< Rute 1 >

1 Mumazuva okutonga kwavatongi munyika makaita nzara, uye mumwe murume aibva kuBheterehema Judha, pamwe chete nomukadzi wake navanakomana vake vaviri, akaenda kundogara munyika yeMoabhu kwechinguva.
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 Murume uyu ainzi Erimereki, mukadzi wake achinzi Naomi, uye mazita avanakomana vake vaviri aiva Maroni naKirioni. Vaiva vaEfurata vaibva kuBheterehema Judha. Uye vakaenda kuMoabhu vakagarako.
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 Zvino Erimereki, murume waNaomi akafa, iye akasiyiwa aine vanakomana vake vaviri.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Vakawana vakadzi vechiMoabhu, zita romumwe rainzi Opa uye romumwe rainzi Rute. Mushure mokunge vagarako kwamakore anenge gumi,
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 vose vari vaviri, Maroni naKirioni vakafawo, Naomi akasiyiwa asina vanakomana vake vaviri nomurume wake.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 Naomi paakanga achiri muMoabhu, akanzwa kuti Jehovha akazoshanyira vanhu vake akavapa zvokudya, iye navaroora vake vakagadzirira kudzokera kumusha vachibva ikoko.
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 Akabva pamwe chete navaroora vake panzvimbo yavaigara vakasimuka vakaenda nenzira yaizovasvitsa kunyika yeJudha.
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 Zvino Naomi akati kuvaroora vake vaviri, “Chidzokerai henyu, mumwe nomumwe wenyu kuimba yamai vake. Jehovha ngaakuitirei tsitsi, sezvamakaitirawo vakafa venyu nokwandiri.
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 Jehovha ngaaite kuti mumwe nomumwe wenyu awane zororo mumba yomumwe murume.” Ipapo akavatsvoda uye vakachema zvikuru.
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 Zvino vakati kwaari, “Tichadzokera nemi kuvanhu vokwenyu.”
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 Asi Naomi akati kwavari, “Dzokerai, vana vangu. Mungadireiko kuenda neni? Ndichazova navamwe vanakomana, vangazova varume venyu here?
“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 Dzokerai, vanasikana vangu; ini ndachembera kwazvo zvokuti handingavi nomumwe murume. Kunyange dai ndaifunga kuti ndichine tariro, kunyange ndaiva nomurume usiku huno ndikabereka vanakomana,
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 maizovamirira kusvikira vakura here? Mungazogara musina kuwanikwa nokuda kwavo here? Kwete, vanasikana vangu. Izvi zvandishungurudza kwazvo kupinda imi, nokuti ruoko rwaJehovha rwauya kuzorwisana neni!”
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 Nokuda kwaizvozvo, vakachema zvakare. Ipapo Opa akasvetana navamwene akaonekana navo, asi Rute akanamatirana navo.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 Naomi akati kwaari, “Tarira, mukadzinyina wako adzokera kuvanhu vokwake nokuvamwari vake. Chidzokera naye.”
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 Asi Rute akapindura akati, “Musandigombedzera kuti ndikusiyei kana kukufuratirai. Kwamunoenda ndiko kwandichaendawo, uye pamunogara ndipo pandichagarawo. Vanhu venyu vachava vanhu vangu uye Mwari wenyu achava Mwari wangu.
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 Pamunofira ndipo pandichafirawo, uye ndipo pandichavigwa. Jehovha ngaandirange, zvinorwadza kwazvo, kana pakava nechimwe chinhu chingatiparadzanisa kunze kworufu.”
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 Zvino Naomi akati aona kuti Rute akanga ashinga kuenda naye, akarega kumugombedzera.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 Saka vakadzi vaviri ava vakaramba vachifamba kusvikira vasvika kuBheterehema. Vakati vasvika muBheterehema, guta rose rakazungunuswa nokuda kwavo, uye vakadzi vakakatyamara vachiti, “Angava Naomi here uyu?”
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 Iye akati kwavari, “Musandidaidza kuti Naomi. Ndidaidzei kuti Mara, nokuti Wamasimba Ose akashungurudza upenyu hwangu kwazvo.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 Ndakaenda ndakazara, asi Jehovha akandidzosa ndisina chinhu. Seiko muchinditi Naomi? Jehovha akandirwadzisa; Wamasimba Ose akauyisa rushambwa pamusoro pangu.”
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 Naizvozvo Naomi akadzokera achibva kuMoabhu, naRute muMoabhu, muroora wake, vakasvika muBheterehema nguva yokukohwa bhari ichangotanga.
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.

< Rute 1 >