< 路得記 1 >
1 當民長執政時代,國內發生了饑荒。有個人帶了他的妻子和兩個兒子,從猶大白冷到摩阿布鄉間去僑居。
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land: and there went a certain man of Beth-lechem-judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 這人名叫厄里默肋客,他的妻子名叫納敖米,他的兩個兒子:一個名叫瑪赫隆,一個名叫基肋雍,是猶大白冷厄弗辣大人。他們到了摩阿布鄉間,就住在那裏。
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the name of his two sons Machlon and Kilyon, Ephrathites of Beth-lechem-judah. And they came into the fields of Moab, and remained there.
3 後來納敖米的丈夫厄里默肋客死了,留下了她和她的兩個兒子。
Thereupon died Elimelech Na'omi's husband; and she was left, with her two sons.
4 他們都娶了摩阿布女子為妻:一個名叫敖爾帕,一個名叫盧德;他們在那裏大約住了十年。
And they took themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of one was 'Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 瑪赫隆和基肋雍二人有相繼去世,只剩下了那婦人,沒有兒子,以沒有丈夫。
And then died also both of these, Machlon and Kilyon, and the woman was left [deprived] of her two children and her husband.
6 於是她便與她的兩個兒媳打算從摩阿布鄉間起程回家,因為她在摩阿布鄉間聽說天主垂顧了他的百姓,賜給了他們食糧。納熬米勸兒媳回家
Then did she arise with her daughters-in-law, and returned homeward from the fields of Moab; for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had thought of his people in giving them bread.
7 當她和她的兩個兒媳,要從寄居的地方出發,取道回猶大故鄉的時候,
Therefore she went forth out of the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law [were] with her; and they went on their way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 納熬米就對她的兩個兒媳說:「你們去罷! 各自回娘家去! 願上主恩待你們,如同你們待了死者和我一樣。
Then said Na'omi unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each one to her mother's house: may the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 院上主賜你們在新夫家裏,各得安身! 」於是就吻了她們;她們便放聲大哭,
May the Lord grant unto you that ye may find rest, each one in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
And they said unto her, [No, ] for truly we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 納敖米回答說:「我的女兒,你們回去罷! 為什麼要跟我去呢﹖難道我還能懷妊生子給你們做丈夫嗎﹖
Then said Na'omi, Return back, my daughters; why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may become your husbands?
12 我的女兒啊,你們回去罷! 你們走罷! 我已老了,不能再嫁人了;如說我尚又希望,今夜能嫁人,也懷妊生子,
Return back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to become [the wife] of any man; yea, if I were even to think, I have hope; should I even obtain this night a husband, and should also bear sons:
13 你們又豈能等待他們長大,持身不嫁人﹖我的女兒啊! 不要這樣,有了你們我反而更苦,因為上主已伸出手來與我作對。」盧德追隨婆母
Would ye wait in hopes for them till they were grown? would ye debar yourselves for them so as not to become the wives of any man? not so, my daughters; for I feel much more bitter pain than you; because the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 她們於是又放聲大哭。敖爾帕吻了自己的婆婆,便回自己的家鄉去了;盧德對婆母仍依依不捨。
And they lifted up their voice and wept a long time; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved unto her.
15 納敖米向她說:「看,你的嫂子已回她民族和她的神那裏去了,你也跟你的嫂子回去罷! 」
And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is returned back unto her people, and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law.
16 盧德答說:「請你別逼我離開你,而不跟你去。你到那裏去,我也要到那裏去;你住在那裏,我也住在那裏;你的民族,就是我的民族;你的天主,就是我的天主;
But Ruth said, Urge me not to leave thee, to return from following thee; for whither thou goest, will I go; and where thou lodgest, will I lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17 你死在那裏,我也死在那裏,埋在那裏;若不是死使我與你分離,願上主罰我,重重罰我! 」
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; may the Lord do so to me, and may he so continue, if aught but death shall part me from thee.
18 納敖米見她執意要與自己同去,就不再勸阻她了。
When she thus saw that she was persisting to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 於是二人同行,來到了白冷。她們一到了白冷,全城的人都為她們所驚動。婦女們驚問說:「這不是納敖米嗎﹖」
So these two went until they came to Beth-lechem. And it came to pass, when they entered Beth-lechem, that all the city was in commotion about them, and people said, Is this Na'omi?
20 她向她們說:「你們不要叫我納敖米,應叫我瑪辣,因為全能者待我好苦!
And she said unto them, Call me not Na'omi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 我去時富足,如今上主卻使我空空而回。上主責罰了我,全能者降禍於我,你們為什麼還叫我納敖米呢﹖」
I went out full, but empty hath the Lord brought me home again; why then will ye call me Na'omi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath sent me affliction?
22 納敖米同她的兒媳摩阿布女子盧德回來了,是從摩阿布鄉間回來的。她們來到白冷,正是開始收大麥的時候。
So did Na'omi return, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who had returned out of the fields of Moab; and they came to Beth-lechem at the beginning of the barley-harvest.