Ruth 1
1 Lokcaekkungnawk mah prae uk o nathuem ah, prae thungah khokhahaih to oh. To pongah Judah prae Bethlehem vangpui ah kaom kami maeto loe, a zu, a caa hnetto hoiah nawnto Moab prae ah khosak hanah caeh.
During the time before kings ruled Israel, (there was a famine/the people there had nothing to eat). There was a man who lived there whose name was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi, and his sons’ names were Mahlon and Chilion. They were all from Bethlehem [town], from the Ephrath [clan] in Judah [region].
2 To kami ih ahmin loe Elimelek, a zu ih ahmin loe Noami; a capa hnik ih ahmin loe Mahlon hoi Kilion. Nihcae loe Judah prae Bethelhem vangpui Ephrathah ih kami ah oh o. Nihcae loe Moab prae ah caeh o moe, to ah khosak o.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Naomi sava Elimelek to duek pacoengah, a zu loe a caa hnetto hoiah a hmaih.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 A capa hnik loe Moab tanuh to lak hoi; maeto loe Orpah, tiah kawk o moe, kalah maeto loe Ruth, tiah kawk o. Nihcae loe to prae ah saning hato oh o.
They married women from Moab. One of them was named Orpah, and the other one was named Ruth. But after they had lived in that area for about ten years,
5 Mahlon hoi Kilion doeh to ah hoi hmaek; to pacoengah Noami loe sava tawn ai, a capa hnik om ai ah khosak.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Moab prae ah a oh naah angmah ih kaminawk to caaknaek paek hanah, Angraeng mah paqai thui boeh, tiah Noami mah thaih naah, Naomi loe angmah ih langah hnik hoi nawnto Moab prae hoiah amlaem let hanah amsak.
One day while Naomi was in Moab, she heard someone say that Yahweh had helped his people in Israel and that now there was plenty of food to eat. So she prepared to return [to Bethlehem].
7 Anih loe a langah hnik hoi nawnto angthawk moe, Judah prae ah caeh.
She left the place where she had been living and started to walk [with her daughters-in-law] along the road back to Judah.
8 Naomi mah angmah ih langah hnik khaeah, Nam no im ah, amlaem hoi let halat ah; kadueh ka sava hoi capa hnik nuiah tahmenhaih na tawnh hoi baktih toengah, Angraeng mah tahmenhaih amtuengsak tih hmang.
Then as the three of them were walking, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you should turn around and go back to your mother’s home. You treated [your husbands] kindly [before] they died, and you have treated me kindly.
9 Sava na sak hoi let naah na sava im ah monghaih hoiah na oh hoi thai hanah, Angraeng mah abomh nasoe, tiah a naa. To pacoengah nihnik to a mok; to naah nihnik loe paroeai qah hoi.
Now I desire that Yahweh will enable each of you to have another husband in whose home you will [feel] secure.” Then she kissed both of them, and they cried aloud.
10 Anih khaeah, Kai hnik doeh na hnukah nangmah ih kaminawk khaeah kang zoh hoi toeng han, tiah a naa hoi.
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Toe Noami mah, Ka canu hnik, im ah amlaem hoi halat ah; tipongah ka hnukah nang zoh hoi han loe? Nang hnik mah sava ah lak koi ka zok thungah capa ka tawn vop maw?
But Naomi said, “No, my daughters, return home. (It will not do any good for you to come with me!/What good will it do for you to come with me?) [RHQ] Do you think I will get married again and have more sons who could become your husbands?
