< Rut 1 >

1 Nʼoge ndị ahụ, mgbe ndị ikpe na-achị, oke ụnwụ dara nʼala Izrel. Nʼihi ụnwụ a, otu nwoke, onye Betlehem, obodo dị na Juda, kwakọọrọ ihe ya niile, duru nwunye ya, na ụmụ ya ndị ikom abụọ, hapụ obodo ya gaa biri dịka ọbịa nʼala Moab.
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 Aha nwoke a bụ Elimelek. Aha nwunye ya bụ Naomi, ma aha ụmụ ya ndị ikom abụọ bụ Mahlọn na Kilịọn. Ha bụ ndị Efrat si Betlehem nke dị na Juda. Ha bịarutere nʼala Moab biri nʼebe ahụ.
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 Ma Elimelek di Naomi nwụrụ, hapụ naanị Naomi, na ụmụ ya ndị ikom abụọ.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Ha lụrụ ndị nwunye site nʼetiti ndị inyom Moab. Aha nke mbụ bụ Ọpa, ebe aha nke abụọ bụ Rut. Ha biri nʼebe ahụ ihe dị ka afọ iri.
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 Mahlọn na Kilịọn mechara nwụọ. Ya mere, Naomi ghọrọ onye gba aka di, na onye gba aka ụmụ.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 Mgbe Naomi nọ nʼala Moab nụ na Onyenwe anyị eletala ndị Izrel site nʼinye ha ihe oriri, Naomi na ndị nwunye ụmụ ya abụọ kwadoro ịlaghachi azụ nʼala Izrel.
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 Ya mere, Naomi na ndị nwunye ụmụ ya abụọ hapụrụ ala Moab ebe ha bi kemgbe, malite ịgbaso ụzọ ha ga-esi laghachi nʼala 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 Mgbe ahụ, Naomi gwara ndị nwunye ụmụ ya abụọ okwu sị ha, “Ngwa, onye ọbụla nʼime unu laghachi nʼụlọ nne ya. Ka Onyenwe anyị gosi unu obiọma dịka unu si gosi mụ onwe m, na ndị unu nwụrụ anwụ.
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 Ka Onyenwe anyị nyekwa unu di ọzọ ma meekwa ka unu chọta udo nʼezinaụlọ ọzọ.” Mgbe ahụ Naomi suturu ha ọnụ, ha niile kwara akwa.
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 Ma Ọpa na Rut zara Naomi sị ya, “E, anyị agaghị ala. Anyị ga-esoro gị laghachikwuru ndị gị.”
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 Naomi zara sị ha, “Laghachinụ ụmụ m, ọ bụ nʼihi gịnị ka unu ga-eji soro m laa? E nwere m ike ịmụta ụmụ ndị ikom ọzọ ndị ga-abụ di unu?
“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 Laghachinụ azụ ụmụ m. Emeela m agadi ịlụ di ọzọ. A sịkwarị na olileanya fọdụụrụ m ịlụ di na ịmụta ụmụ ndị ikom nʼabalị taa,
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 unu ga-echere ruo mgbe ha tolitere? Unu ga-anọ na-alụghị di ọzọ? Mba, ụmụ m ndị inyom, ọnọdụ m dị ilu karịa nke unu, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị esepụtala aka ya imegide m.”
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 Ha welitere olu ha kwaa akwa ọzọ. Mgbe ahụ Ọpa suturu nne di ya ọnụ ma Rut kwusịrị ike nʼebe ọ nọ.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 Ma Naomi gwara ya sị, “Lee, nwunye nwanne di gị alaghachikwurula ndị nwe ya na chi ya niile, soro ya laa.”
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 Ma Rut zara, “Akwagidela m ka m hapụ gị, maọbụ ime ka m site nʼiso gị chigharịa. Aga m esoro gị gaa ebe ọbụla ị na-aga. Aga m esokwa gị biri nʼebe ọbụla ị ga-ebi; ndị gị ga-abụ ndị m, Chineke gị ga-abụkwa Chineke m,
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 ebe ị nwụrụ ka m ga-anwụ, ebe ahụ kwa ka a ga-eli m. Ka Onyenwe anyị mesoo m mmeso, otu ọbụla mmeso ahụ si dị njọ, ma ọ bụrụ na m ekwere ka ihe ọzọ, ma ọ bụghị ọnwụ, kewaa mụ na gị.”
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 Mgbe Naomi hụrụ na Rut ekpebiela nʼime onwe ya iso ya, ọ kwụsịrị ịgwa ya okwu ọzọ.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 Ya mere, ha abụọ gagidere ije rute Betlehem. Mgbe ha batara Betlehem, obodo ahụ mere mkpọtụ, nʼihi nlọta ha. Ndị inyom jụrụ sị, “Ọ bụ Naomi bụ nke a nʼezie?”
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 Ma Naomi zara ha sị, “Unu akpọkwala m Naomi, kama kpọọnụ m Mara, nʼihi na Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile emeela ka ndụ m jupụta nʼihe ilu.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 Aka m juru eju mgbe m si nʼebe a pụọ, ma Onyenwe anyị emeela ka m gbara aka lọta. Gịnị mere unu ji akpọ m Naomi ebe ọ bụ na Onyenwe anyị gbakụtara m azụ, ebe ọ bụ na Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile mere ka nsogbu dakwasị m.”
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 Otu a ka Naomi na Rut onye Moab bụ nwunye nwa ya si laghachi nʼala Juda. Oge ha ji lọbata nʼobodo Betlehem bụ oge a na-amalite ịghọ ọka balị.
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.

< Rut 1 >