Rut 1
1 Ɛberɛ a na atemmufoɔ di Israel so no, ɛkɔm baa asase no so. Ɔbarima bi a ɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda ne ne yere ne ne mmammarima baanu tutu firii asase no so kɔtenaa Moab.
In the time when the judges ruled, there was once a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah took his wife and two sons to live in the territory of Moab.
2 Na ɔbarima no din de Elimelek ɛnna ne yere nso din de Naomi. Ne mmammarima baanu no nso, na wɔn din de Mahlon ne Kilion. Wɔyɛ Efratifoɔ a wɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda. Wɔkɔɔ Moab kɔtenaa hɔ.
His name was Elimelech and his wife’s was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. After they had been living in Moab for some time,
3 Ɛbaa sɛ Naomi kunu Elimelek wuiɛ ma ɛkaa ne mmammarima baanu no.
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 Wɔwarewaree Moabfoɔ mmaa. Na ɔbaako din de Orpa na deɛ ɔka ho no nso din de Rut. Wɔtenaa hɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mfeɛ edu no,
who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
5 Mahlon ne Kilion nso wuwuiɛ. Enti, ɛmaa Naomi tenaa ase a wahwere ne mmammarima baanu no ne ne kunu.
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and Naomi was left alone, without husband or sons.
6 Ɛberɛ a ɔtee wɔ Moab hɔ sɛ Awurade abɛdom ne nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yuda na wama wɔn aduane no, Naomi ne ne nsenom yi yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ wɔrefiri Moab asane akɔ ne kurom.
So she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, for she had heard that the Lord had remembered his people and given them food.
7 Ɔne ne nsenom baanu yi tutu firii beaeɛ hɔ faa ɛkwan a ɛde wɔn bɛkɔ akɔsi Yuda so.
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 Afei, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ ne nsenom yi sɛ, “Monsane nkɔ mo maamenom fie. Awurade ne mo nni no yie sɛdeɛ mo ne awufoɔ ne me dii no yie no.
Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “Go, return both of you to the home of your mother. May the Lord be kind to you as you have been kind to the dead and to me.
9 Awurade mmoa mo mu biara na ɔnnya ɔhome wɔ okunu foforɔ fie.” Afei, ɔfefee wɔn ano na wɔn nyinaa maa wɔn nne so suiɛ.
The Lord grant that each of you may find peace and happiness in the house of a new husband.” Then she kissed them; but they began to weep aloud
10 Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Naomi sɛ, “Yɛne wo bɛsane akɔ wo nkurɔfoɔ nkyɛn.”
and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
11 Nanso, Naomi kaa sɛ, “Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mo ne me kɔ? Merekɔwo mmammarima bio a wɔbɛtumi awareware mo anaa?
But Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still bear sons who might become your husbands?
12 Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Manyini, sɛ meware kunu bio a, ɛrenyɛ yie. Mpo, sɛ medwene sɛ anidasoɔ bi wɔ hɔ ma me sɛ nso anadwo yi ara mɛnya kunu na me ne no wo mmammarima a,
Go back, my daughters, go your own way, because I am too old to have a husband. Even if I should say, ‘I have hope,’ even if I should have a husband tonight and should bear sons,
13 mobɛtwɛn kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛnyinyini? Mobɛtena atwɛn wɔn anaa? Dabi, me mma. Asɛm no yɛ den ma me sen mo, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ayi ne nsa afiri me so!”
would you wait for them until they were grown up? Would you remain single for them? No, my daughters! My heart grieves for you, for the Lord has sent me adversity.”
14 Wɔsane twaa adwo bio. Afei, Orpa fee nʼase ano de gyaa no kwan, nanso Rut bebaree Naomi sɛ ɔne no bɛtena.
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 Nanso, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ, wo kora asane kɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ ne nʼanyame nkyɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nso woyɛ saa ara.”
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and to her own gods. Go along with her!”
16 Na Rut buaa sɛ, “Nhyɛ me sɛ memfiri wo nkyɛn nsane nkɔ. Baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ hɔ bi na baabiara a wobɛtena no nso, mɛtena hɔ bi. Wo nkurɔfoɔ bɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ na wo Onyankopɔn ayɛ me Onyankopɔn.
But Ruth answered, “Do not urge me to leave you or to go back. I will go where you go, and I will stay wherever you stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God;
17 Baabi a wobɛwuo no, mɛwu hɔ bi na wɔasie me hɔ. Sɛ mamma owuo antete me ne wo ntam na ɛnam biribi foforɔ biara so a, Awurade ntwe mʼaso.”
I will die where you die, and be buried there. May the Lord bring a curse upon me, if anything but death separate you and me.”
18 Enti, Naomi hunuu sɛ Rut ayɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔne no bɛkɔ no, ɔgyaa ne pɛ maa no.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 Ɛno enti, wɔn baanu no toaa wɔn akwantuo no so. Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Betlehem no, wɔn enti kuro mu no nyinaa bɔɔ twi. Mmaa no bisaa sɛ, “Naomi nie anaa?”
So they journeyed on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival stirred the whole town, and the women said, “Can this be Naomi?”
20 Ɔkaa sɛ, “Mommfrɛ me Naomi, na mmom, momfrɛ me Mara, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ama asetena ayɛ nwono ama me.
“Do not call me Naomi,” she said to them, “call me Mara, for the Almighty has given me a bitter lot.
21 Merefiri ha akɔ no na mewɔ biribiara nanso, Awurade de me aba fie nsapan. Adɛn enti na mofrɛ me Naomi wɔ ɛberɛ a Awurade ama me ahunu amane na Otumfoɔ de saa abɛbrɛsɛ yi aba me so?”
I had plenty when I left, but the Lord has brought me back empty handed. Why should you call me Naomi, now that the Lord has afflicted me, and the Almighty has brought misfortune on me?”
22 Enti, Naomi firi Moab baeɛ a, nʼase Rut, Moabni babunu ka ne ho. Wɔduruu Betlehem atokotwa berɛ ahyɛaseɛ no mu.
So Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, returned from Moab. They reached Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
