1 Soģu valdības laikā zemē izcēlās bads. Kāds vīrs no Jūdas Bētlemes gāja, lai apmestos Moāba zemē, - viņš pats, viņa sieva un abi viņa dēli. 2 Šī vīra vārds bija Ēlimelehs, viņa sievas vārds bija Naomija, un viņa abu dēlu vārdi bija Mahlons un Kiljons; viņi bija efratieši no Jūdas Bētlemes. Viņi nonāca Moāba zemē un tur palika. 3 Ēlimelehs, Naomijas vīrs, nomira, un viņa palika ar saviem abiem dēliem. 4 Tie ņēma sev moābiešu sievas: vienas vārds bija Orpa, un otras vārds bija Rute. Viņi dzīvoja tur kādus desmit gadus. 5 Tad nomira abi - Mahlons un Kiljons. Tā šī sieva palika viena pēc abu dēlu un vīra nāves. 6 Nu viņa kopā ar savām vedeklām posās atgriezties atpakaļ no Moāba zemes, jo viņa bija tur dzirdējusi, ka Tas Kungs esot labvēlīgi uzlūkojis Savu tautu, dodams tai maizi. 7 Viņa kopā ar savām vedeklām atstāja vietu, kur viņa bija, un gāja atpakaļ uz Jūdas zemi. 8 Ceļā Naomija sacīja abām savām vedeklām: "Ejiet, griezieties atpakaļ katra savas mātes mājā, un Tas Kungs lai parāda jums mīlestību, tāpat kā jūs esat to parādījušas man un abiem nelaiķiem. 9 Tas Kungs lai dod jums atrast mieru katrai sava vīra namā." Tad viņa tās skūpstīja, bet tās sāka skaļā balsī raudāt 10 un atbildēja viņai: "Mēs gribam iet tev līdzi pie tavas tautas." 11 Tad Naomija sacīja: "Griezieties atpakaļ, manas meitas, kādēļ jums nākt man līdzi? Vai man būtu vēl dēli manā klēpī, kas varētu jums kļūt par vīriem? 12 Griezieties atpakaļ, manas meitas, ejiet, jo esmu par vecu, lai ietu pie vīra. Ja arī es sacītu: man ir cerības, - un ja pat šo nakti es ietu pie vīra un dzemdētu dēlus, 13 vai jūs gan gaidītu, līdz kamēr tie izaugtu? Vai jūs gan noslēgtos, neiedamas pie vīra? Nē, manas meitas, jo man ir pārāk sāpīgi jūsu dēļ, ka Tā Kunga roka ir mani skārusi." 14 Tad viņas vēl skaļāk raudāja, un Orpa deva skūpstu savai vīramātei, bet Rute pieglaudās viņai. 15 Tad tā viņai sacīja: "Lūk, tava svaine ir atgriezusies pie savas tautas un pie saviem dieviem, seko arī tu savai svainei." 16 Bet Rute atbildēja: "Nespied mani tevi atstāt un no tevis aiziet, jo, kurp tu iesi, es iešu un, kur tu mitīsi, es mitīšu; tava tauta būs mana tauta, un tavs Dievs būs mans Dievs. 17 Kur tu mirsi, es miršu, un tur es gribu būt arī apglabāta. Lai Tas Kungs dara man tā un vēl vairāk, tiešām, nāve vien spēs šķirt mani un tevi." 18 Un, kad Naomija redzēja, ka viņa nelokāmi paliek pie sava nodoma iet viņai līdzi, viņa mitējās viņu pierunāt. 19 Tā viņas abas gāja tālāk, līdz nonāca Bētlemē. Un, kad viņas ienāca Bētlemē, tad visā pilsētā viņu dēļ radās satraukums. Un bija dzirdamas runas: vai šī nav Naomija? 20 Viņa sacīja tām: "Nesauciet mani - Naomija , bet sauciet mani - Māra , jo Visuvarenais man ir licis pieredzēt daudz rūgtuma. 21 Pilnībā es aizgāju, un tukšai Tas Kungs man ir licis atgriezties. Kādēļ jūs mani saucat Naomija, ja Tas Kungs mani ir pazemojis un Visuvarenais mani ir apbēdinājis?" 22 Tā Naomija atgriezās un līdz ar viņu moābiete Rute, viņas vedekla, kas bija atnākusi no Moāba zemes. Viņas ieradās Bētlemē 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.
