Elimeleki ne nsha uwe ku Moabu
1 Kwakati mu misi yakabe ibusa Basumikilisi kukabe ne bhamba mu shango. Ngono mmwe nlume we Bhetelehema mu ntuthu we Juda kayenda kunolubila mu shango ye Moabu ana nkadzi uwe ne bakololo babe babili. 2 Zina le nlume iwoyo lakabe liyi Elimeleki le nkadzi uwe kuyi Naomi, mazina e bakololo babe kuyi Mahiloni na Kilioni, bali Baefurata be Bhetelehema mu Juda. Bakayenda ku shango ye Moabu bakanogalako. 3 Elimeleki nlume wa Naomi kafa, ngono Naomi kasala ne bakololo babe babili. 4 Bakololo ibabo bakalobola bakadzi be Moabu, zina le mmwe kuyi Opha, le mmwe kuyi Ruti, ngono bakagala ikoko makole ali gumi. 5 Mahiloni na Kilioni bakafabo, ndizo Naomi kasala asitjina bana ne nlume.
Naomi na Ruti banobgwilila ku Bhetelehema
6 Ipapo kamilika ne balongo babe kubgwilila kanyi kwabo, ngobe ahwa ali mu Moabu kuti Yahwe bakakumbula bathu babo bakabapa zojiwa. 7 Kadwa ne balongo babe babili kwaakabe egala, bakatola zila kubgwilila ku shango ye Juda. 8 Ngono Naomi kadwa balongo babe babili kati, “Yendani mmwe ne mmwe wenyu abgwilile ku nzi wa mmeyabe. Yahwe bamubhate zubuyanana sekwa makabhata bafi nami. 9 Yahwe bamupe kugadzikana, mmwe ne mmwe wenyu mu nzi we nlume unowonlobola.” Ipapo kabaputa, ngono bakamilidza mahwi abo bakalila. 10 Bakandwa bakati, “Aa, iswi tobgwilila namwi ku bathu bakanyi kwenyu.”
11 Ngono Naomi kabe eti, “Bgwililani bana bangu. Mowobe muyendilani nami? Apa kutjina bamwe bakololo mu ntumbu wangu bangamulobola kene? 12 Bgwililani bana bangu. Yendani zwenyu, ngoti ndakwegula andingatjabe ne nlume. Na iko ha ndingati ndina kugalabgwe kuti ndingawana nlume mu busiku igogu abe ne bakololo, 13 mungabalindila kuswikila bekula kene? Mungagala musina balume? Aa, bana bangu, ndakabhaika kwazo kupinda sekwa muli iko, ngoti tjiazha tja Yahwe tjobhayana nami.”
14 Ipapo bakamilidza mahwi abo kakale, bakalila kwazo. Opha kaputa mmezwale babe kabawoneka, koga Ruti kabanamatila. 15 Naomi kabe eti, “Bona nlongwana uwo wabgwilila kuna bakanyi kwabo ne ku midzimu iye, bgwilila naye.”
16 Koga Ruti kashandula eti,
“Musinditshindilidze kuthubukana namwi
ne kuti ndisimutobele,
ngoti kwamunoyenda ndowoyendaboko
ne kwamunolala ndowolalaboko,
bakanyi kwenyu banowobe bakanyi kwangubo
ne Ndzimu wenyu unowobe Ndzimu wangubo.
17 Pamunofila ndowofilabopo
abuya abiganyiwapo.
“Yahwe bandilobe bapaphulule, ha tjimwe tjingandithubukanya namwi kuzhe kwe lufu.”
18 Naomi kati ebona kuti Ruti wakazwimisila kuyenda naye, kanletja. 19 Ndizo bubili gwabo bakayenda kudzina benoswika ku Bhetelehema.
Bakati beswika mu Bhetelehema nzi wose ukadzongeka ngekwabo, ngono bakadzi bakati, “Ndi Naomi iwoyu kene?”
20 Naomi iye kabe eti ku bali, “Musindidane muti ‘Naomi,’ mundidane muti ‘Mara,’ ngoti Masimbawose bakathama kuti butjilo gwangu gubipe kwazo. 21 Imi ndakayenda ndakatuta, koga Yahwe bandibuza ndakalembedza maboko. Mondidanilani muti ‘Naomi?’ Yahwe bakandifupatila, Masimbawose bakandidziyidza.”
22 Ndizo Naomi kabuya edwa ku Moabu ana Ruti we N'moabu nlongo uwe, bakaswika mu Bhetelehema mu tjibaka tje kuvung'wa mathunde anoyi bhali.
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.