< Ruth 1 >

1 Lawkcengkung ni a uknae tueng nah Isarel ram takang a tho teh, Judah ram Bethlehem tami buet touh teh a yucanaw hoi Moab kho kampuen hanlah a cei awh.
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 Ahnie min teh Elimelek. A yu min teh Naomi, a ca roi e a min teh Mahlon hoi Khilion. Ahnimouh teh Judah ram, Bethlehem kho, Ephraim tami lah ao. Moab ram lah a cei teh hawvah ao awh.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Naomi teh a vâ, Elimelek a due hnukkhu a capa roi hoi cungtalah kho a sak awh.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 A ca roi ni Moab napui, Orpah hoi Ruth hah a yu lah a la roi.
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 Hote ram dawk kum hra touh hane ao awh hnukkhu, hote a capa roi Mahlon hoi Khilion hai a due roi dawkvah Naomi teh a vâ hoi a ca laipalah ao.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Cathut ni a taminaw a khet teh khobu a tho sak tie Moab ram hoi a thai navah, Moab ram hoi ban hanlah a langa roi hoi a kamthaw awh teh,
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 Judah ram lah a cei awh.
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 Hatei, Naomi ni a langa roi hanlah na manu im lah ban roi leih, kadout tangcoung naw hoi kai koe na saknae phu teh Cathut ni yawhawi na poe roi lawiseh.
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 Nangmouh roi ni na vâ alouke na sak roi hnukkhu kanawmcalah na o roi nahan yawhawinae na poe lawiseh ati teh, a kut a man roi. Ahnimouh roi hai a khuika roi.
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 Bangtelah hai thoseh nama hoi cungtalah, na miphunnaw koe kâbang han atipouh roi.
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Naomi nihai, ka canu roi, ban roi leih. Bangkongmaw kai koe na kâbang roi han. kai teh nangmouh roi hanlah ka vonthung ca tongpa ka tawn rah 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 roi, ban roi leih. kai teh nangmouh roi na ngaihawi nahanelah ka kumcue toung dawkvah vâ hai ka tawn thai mahoeh toe. Hatei, vâ ka tawn nakunghai thoseh, sahnin tangmin vah ca tongpanaw ka khe ei nakunghai thoseh,
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 Ahnimouh a nawsai ditouh na ring thai han na maw. Vâ laipalah ahnimanaw ngaihawi rah vaw, ka canu roi hottelah nahoeh. Cathut e kut teh kai koe ao hoeh toung dawkvah nangmouh roi hanlah lungpatawnae ka tawn atipouh navah
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 Ahnimanaw teh puenghoi bout a ka awh. Hahoi, Orpah ni a mani hah a paco teh a imthungnaw koe a ban takhai. Hatei, Ruth teh a mani hoi cungtalah o hane a kârawi.
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 Naomi ni na hmau teh na miphun cathut koe a ban toe. Na hmau e hnuk vah kâbang van leih atipouh navah,
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Ruth ni nang hoi na kampek sak hanh. Nang koe ka cei hoeh nahanlah sak hanh. Na ceinae pueng koe ka cei han. Na inae koe ka i han. Na miphun teh ka miphun lah ao han. Na Cathut teh ka Cathut lah ao han.
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 duenae koe ka due vaiteh kâpakawp han. Duenae laipalah bang ni hai kapek pawiteh Cathut ni kai koe het hlak hai hno sak naseh, telah atipouh.
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 ni lungtang lahoi a hnukkâbang han ati e Naomi ni a hmu navah lawkkamuem lah a o
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 Ahnimouh roi teh a kamthaw roi teh Bethlehem a pha roi navah, taminaw ni ruengrueng ati awh teh, hetheh, Naomi namaw telah a pacei awh.
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 Naomi ni kai heh Naomi telah na kaw awh hanh lawih. Marah telah na kaw awh lawih. Bangkongtetpawiteh, a Thakasaipounge ni kakhat e hno na poe.
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 teh bawirengnae hoi ka tâco. Hatei, roedeng teh takcaici hoi Cathut ni bout na bankhai. A Thakasaipounge ni kai na pabo teh na roedeng sak dawkvah bangkongmaw Naomi telah na kaw awh, atipouh.
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 Hottelah, Moab kho hoi ka kâbang e Moab napui, a langa hoi Bethlehem kho vah canga tue nah a pha roi.
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.

< Ruth 1 >