Ruth 1
1 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.
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。
2 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.
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。
3 However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
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。
4 The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
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。
5 both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
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。
6 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.
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
7 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.
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，
8 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.
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。
9 May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
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，
10 “No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
向她說：「我們要同你回到你的民族中去。」
11 “Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
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﹖
12 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,
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，
13 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!”
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
14 They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
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。
15 “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
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! 」
16 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.
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；
17 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!”
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! 」
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
納敖米見她執意要與自己同去，就不再勸阻她了。
19 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.
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﹖」
20 She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
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!
21 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?”
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﹖」
22 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.
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。
