Ruth 1
1 In diebus unius iudicis, quando iudices praeerant, facta est fames in Terra. Abiitque homo de Bethlehem Iuda, ut peregrinaretur in regione Moabitide cum uxore sua, ac duobus liberis.
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 ipse vocabatur Elimelech, et uxor eius Noemi: et duo filii, alter Mahalon, et alter Chelion, Ephrathaei de Bethlehem Iuda. Ingressique regionem Moabitidem, morabantur ibi.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Et mortuus est Elimelech maritus Noemi: remansitque ipsa cum filiis.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 Qui acceperunt uxores Moabitidas, quarum una vocabatur Orpha, altera vero Ruth. Manseruntque ibi decem annis,
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 et ambo mortui sunt, Mahalon videlicet et Chelion: remansitque mulier orbata duobus liberis ac marito.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
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.
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 Egressa est itaque de loco peregrinationis suae, cum utraque nuru: et iam in via revertendi posita in Terram Iuda,
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 dixit ad eas: Ite in domum matris vestrae, faciat vobiscum Dominus misericordiam, sicut fecistis cum mortuis et mecum.
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 Det vobis invenire requiem in domibus virorum, quos sortiturae estis. Et osculata est eas. Quae elevata voce flere coeperunt,
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 et dicere: Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Quibus illa respondit: Revertimini filiae mi, cur venitis mecum? num ultra habebo filios in utero meo, ut viros ex me sperare possitis?
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 Revertimini filiae mi, et abite: iam enim senectute confecta sum, nec apta vinculo coniugali. etiam si possem hac nocte concipere, et parere filios,
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 si eos expectare velitis donec crescant, et annos pubertatis impleant, ante eritis vetulae quam nubatis. Nolite, quaeso, filiae mi: quia vestra angustia magis me premit, et egressa est manus Domini contra me.
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 Elevata igitur voce, rursum flere coeperunt, Orpha osculata est socrum, ac reversa est: Ruth adhaesit socrui suae.
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 cui dixit Noemi: En reversa est cognata tua ad populum suum, et ad deos suos, vade cum ea.
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Quae 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 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 Quae te terra morientem susceperit, in ea moriar: ibique locum accipiam sepulturae. Haec mihi faciat Deus, et haec addat, si non sola mors me et te separaverit.
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 Videns ergo Noemi, quod obstinato animo Ruth decrevisset secum pergere, adversari noluit, nec ad suos ultra reditum persuadere:
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 profectaeque sunt simul, et venerunt in Bethlehem. Quibus urbem ingressis, velox apud cunctos fama percrebruit: dicebantque mulieres: Haec est illa Noemi.
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 Quibus ait: Ne vocetis me Noemi (id est, pulchram) sed vocate me Mara (id est, amaram) quia amaritudine valde replevit me Omnipotens.
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 Egressa sum plena, et vacuam reduxit me Dominus. Cur ergo vocatis me Noemi, quam Dominus humiliavit, et afflixit Omnipotens?
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 Venit ergo Noemi cum Ruth Moabitide nuru sua, de terra peregrinationis suae: ac reversa est in Bethlehem, quando primum hordea metebantur.
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.
