路得記 1
1 當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶着妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。
There was a famine during the time when the judges ruled Israel, so a man left Bethlehem in Judah and went to live in exile in the country of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.
2 這人名叫以利米勒，他的妻名叫拿俄米；他兩個兒子，一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連，都是猶大伯利恆的以法他人。他們到了摩押地，就住在那裏。
His name was Elimelech, and his wife's name Naomi. His sons were called Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and lived there.
3 後來拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了，剩下婦人和她兩個兒子。
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 這兩個兒子娶了摩押女子為妻，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，在那裏住了約有十年。
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 瑪倫和基連二人也死了，剩下拿俄米，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 她就與兩個兒婦起身，要從摩押地歸回；因為她在摩押地聽見耶和華眷顧自己的百姓，賜糧食與他們。
So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the country of Moab and return home because she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people there with food.
7 於是她和兩個兒婦起行離開所住的地方，要回猶大地去。
She left the place where she had been living and with her two daughters-in-law set out on the road back to the land of Judah.
8 拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。願耶和華恩待你們，像你們恩待已死的人與我一樣！
However, as they left, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you, go back to your mother's homes, and may the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me, and to those who have died.
9 願耶和華使你們各在新夫家中得平安！」於是拿俄米與她們親嘴。她們就放聲而哭，
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 說：「不然，我們必與你一同回你本國去。」
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 拿俄米說：「我女兒們哪，回去吧！為何要跟我去呢？我還能生子作你們的丈夫嗎？
“Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
12 我女兒們哪，回去吧！我年紀老邁，不能再有丈夫；即或說，我還有指望，今夜有丈夫可以生子，
Go back home, my daughters, because I'm too old to marry again. Even if I were to sleep with a new husband tonight and had sons,
13 你們豈能等着他們長大呢？你們豈能等着他們不嫁別人呢？我女兒們哪，不要這樣。我為你們的緣故甚是愁苦，因為耶和華伸手攻擊我。」
would you wait for them to grow up? Would you decide you weren't going to marry anyone else? No. The whole situation is more bitter for me than it is for you, for the Lord has turned against me!”
14 兩個兒婦又放聲而哭，俄珥巴與婆婆親嘴而別，只是路得捨不得拿俄米。
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 拿俄米說：「看哪，你嫂子已經回她本國和她所拜的神那裏去了，你也跟着你嫂子回去吧！」
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去；你在哪裏住宿，我也在那裏住宿；你的國就是我的國，你的上帝就是我的上帝。
But Ruth replied, “Please don't keep on telling me to leave you and go back. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
17 你在哪裏死，我也在那裏死，也葬在那裏。除非死能使你我相離！不然，願耶和華重重地降罰與我。」
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me harshly if I let anything but death separate us!”
18 拿俄米見路得定意要跟隨自己去，就不再勸她了。
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 於是二人同行，來到伯利恆。她們到了伯利恆，合城的人就都驚訝。婦女們說：「這是拿俄米嗎？」
So the two of them walked on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the whole town got excited. “Is this Naomi?” the women asked.
20 拿俄米對她們說：「不要叫我拿俄米，要叫我瑪拉，因為全能者使我受了大苦。
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 我滿滿地出去，耶和華使我空空地回來。耶和華降禍與我；全能者使我受苦。既是這樣，你們為何還叫我拿俄米呢？」
I left here full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has condemned me, when the Almighty has brought disaster on me?”
22 拿俄米和她兒婦摩押女子路得，從摩押地回來到伯利恆，正是動手割大麥的時候。
This is the way that Naomi returned from Moab with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