12 Ka canu hnik, amlaem hoi lai ah; kai loe sava sak let han ih doeh mitong boeh. Oep han om vop moe, vaiduem ah sava hoi nawnto ka oh pacoengah, capanawk ka sak langlacadoeh,
Even if I thought I could have another husband, and even if I got married today and became pregnant [EUP] tonight and later gave birth to sons,
13 nihcae qoeng khuek khoek to na zing hoi thai tih maw? Nihcae pongah sava sah ai ah na om hoi thai poe tih maw? Ka canu hnik, to tih na ai ni; Angraeng ih ban mah kai ang caeh taak boeh pongah, nang hnik hanah paroeai palung ka set, tiah a naa.
would you remain single/unmarried until they grew up [and became old enough] for you to marry? No, my daughters, [you would not do that]. Your situations are bad [because your husbands have died, but it is possible that you will each marry again]. My situation is much worse, because Yahweh [SYN] has opposed me, [and now I am too old to get married again].”
14 To pongah nihik loe qah hoi let; to pacoengah Orpah loe amni to mok moe, amlaem; toe Ruth loe amni khaeah bang khruek.
Then Ruth and Orpah cried again [because of what Naomi said]. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, [and left], but Ruth clung to Naomi.
15 To naah Noami mah, Khenah, nam nawk loe angmah ih kaminawk hoi angmah ih sithawnawk khaeah amlaem let boeh; nang doeh nam nawk hnukah amlaem toeng khae, tiah a naa.
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Toe Ruth mah, Kai na caeh taak hmah; na hnukah bang ai ah amlaemsak ving hmah; na caehhaih ahmuen ah ka caeh moe, na ohhaih ahmuen ah ka oh toeng han; nang ih kaminawk loe kai ih kami ah om o ueloe, na Sithaw loe ka Sithaw ah om tih.
But Ruth replied, “No! Don’t urge me to leave you! I [want to] go with you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and the God you [worship] will be the God I [worship].
17 Na duek naah ka duek moe, to ah kang phum toeng han; nang hoi kai loe duekhaih khue mah tapraek nasoe, to tiah ka om ai nahaeloe, Angraeng mah a koehhaih baktih toengah, ka nuiah danpaek nasoe, kanung parai ah danpaek nasoe, tiah a naa.
Where you die, I will die. Where you are buried, I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me severely if I separate from you. I will be separated from you only [when one of us] dies.”
18 Ruth loe anih hnukah bang han koeh tangtang, tiah Noami mah panoek naah, anih to anghngai taak duem.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 To pongah nihnik loe Bethlehem vangpui ah caeh hoi poe. Bethlehem vangpui a phak hoi naah, nihnik angzoh ti, tiah vangpui boih mah panoek o naah, Hae kami loe Noami na ai maw? tiah a thuih o.
So the two women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in town was excited [to see] them. The women [of the town] exclaimed, “(Can this be Naomi?/It is difficult to believe that this is Naomi!)” [RHQ]
20 To naah anih mah nihcae khaeah, Naomi, tiah na kawk o hmah lai ah; Thacak Angraeng mah ka hinghaih khaasak boeh pongah, Mara, tiah na kawk oh.
Naomi said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi, [which means ‘pleasant’]. Instead, call me Mara, [which means ‘bitter’], because God Almighty has made my life very unpleasant.
21 Ka tacawt naah hmuen boih kakoep ah ka tawnh; toe vaihi kam laem let naah loe, Angraeng mah bangkrai ah amlaemsak. Angraeng mah ang pahnaem tathuk moe, Thacak Angraeng mah amtangsak boeh pongah, tih hanah kai hae Naomi, tiah nang kawk o vop loe? tiah a naa.
When I left here, I [felt] rich, [because I had a family]. But Yahweh has brought me back here and now I [feel] poor, [because I have no family]. Do not call me Naomi [RHQ]. [I feel as though] Yahweh has spoken against (OR, afflicted) me. Almighty [God] has caused me to experience a great tragedy.”
22 To pongah Naomi loe Moab prae hoi kabang a langah Ruth hoi nawnto amlaem hoi moe, barli cang aahhaih tue phak naah Bethlehem vangpui to a phak hoi.
That [summarizes the account] of Naomi returning home along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, the woman from Moab. And [it happened that] when they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley [grain] harvest was just beginning.
