< Ruth 1 >
1 In diebus unius judicis, quando judices præerant, facta est fames in terra. Abiitque homo de Bethlehem Juda, ut peregrinaretur in regione Moabitide cum uxore sua ac duobus liberis.
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land: and there went a certain man of Beth-lechem-judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 Ipse vocabatur Elimelech, et uxor ejus Noëmi: et duo filii, alter Mahalon, et alter Chelion, Ephrathæi de Bethlehem Juda. Ingressique regionem Moabitidem, morabantur ibi.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the name of his two sons Machlon and Kilyon, Ephrathites of Beth-lechem-judah. And they came into the fields of Moab, and remained there.
3 Et mortuus est Elimelech maritus Noëmi: remansitque ipsa cum filiis.
Thereupon died Elimelech Na'omi's husband; and she was left, with her two sons.
4 Qui acceperunt uxores Moabitidas, quarum una vocabatur Orpha, altera vero Ruth. Manseruntque ibi decem annis,
And they took themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of one was 'Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 et ambo mortui sunt, Mahalon videlicet et Chelion: remansitque mulier orbata duobus liberis ac marito.
And then died also both of these, Machlon and Kilyon, and the woman was left [deprived] of her two children and her husband.
6 Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret cum utraque nuru sua de regione Moabitide: audierat enim quod respexisset Dominus populum suum, et dedisset eis escas.
Then did she arise with her daughters-in-law, and returned homeward from the fields of Moab; for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had thought of his people in giving them bread.
7 Egressa est itaque de loco peregrinationis suæ, cum utraque nuru: et jam in via revertendi posita in terram Juda,
Therefore she went forth out of the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law [were] with her; and they went on their way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 dixit ad eas: Ite in domum matris vestræ: faciat vobiscum Dominus misericordiam, sicut fecistis cum mortuis, et mecum.
Then said Na'omi unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each one to her mother's house: may the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 Det vobis invenire requiem in domibus virorum quos sortituræ estis. Et osculata est eas. Quæ elevata voce flere cœperunt,
May the Lord grant unto you that ye may find rest, each one in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 et dicere: Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.
And they said unto her, [No, ] for truly we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 Quibus illa respondit: Revertimini, filiæ meæ, cur venitis mecum? num ultra habeo filios in utero meo, ut viros ex me sperare possitis?
Then said Na'omi, Return back, my daughters; why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may become your husbands?
12 Revertimini, filiæ meæ, et abite: jam enim senectute confecta sum, nec apta vinculo conjugali: etiamsi possem hac nocte concipere, et parere filios,
Return back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to become [the wife] of any man; yea, if I were even to think, I have hope; should I even obtain this night a husband, and should also bear sons:
13 si eos expectare velitis donec crescant, et annos pubertatis impleant, ante eritis vetulæ quam nubatis. Nolite, quæso, filiæ meæ: quia vestra angustia magis me premit, et egressa est manus Domini contra me.
Would ye wait in hopes for them till they were grown? would ye debar yourselves for them so as not to become the wives of any man? not so, my daughters; for I feel much more bitter pain than you; because the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 Elevata igitur voce, rursum flere cœperunt: Orpha osculata est socrum, ac reversa est; Ruth adhæsit socrui suæ:
And they lifted up their voice and wept a long time; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved unto her.
15 cui dixit Noëmi: En reversa est cognata tua ad populum suum, et ad deos suos, vade cum ea.
And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is returned back unto her people, and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law.
16 Quæ respondit: Ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam: quocumque enim perrexeris, pergam, et ubi morata fueris, et ego pariter morabor. Populus tuus populus meus, et Deus tuus Deus meus.
But Ruth said, Urge me not to leave thee, to return from following thee; for whither thou goest, will I go; and where thou lodgest, will I lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17 Quæ te terra morientem susceperit, in ea moriar: ibique locum accipiam sepulturæ. Hæc mihi faciat Dominus, et hæc addat, si non sola mors me et te separaverit.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; may the Lord do so to me, and may he so continue, if aught but death shall part me from thee.
18 Videns ergo Noëmi quod obstinato animo Ruth decrevisset secum pergere, adversari noluit, nec ad suos ultra reditum persuadere:
When she thus saw that she was persisting to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 profectæque sunt simul, et venerunt in Bethlehem. Quibus urbem ingressis, velox apud cunctos fama percrebruit: dicebantque mulieres: Hæc est illa Noëmi.
So these two went until they came to Beth-lechem. And it came to pass, when they entered Beth-lechem, that all the city was in commotion about them, and people said, Is this Na'omi?
20 Quibus ait: Ne vocetis me Noëmi (id est, pulchram), sed vocate me Mara (id est, amaram), quia amaritudine valde replevit me Omnipotens.
And she said unto them, Call me not Na'omi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 Egressa sum plena, et vacuam reduxit me Dominus. Cur ergo vocatis me Noëmi, quam Dominus humiliavit, et afflixit Omnipotens?
I went out full, but empty hath the Lord brought me home again; why then will ye call me Na'omi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath sent me affliction?
22 Venit ergo Noëmi cum Ruth Moabitide nuru sua, de terra peregrinationis suæ: ac reversa est in Bethlehem, quando primum hordea metebantur.
So did Na'omi return, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who had returned out of the fields of Moab; and they came to Beth-lechem at the beginning of the barley-harvest.