they were living there, 3 Elimelech died, and Naomi was left alone with her two sons, 4 who married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. About ten years later 5 Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left all alone, without husband or sons.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6 Some time later Naomi heard that the Lord had blessed his people by giving them good crops; so she got ready to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law. 7 They started out together to go back to Judah, but on the way 8 she said to them, “Go back home and stay with your mothers. May the Lord be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died. 9 And may the Lord make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home.”
So Naomi kissed them good-bye. But they started crying 10 and said to her, “No! We will go with you to your people.”
11 “You must go back, my daughters,” Naomi answered. “Why do you want to come with me? Do you think I could have sons again for you to marry? 12 Go back home, for I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought there was still hope, and so got married tonight and had sons, 13 would you wait until they had grown up? Would this keep you from marrying someone else? No, my daughters, you know that's impossible. The Lord has turned against me, and I feel very sorry for you.”
14 Again they started crying. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye and went back home, but Ruth held on to her. 15 So Naomi said to her, “Ruth, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Go back home with her.”
16 But Ruth answered, “Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord's worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
19 They went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the whole town became excited, and the women there exclaimed, “Is this really Naomi?”
20 “Don't call me Naomi,” she answered; “call me Marah, because Almighty God has made my life bitter. 21 When I left here, I had plenty, but the Lord has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the Lord Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?”
22 This, then, was how Naomi came back from Moab with Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley harvest was just beginning.
