Rit 1
1 Alò li te vin rive nan jou ke jij yo te gouvène yo, te genyen yon gwo grangou nan peyi a. Yon sèten mesye ki sòti Bethléem nan Juda te ale pou demere nan peyi Moab la avèk madanm li ak de fis li yo.
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 Mesye a te rele Élimélec e madanm li, Naomi. Epi non a de fis li yo se te Machlon avèk Kiljon, Efratyen yo, de Bethléhem nan Juda. Alò, yo te antre nan peyi Moab la pou te demere la.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Epi Élimélec, mari a Naomi an te mouri. Konsa, se li ki te rete avèk de fis li yo.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 De fis yo te pran pou kont yo fanm Moabit yo kon madanm yo. Youn nan yo te rele Orpa e lòt la Ruth. Epi yo te viv la pandan anviwon dis ane.
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 Alò Machlon avèk Kiljon te vin mouri osi. Konsa, fanm nan vin pèdi de pitit li yo, ansanm ak mari li.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Konsa li te leve avèk bèlfi li pou l ta kab retounen kite Moab. Paske, depi lè li Moab, li tande ke SENYÈ a te vizite pèp li a nan bay yo manje.
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 Konsa, li te pati kote li te ye, de bèlfi li yo te avèk li. Epi yo te fè wout la pou retounen nan peyi 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 Epi Naomi te di a de bèlfi li yo: “Ale, retounen nou chak lakay manman nou. Ke SENYÈ a kapab aji anvè nou avèk dousè, jan nou te aji avèk sila ki mouri yo e avèk mwen menm tou.
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 Ke SENYÈ a kapab pèmèt nou jwenn repo, nou chak lakay a pwòp mari pa li.” Alò, li te bo yo, yo te leve vwa yo wo, epi te kriye.
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 Epi yo te di li: “Non, men n ap retounen avè w vè pèp ou a.”
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Naomi te di yo: “Retounen fi mwen yo. Poukisa nou ta dwe ale avè m? Èske m toujou gen fis nan vant mwen pou yo ta vin mari nou?
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 Retounen fi mwen yo, paske mwen twò vye pou m gen yon mari. Si m te di nou ke m gen espwa, si m ta menm gen yon mari aswè a pou fè fis,
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 Èske konsa nou ta tann jiskaske yo ta grandi? Èske pou sa, nou ta refize marye? Non fi mwen yo, sa fè m trist pou ka nou yo. Paske, men SENYÈ a gen tan parèt kont mwen.”
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 Epi yo te leve vwa yo wo e te kriye ankò. Orpa te bo bèlmè li, men Ruth te rete sou li.
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 Li te di: “Veye byen, bèlsè ou te retounen vè pèp li avèk dye li yo. Ale swiv bèlsè ou.”
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Men Ruth te di: “Pa pouse m kite ou ni pou m ta fè bak nan swiv ou. Paske kote ou ale mwen va ale, e kote ou viv, se la mwen va viv. Pèp ou, pèp pa m, e Dye pa ou, Dye pa m.
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 Kote ou mouri mwen va mouri; epi la mwen va antere. Se konsa pou SENYÈ a fè m, ak pi mal, si anyen sof ke lanmò ta separe ou de mwen.”
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 Lè li wè ke li te fin pran desizyon pou ale avè l, li pa t di l anyen ankò.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 Konsa yo ale ansanm jis rive Bethléhem. Lè yo te rive Bethléhem, tout vil la te boulvèse akoz yo menm. Fanm yo te di: “Se Naomi sa a?”
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 Li te di yo: “Pa rele m Naomi. Rele m Mara, paske Toupwisan an te aji byen anmè avè m.
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 Mwen te sòti plen, men SENYÈ a mennen m tounen vid. Poukisa nou rele m Naomi, konsi SENYÈ a gen tan temwaye kont mwen, e Toupwisan an te aflije mwen?”
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 Konsa Naomi te retounen, epi avèk li, Ruth, Moabit la, bèlfi li ki te retounen soti nan peyi Moab la. Yo te vini Bethléhem nan kòmansman rekòlt lòj la.
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.
