Ruth 1
1 Laitloek rhoek lai a tloek tue vaengah khohmuen ah khokha pai. Te dongah Judah Bethlehem lamkah hlang pakhat tah Moab kho ah bakuep ham a yuu neh a ca rhoi te a caeh puei.
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 Te hlang kah a ming tah Elimelekh tih a yuu ming tah Naomi, a ca rhoi ming tah Mahlon neh Kilion a ming nah. Amih rhoek tah Judah Bethlehem kah Ephraim lamloh Moab khohmuen la cet tih om uh.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Te vaengah Naomi tah a va Elimelekh te duek tih anih neh a ca rhoi la cul.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 A ca rhoi loh Moab nu a ming ah Orpah neh Ruth te a loh rhoi tih kum rha tluk om uh.
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 Tedae Mahlon neh Kilion khaw bok a duek bal dongah a va, a ca om kolla huta amah buengla cul.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Tedae BOEIPA loh a pilnam te buh paek ham a hip coeng tila Moab kho ah a yaak. Te dongah hlah uh tih a langa rhoi neh Moab kho lamloh bal.
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 Te dongah a om nah hmuen lamloh nong tih a langa rhoi neh amah neh Judah kho long la bal ham cet uh.
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 Tedae a langa rhoi taengah Naomi loh, “Cet rhoi lamtah na manu im la mael rhoi laeh. Aka duek rhoek neh kai taengah na saii vanbangla sitlohnah te nangmih rhoi taengah BOEIPA loh han saii khaw han saii khaming.
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 BOEIPA loh nangmih rhoi te m'pae saeh lamtah na va im kah duemnah khaw hmu rhoi van,” a ti nah tih amih rhoi te a mok hatah a ol a huel uh tih rhap uh.
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 Te phoeiah anih te, “Namah neh na pilnam taengla bal uh sih,” a ti na rhoi.
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Tedae Naomi loh, “Ka canu rhoi aw mael rhoi laeh. Kai taengla balae nan loh rhoi eh? Nangmih rhoi kah na va la aka poeh ham khaw ka ko khuiah camoe ka khueh pueng tih nim?
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 rhoi mael rhoi lamtah cet rhoi laeh, ka patong coeng he, va khueh ham khaw kai hamla ngaiuepnah om ka ti koinih hlaempang pakhat ah ka va taengla ka om vetih ca kan sak sue,
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 Te te a rhoeng duela na lamso rhoi aya? Hlang la aka poeh pawt te na oei rhoi aya? Ka ca rhoi aw te moenih ta. BOEIPA kut loh kai n'nan coeng dongah kai tah nangmih rhoi lakah ka phaep uh phat coeng,” a ti nah.
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 A ol a huel tih koep a rhah uh phoeiah tah Orpah loh a mani te a mok. Tedae Ruth long tah khak a lingven.
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 Te vaengah, “Na maya tah a pilnam taeng neh a pathen taengla bal ke! na maya neh bal laeh,” a ti nah.
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Tedae Ruth loh, “Nang hnoo ham neh nang hnuk lamkah bal ham tah kai he nan doo pawt mako, na pongpa nah ah ka pongpa vetih na rhaehba nah ah ka rhaehba ni, na pilnam khaw ka pilnam van, na Pathen khaw ka Pathen ni.
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 nah ah ka duek saeh lamtah pahoi ng'up uh van saeh. BOEIPA loh kai taengah han saii saeh lamtah hang khoep nawn saeh. Kai laklo neh nang laklo ah duek long mah n'tuiphih nawn saeh,” a ti nah.
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 A taengah caeh ham a ning mangkhak te a hmuh vaengah voek ham khaw a toeng.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 Te dongah amih rhoi te Bethlehem a pha duela cet rhoi. Bethlehem a pha rhoi van neh amih rhoi kongah khopuei boeih te pangngawl tih, “Naomi a te?” a ti uh.
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 Tedae amih taengah tah, “Kai he Naomi la ng'khue uh boeh, Tlungthang loh kai mat m'phaep coeng dongah kai he Mara la ng'khue uh mai.
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 Kai he khangrhueng la ka cet van dae BOEIPA loh kuttling la kai m'bal sak. Balae tih kai te Naomi la nang khue uh. BOEIPA loh kai n'doo tih Tlungthang loh kai soah thae a huet coeng,” a ti nah.
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 Naomi a bal vaengah Moab kho lamkah anih neh aka mael hmaih a langa Moab Ruth neh cangtun cangah cuek vaengah Bethlehem a pha rhoi.
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.
