Luusi 1
1 Awo olwatuuka mu nnaku ezo abalamuzi ze baafugiramu, enjala n’egwa mu nsi. Awo omusajja ow’e Besirekemu mu Yuda ne mukazi we, ne batabani be bombi, ne basengukira mu nsi ya Mowaabu.
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 Erinnya ly’omusajja yali Erimereki, erya mukazi we Nawomi, n’amannya ga batabani be bombi, Maloni ne Kiriyoni. Baali Bayefulaasi ab’e Besirekemu mu Yuda, bwe baatuuka mu nsi ya Mowaabu, ne babeera omwo.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Naye Erimereki bba wa Nawomi n’afa; nnamwandu Nawomi n’asigalawo ne batabani be bombi.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 Batabani be baawasa ku bakazi Abamowaabu, omu Olupa, n’omulala Luusi, ne babeera eyo okumala emyaka nga kkumi.
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 Oluvannyuma Maloni ne Kiriyoni ne bafa, Nawomi n’asigala nga talina baana wadde bba.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Bwe yawulira ng’ali mu nsi ya Mowaabu nti Mukama Katonda yajjira abantu be n’abawa emmere, n’agolokoka ne baka baana be okuddayo mu Isirayiri.
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 Ye ne baka baana be, ne bava mu kifo mwe baali, ne bakwata ekkubo okuddayo mu nsi ya Yuda.
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 Awo Nawomi n’agamba baka baana be nti, “Mugende muddeeyo buli muntu mu nnyumba ya nnyina, era Mukama Katonda abakolere ebyekisa, nga nammwe bwe mwakolera abaafa era ne bye mwakolera nze.
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 Mukama Katonda abawe omukisa era buli omu ku mmwe, amuwe omusajja omulala.” N’alyoka abanywegera, nabo ne bayimusa amaloboozi gaabwe, ne bakaaba amaziga,
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 nga bagamba nti, “Nedda, tuligenda naawe ng’oddayo eri abantu bo.”
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Naye Nawomi n’abagamba nti, “Muddeeyo ewammwe bawala bange. Kiki ekibaagaza okugenda nange? Sikyasobola kuzaala baana balala bafuuke babba mmwe.
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 Mweddireyo ewammwe, bawala bange, kubanga nze nkaddiye nnyo sikyafumbirwa. Ne bwe nnandifumbiddwa ne nzaala abaana aboobulenzi;
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 mwandibalindiridde okutuusa lwe bandikuze nga temunnafumbirwa? Nedda, bawala bange. Nnumwa nnyo okusinga mmwe, kubanga omukono gwa Mukama Katonda tegubadde nange.”
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 Bwe baawulira ekyo, ne baddamu okukaaba. Awo Olupa n’anywegera nnyazaala we, n’amusiibula. Naye Luusi namunywererako ddala.
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 Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba ekyo, namugamba nti, “Laba, munno azzeeyo eri abantu be ne balubaale be, naawe kwata ekkubo omugoberere.”
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Naye Luusi n’amwegayirira ng’agamba nti, “Tompaliriza kukuvaako, wadde obutakugoberera, kubanga gy’onoogendanga, nange gye nnaagendanga, gy’onooberanga, nange gye nnaaberanga, era abantu bo be banaabanga abantu bange, era ne Katonda wo y’anaaberanga Katonda wange.
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 Gy’olifiira nange gye ndifiira era eyo gye balinziika. Mukama Katonda ankangavvule nnyo bwe ndyawukana naawe wabula mpozi okufa.”
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 Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba nga Luusi amaliridde okugenda naye, n’atayongerako kigambo kirala.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 Oluvannyuma bombi ne batambula okutuuka e Besirekemu. Bwe batuuka e Besirekemu, ekibuga kyonna ne kisasamala ku lwabwe, era abakazi ne beebuuza nti, “Ddala ono ye Nawomi?”
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 Bwe yawulira ekyo, n’abaddamu nti, “Temumpita Nawomi, naye mumpite Mala, kubanga Ayinzabyonna yalumya obulamu bwange n’okukaawa bunkayiridde.
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 Nagenda nnina ebintu bingi, naye Mukama Katonda ankomezzaawo nga sirina kantu, kale lwaki mumpita Nawomi? Mukama ambonerezza. Ayinzabyonna yandeetera okubonaabona.”
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 Bw’atyo Nawomi n’akomawo e Besirekemu, okuva mu Mowaabu ne muka mwana we Luusi Omumowaabu, mu kiseera eky’okukungula sayiri nga kyakatandika.
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.
