Rut 1
1 Le esime ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo nɔ Israel dzi ɖum la, dɔ va to ɖe anyigba la dzi. Ŋutsu aɖe si tso Efraim ƒe to la me, tso Betlehem le Yudanyigba dzi la ʋu kple srɔ̃a kple viawo yi ɖanɔ Moabnyigba dzi.
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 Ŋutsu la ŋkɔe nye Elimelek, srɔ̃a ŋkɔe nye Naomi, eye wo viŋutsu eveawo ŋkɔwoe nye Maxlon kple Kilion. Wonye Efraimtɔwo tso Betlehem, Yuda heʋu va Moabnyigba dzi, eye wonɔ afi ma.
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 Elimelek, Naomi srɔ̃ ku, eye wòsusɔ Naomi kple via ŋutsu eveawo.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Viŋutsu eve siawo ɖe Moab nyɔnuwo; ɖeka ŋkɔe nye Orpa, eye evelia ŋkɔe nye Rut. Esi wonɔ afi ma abe ƒe ewo ene la,
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 Maxlon kple Kilion hã ku, ale wòsusɔ wo dada Naomi ko; srɔ̃ kple vi aɖeke meganɔ esi o.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 Azɔ Naomi ɖoe be yeatrɔ ayi ɖe aƒe le Israelnyigba dzi, elabena ese le Moab be Yehowa gave Israelviwo nu, ale be woƒe agblemenukuwo ganyo.
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 Eya ta eya kple lɔ̃xoyɔvi eveawo dzra ɖo hedze mɔ ɖo ta aƒe.
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 Ke esi wonɔ mɔa dzi yina la, Naomi trɔ eƒe susu, eye wògblɔ na lɔ̃xoyɔvi eveawo be, “Mitrɔ miayi aƒe le mia dzilawo gbɔ. Yehowa nave mia nu abe ale si miewɔ nyui na mia srɔ̃wo kple nye ŋutɔ ene.
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 Yehowa ŋutɔ nana be mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe nakpɔ dzidzeme le srɔ̃ŋutsu bubu ƒe aƒe me.” Naomi gbugbɔ nu na wo, eye wofa avi hehehe.
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 Wogblɔ na Naomi be, “Míakplɔ wò ɖo ayi wò ƒometɔwo gbɔ.”
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 Ke Naomi gblɔ na wo be, “Vinyenyɔnuwo, mitrɔ dzo. Nu ka ta miayi kplim ɖo? Ɖe mate ŋu adzi viŋutsuwo na mi miaɖea?
“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 Vinyenyɔnuwo, mitrɔ yi miaƒe aƒe me. Ne mesusu be mɔkpɔkpɔ gale asinye, eye meɖe srɔ̃ zã sia me, eye medzi viŋutsuwo hã la,
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 ɖe mialala va se ɖe esime woatsia? Ɖe mianɔ anyi srɔ̃maɖemaɖee va se ɖe ɣe ma ɣia? Ao, vinyenyɔnuwo, ele veyem na mi wu miawo ŋutɔ gɔ̃ hã, elabena Yehowa do asi ɖe gbɔnye!”
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 Wogade asi avifafa me. Orpa gbugbɔ nu na lɔ̃xoa hedo hedenyui nɛ, eye wòtrɔ yi aƒe me, ke Rut ya lé ɖe lɔ̃xoa ŋu.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 Ale Naomi gblɔ nɛ be, “Rut, atsuwòsi trɔ yi eƒe amewo kple eƒe mawuwo gbɔ; wò hã, trɔ nàyi aƒe me kplii.”
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 Rut ɖo eŋu be, “Mègaƒoe ɖe nunye be magblẽ wò ɖi alo matrɔ le yowòme o. Afi si nàyi la, afi mae mayi, eye afi si nànɔ la, afi mae manɔ. Wò dukɔ anye nye dukɔ, eye wò Mawu anye nye Mawu.
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 Afi si nàku ɖo la, afi mae maku ɖo, eye afi mae woaɖim ɖo. Yehowa nefiam, ne wòagafiam ɖe edzi. Naneke mama nye kple wò dome o, negbe ku ko.”
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 Esi Naomi kpɔ be Rut ɖo kplikpaa be yeayi kpli ye la, edzudzɔ nyaƒoƒo ɖe enu,
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 ale woyi mɔzɔzɔa dzi va se ɖe esime woɖo Betlehem. Zi ƒo le du blibo la me. Nyɔnuwo bia be, “Naomi nye esia nyateƒea?”
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 Naomi ɖo eŋu be, “Migayɔm azɔ be Naomi o. Naomi gɔmee nye dzidzɔnu. Miyɔm azɔ be Mara. Mara gɔmee nye vevesese, elabena Aƒetɔ Mawu, Ŋusẽkatãtɔ la na nye agbenɔnɔ zu vevesese sɔŋ.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 Nu geɖewo nɔ asinye esi medzo le afi sia, ke Yehowa na metrɔ gbɔ kple asi ƒuƒlu. Nu ka ta miayɔm be Naomi esime Yehowa Ŋusẽkatãtɔ trɔ megbe dem, eye wòna fukpekpe va dzinye ɖo?”
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 Ale Naomi kple lɔ̃xoyɔvia Rut, Moab nyɔnu la gbɔ tso Moabnyigba dzi. Wova ɖo Betlehem le nuŋeɣi la ƒe gɔmedzedze.
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.
