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.
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 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.
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 Naye Erimereki bba wa Nawomi n’afa; nnamwandu Nawomi n’asigalawo ne batabani be bombi.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Batabani be baawasa ku bakazi Abamowaabu, omu Olupa, n’omulala Luusi, ne babeera eyo okumala emyaka nga kkumi.
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 Oluvannyuma Maloni ne Kiriyoni ne bafa, Nawomi n’asigala nga talina baana wadde bba.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
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.
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 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 with her two daughters-in-law set out on the road back to the land of 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.
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 Mukama Katonda abawe omukisa era buli omu ku mmwe, amuwe omusajja omulala.” N’alyoka abanywegera, nabo ne bayimusa amaloboozi gaabwe, ne bakaaba amaziga,
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 nga bagamba nti, “Nedda, tuligenda naawe ng’oddayo eri abantu bo.”
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 Naye Nawomi n’abagamba nti, “Muddeeyo ewammwe bawala bange. Kiki ekibaagaza okugenda nange? Sikyasobola kuzaala baana balala bafuuke babba mmwe.
“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 Mweddireyo ewammwe, bawala bange, kubanga nze nkaddiye nnyo sikyafumbirwa. Ne bwe nnandifumbiddwa ne nzaala abaana aboobulenzi;
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 mwandibalindiridde okutuusa lwe bandikuze nga temunnafumbirwa? Nedda, bawala bange. Nnumwa nnyo okusinga mmwe, kubanga omukono gwa Mukama Katonda tegubadde nange.”
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 Bwe baawulira ekyo, ne baddamu okukaaba. Awo Olupa n’anywegera nnyazaala we, n’amusiibula. Naye Luusi namunywererako ddala.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba ekyo, namugamba nti, “Laba, munno azzeeyo eri abantu be ne balubaale be, naawe kwata ekkubo omugoberere.”
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
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, “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 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, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me harshly if I let anything but death separate us!”
18 Awo Nawomi bwe yalaba nga Luusi amaliridde okugenda naye, n’atayongerako kigambo kirala.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go 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 of them walked on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the whole town got excited. “Is this Naomi?” the women asked.
20 Bwe yawulira ekyo, n’abaddamu nti, “Temumpita Nawomi, naye mumpite Mala, kubanga Ayinzabyonna yalumya obulamu bwange n’okukaawa bunkayiridde.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 Nagenda nnina ebintu bingi, naye Mukama Katonda ankomezzaawo nga sirina kantu, kale lwaki mumpita Nawomi? Mukama ambonerezza. Ayinzabyonna yandeetera okubonaabona.”
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 Bw’atyo Nawomi n’akomawo e Besirekemu, okuva mu Mowaabu ne muka mwana we Luusi Omumowaabu, mu kiseera eky’okukungula sayiri nga kyakatandika.
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.
