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.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
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.
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
3 Elimelek, Naomi srɔ̃ ku, eye wòsusɔ Naomi kple via ŋutsu eveawo.
Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech 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,
who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab 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 also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without 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.
When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.
7 Eya ta eya kple lɔ̃xoyɔvi eveawo dzra ɖo hedze mɔ ɖo ta aƒe.
Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading 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.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
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 enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
10 Wogblɔ na Naomi be, “Míakplɔ wò ɖo ayi wò ƒometɔwo gbɔ.”
and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11 Ke Naomi gblɔ na wo be, “Vinyenyɔnuwo, mitrɔ dzo. Nu ka ta miayi kplim ɖo? Ɖe mate ŋu adzi viŋutsuwo na mi miaɖea?
But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?
12 Vinyenyɔnuwo, mitrɔ yi miaƒe aƒe me. Ne mesusu be mɔkpɔkpɔ gale asinye, eye meɖe srɔ̃ zã sia me, eye medzi viŋutsuwo hã la,
Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear 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 refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out 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.
Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Ale Naomi gblɔ nɛ be, “Rut, atsuwòsi trɔ yi eƒe amewo kple eƒe mawuwo gbɔ; wò hã, trɔ nàyi aƒe me kplii.”
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
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: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and 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, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
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 trying to persuade her.
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 Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
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.
“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
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 went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
22 Ale Naomi kple lɔ̃xoyɔvia Rut, Moab nyɔnu la gbɔ tso Moabnyigba dzi. Wova ɖo Betlehem le nuŋeɣi la ƒe gɔmedzedze.
So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
