ルツ記 1
1 士師の世ををさむる時にあたりて國に饑饉たありければ一箇の人その妻と二人の男子をひきつれてベテレヘムユダを去りモアブの地にゆきて寄寓る
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 その人の名はエリメレクその妻の名はナオミその二人の男子の名はマロンおよびキリオンといふベテレヘムユダのエフラテ人なり 彼等モアブの地にいたりて其處にをりしが
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 ナオミの夫エリメレク死てナオミとその二人の男子のこさる
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 彼等おのおのモアブの婦人を妻にめとる その一人の名はオルパといひ一人の名はルツといふ 彼處にすむこと十年許にして
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 マロンとキリオンの二人もまた死り 斯ナオミは二人の男子と夫に後れしが
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 モアブの地にて彼ヱホバその民を眷みて食物を之にたまふと聞ければその媳とともに起ちてモアブの地より歸らんとし
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 その在ところを出たりその 二人の媳これとともにあり 彼等ユダの地にかへらんと途にすすむ
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 爰にナオミその二人の媳にいひけるは汝らはゆきておのおの母の家にかへれ 汝らがかの死たる者と我とを善く待ひしごとくにねがはくはヱホバまたなんぢらを善くあつかひたまへ
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 ねがはくはヱホバなんぢらをして各々その夫の家にて安身處をえせしめたまへと 乃ちかれらに接吻しければ彼等聲をあげて哭き
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 之にいひけるは我ら汝とともに汝の民にかへらんと
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 ナオミいひけるは女子よ返れ 汝らなんぞ我と共にゆくべけんや 汝らの夫となるべき子猶わが胎にあらんや
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 女子よかへりゆけ 我は老たれば夫をもつをえざるなり 假設われ指望ありといふとも今夜夫を有つとも而してまた子を生むとも
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 汝等これがために其子の生長までまちをるべけんや 之がために夫をもたずしてひきこもりをるべけんや 女子よ然すべきにあらず 我はヱホバの手ののぞみてわれを攻しことを汝らのために痛くうれふるなり
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 彼等また聲をあげて哭く 而してオルパはその姑に接吻せしがルツは之を離れず
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 是によりてナオミまたいひけるは視よ汝の妯娌はその民とその神にかへり往く 汝も妯娌にしたがひてかへるべし
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 ルツいひけるは汝を棄て汝をはなれて歸ることを我に催すなかれ我は汝のゆくところに往き汝の宿るところにやどらん 汝の民はわが民汝の神はわが神なり
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 汝の死るところに我は死て其處に葬らるべし 若死別にあらずして我なんぢとわかれなばヱホバわれにかくなし又かさねてかくなしたまへ
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 彼 媳が固く心をさだめて己とともに來らんとするを見しかば之に言ふことを止たり
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 かくて彼等二人ゆきて終にベテレヘムにいたりしがベテレヘムにいたれる時 邑こぞりて之がためにさわぎたち婦女等是はナオミなるやといふ
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 ナオミかれらにいひけるは我をナオミ(樂し)と呼なかれ マラ(苦し)とよぶべし 全能者痛く我を苦め給ひたればなり
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 我盈足て出たるにヱホバ我をして空くなりて歸らしめたまふ ヱホバ我を攻め全能者われをなやましたまふに汝等なんぞ我をナオミと呼や
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 斯ナオミそのモアブの地より歸れる 媳モアブの女ルツとともに歸り來れり 即ち彼ら大麥刈の初にベテレヘムにいたる
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.
