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.
During the time before kings ruled Israel, (there was a famine/the people there had nothing to eat). There was a man who lived there whose name was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi, and his sons’ names were Mahlon and Chilion. They were all from Bethlehem [town], from the Ephrath [clan] in Judah [region].
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.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Na rĩrĩ, Elimeleku mũthuuri wa Naomi agĩkua, nake Naomi agĩtigwo na ariũ acio ake eerĩ.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 Nao makĩhikia andũ-a-nja a Moabi, ũmwe eetagwo Oripa, na ũrĩa ũngĩ Ruthu. Thuutha wa gũtũũra kũu ta ihinda rĩa mĩaka ikũmi,
They married women from Moab. One of them was named Orpah, and the other one was named Ruth. But after they had lived in that area for about ten years,
5 Mahaloni na Kilioni o nao magĩkua, nake Naomi agĩtigwo atarĩ na ariũ ake eerĩ, o na kana mũthuuri.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
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.
One day while Naomi was in Moab, she heard someone say that Yahweh had helped his people in Israel and that now there was plenty of food to eat. So she prepared to return [to Bethlehem].
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 started to walk [with her daughters-in-law] along the road back to 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.
Then as the three of them were walking, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you should turn around and go back to your mother’s home. You treated [your husbands] kindly [before] they died, and you have treated me kindly.
9 Jehova arotũma o ũmwe wanyu eyonere ũhurũko mũciĩ wa mũthuuri ũngĩ.” Agĩcooka akĩmamumunya, nao makĩrĩra maanĩrĩire,
Now I desire that Yahweh will enable each of you to have another husband in whose home you will [feel] secure.” Then she kissed both of them, and they cried aloud.
10 makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ tũgũcooka nawe kũrĩ andũ anyu.”
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 No Naomi akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Aarĩ akwa, cookai mũciĩ kwanyu. Mũgũgĩthiĩ na niĩ nĩkĩ? Nĩngũkĩgĩa na ariũ angĩ nĩguo macooke matuĩke athuuri anyu?
But Naomi said, “No, my daughters, return home. (It will not do any good for you to come with me!/What good will it do for you to come with me?) [RHQ] Do you think I will get married again and have more sons who could become your husbands?
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,
Even if I thought I could have another husband, and even if I got married today and became pregnant [EUP] tonight and later gave birth to 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 remain single/unmarried until they grew up [and became old enough] for you to marry? No, my daughters, [you would not do that]. Your situations are bad [because your husbands have died, but it is possible that you will each marry again]. My situation is much worse, because Yahweh [SYN] has opposed me, [and now I am too old to get married again].”
14 Nao maigua ũguo makĩrĩra rĩngĩ. Nake Oripa akĩmumunya nyaciarawe, akĩmuugĩra ũhoro. No Ruthu akĩrũmanĩrĩra na nyaciarawe.
Then Ruth and Orpah cried again [because of what Naomi said]. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, [and left], but Ruth clung 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.”
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
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, “No! Don’t urge me to leave you! I [want to] go with you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and the God you [worship] will be the God I [worship].
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. Where you are buried, I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me severely if I separate from you. I will be separated from you only [when one of us] dies.”
18 Rĩrĩa Naomi onire atĩ Ruthu nĩatuĩte itua rĩa gũthiĩ nake, agĩtiga kũmũringĩrĩria acooke.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return 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 women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in town was excited [to see] them. The women [of the town] exclaimed, “(Can this be Naomi?/It is difficult to believe that this is Naomi!)” [RHQ]
20 Nake akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Tigai gũcooka kũnjĩta Naomi, njĩtagaai Mara, nĩ ũndũ Ngai Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩatũmĩte mũtũũrĩre wakwa ũtuĩke wa ruo mũno.
Naomi said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi, [which means ‘pleasant’]. Instead, call me Mara, [which means ‘bitter’], because God Almighty has made my life very unpleasant.
21 Ndoimire gũkũ njiyũrĩrĩire, no Jehova anjookia itarĩ kĩndũ. Mũngĩcooka kũnjĩta Naomi nĩkĩ? Jehova nĩanyariirĩte; Mwene-Hinya-Wothe nĩandehithĩirie mathĩĩna.”
When I left here, I [felt] rich, [because I had a family]. But Yahweh has brought me back here and now I [feel] poor, [because I have no family]. Do not call me Naomi [RHQ]. [I feel as though] Yahweh has spoken against (OR, afflicted) me. Almighty [God] has caused me to experience a great tragedy.”
22 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Naomi agĩcooka kuuma Moabi marĩ hamwe na Ruthu ũcio Mũmoabi, mũtumia wa mũriũ, magĩkinya Bethilehemu hĩndĩ ĩrĩa cairi yaambagĩrĩria kũgethwo.
That [summarizes the account] of Naomi returning home along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, the woman from Moab. And [it happened that] when they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley [grain] harvest was just beginning.
