Ruthu 1
1 Na rĩrĩ, matukũ-inĩ marĩa atiirĩrĩri bũrũri maathanaga, nĩ kwagĩire na ngʼaragu bũrũri-inĩ, nake mũndũ ũmwe wa Bethilehemu kũu Juda, marĩ na mũtumia wake, na ariũ ake eerĩ, magĩthiĩ gũikara bũrũri wa Moabi kwa ihinda.
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 Mũndũ ũcio eetagwo Elimeleku, nake mũtumia wake eetagwo Naomi, namo marĩĩtwa ma ariũ acio ake eerĩ nĩ Mahaloni na Kilioni. Nao maarĩ Aefiratha kuuma Bethilehemu kũu Juda. Nao magĩthiĩ bũrũri wa Moabi magĩtũũra kuo.
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 Na rĩrĩ, Elimeleku mũthuuri wa Naomi agĩkua, nake Naomi agĩtigwo na ariũ acio ake eerĩ.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Nao makĩhikia andũ-a-nja a Moabi, ũmwe eetagwo Oripa, na ũrĩa ũngĩ Ruthu. Thuutha wa gũtũũra kũu ta ihinda rĩa mĩaka ikũmi,
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 Mahaloni na Kilioni o nao magĩkua, nake Naomi agĩtigwo atarĩ na ariũ ake eerĩ, o na kana mũthuuri.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 Rĩrĩa Naomi aiguire arĩ kũu Moabi atĩ Jehova nĩateithĩtie andũ ake akamahe irio-rĩ, akĩĩhaarĩria hamwe na atumia acio a ariũ ake oime bũrũri wa Moabi acooke kwao.
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 We na atumia acio eerĩ a ariũ ake makiumagara kuuma kũu maatũũraga, makĩnyiita njĩra nĩguo macooke bũrũri wa Juda.
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 Nake Naomi akĩĩra atumia acio eerĩ a ariũ ake atĩrĩ, “Cookai, o mũndũ athiĩ mũciĩ kwa nyina. Jehova aromwĩka maũndũ mega, o ta ũrĩa o na inyuĩ mwekire acio maakuire, o na niĩ mwene.
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 Jehova arotũma o ũmwe wanyu eyonere ũhurũko mũciĩ wa mũthuuri ũngĩ.” Agĩcooka akĩmamumunya, nao makĩrĩra maanĩrĩire,
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ tũgũcooka nawe kũrĩ andũ anyu.”
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 No Naomi akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Aarĩ akwa, cookai mũciĩ kwanyu. Mũgũgĩthiĩ na niĩ nĩkĩ? Nĩngũkĩgĩa na ariũ angĩ nĩguo macooke matuĩke athuuri anyu?
“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 Aarĩ akwa, cookai kwanyu mũciĩ; niĩ ndĩ mũkũrũ mũno wa kũgĩa na mũthuuri ũngĩ. O na ingĩĩciiria atĩ harĩ na mwĩhoko harĩ niĩ, na ngĩe na mũthuuri ũtukũ ũyũ na njiare aanake-rĩ,
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 mwakĩmeterera o nginya hĩndĩ ĩrĩa makaagimara? No mũikare mũtahikĩte mũmetereire? Aca, aarĩ akwa. Niĩ ndĩ na ruo kũmũkĩra, nĩgũkorwo guoko kwa Jehova nĩgũtambũrũkĩte gũkanjũkĩrĩra!”
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 Nao maigua ũguo makĩrĩra rĩngĩ. Nake Oripa akĩmumunya nyaciarawe, akĩmuugĩra ũhoro. No Ruthu akĩrũmanĩrĩra na nyaciarawe.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 Nake Naomi akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ta rora, mũtumia wa mũrũ wa nyina na mũthuuriguo nĩahũndũka acooke kũrĩ andũ ao, o na kũrĩ ngai ciake. Cooka mũthiĩ nake.”
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 No Ruthu akĩmũcookeria, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tiga kũningĩrĩria ngũtige kana ngarũrũke ndige gũkũrũmĩrĩra. Kũrĩa ũgũthiĩ nĩkuo ngũthiĩ, na kũrĩa ũgaatũũra nĩkuo ngaatũũra. Andũ anyu magaatuĩka andũ aitũ, nake Ngai waku atuĩke Ngai wakwa.
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 Kũrĩa ũgaakuĩra nĩkuo ngaakuĩra, na nokuo ngaathikwo. Jehova aronjĩka ũũru makĩria, kũngĩkaagĩa ũndũ o na ũmwe ũgaatũtigithania niĩ nawe, tiga o gĩkuũ giiki!”
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 Rĩrĩa Naomi onire atĩ Ruthu nĩatuĩte itua rĩa gũthiĩ nake, agĩtiga kũmũringĩrĩria acooke.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio a nja eerĩ magĩthiĩ nginya magĩkinya Bethilehemu. Rĩrĩa maakinyire Bethilehemu-rĩ, andũ a itũũra rĩu othe makĩgega nĩ ũndũ wao, nao andũ-a-nja makĩũrania atĩrĩ, “Hĩ! Ũyũ no akorwo arĩ Naomi?”
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 Nake akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Tigai gũcooka kũnjĩta Naomi, njĩtagaai Mara, nĩ ũndũ Ngai Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩatũmĩte mũtũũrĩre wakwa ũtuĩke wa ruo mũno.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 Ndoimire gũkũ njiyũrĩrĩire, no Jehova anjookia itarĩ kĩndũ. Mũngĩcooka kũnjĩta Naomi nĩkĩ? Jehova nĩanyariirĩte; Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩandehithĩirie mathĩĩna.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Naomi agĩcooka kuuma Moabi marĩ hamwe na Ruthu ũcio Mũmoabi, mũtumia wa mũriũ, magĩkinya Bethilehemu hĩndĩ ĩrĩa cairi yaambagĩrĩria kũgethwo.
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.
