< Ruth 1 >

1 Laitloek rhoek lai a tloek tue vaengah khohmuen ah khokha pai. Te dongah Judah Bethlehem lamkah hlang pakhat tah Moab kho ah bakuep ham a yuu neh a ca rhoi te a caeh puei.
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 Te hlang kah a ming tah Elimelekh tih a yuu ming tah Naomi, a ca rhoi ming tah Mahlon neh Kilion a ming nah. Amih rhoek tah Judah Bethlehem kah Ephraim lamloh Moab khohmuen la cet tih om uh.
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 Te vaengah Noami tah a va Elimelekh te duek tih anih neh a ca rhoi la cul.
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 A ca rhoi loh Moab nu a ming ah Orpah neh Ruth te a loh rhoi tih kum rha tluk om uh.
who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
5 Tedae Mahlon neh Kilion khaw bok a duek bal dongah a va, a ca om kolla huta amah buengla cul.
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and Naomi was left alone, without husband or sons.
6 Tedae BOEIPA loh a pilnam te buh paek ham a hip coeng tila Moab kho ah a yaak. Te dongah hlah uh tih a langa rhoi neh Moab kho lamloh bal.
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 Te dongah a om nah hmuen lamloh nong tih a langa rhoi neh amah neh Judah kho long la bal ham cet uh.
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 Tedae a langa rhoi taengah Naomi loh, “Cet rhoi lamtah na manu im la mael rhoi laeh. Aka duek rhoek neh kai taengah na saii vanbangla sitlohnah te nangmih rhoi taengah BOEIPA loh han saii khaw han saii khaming.
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 BOEIPA loh nangmih rhoi te m'pae saeh lamtah na va im kah duemnah khaw hmu rhoi van,” a ti nah tih amih rhoi te a mok hatah a ol a huel uh tih rhap uh.
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 Te phoeiah anih te, “Namah neh na pilnam taengla bal uh sih,” a ti na rhoi.
and said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’
11 Tedae Naomi loh, “Ka canu rhoi aw mael rhoi laeh. Kai taengla balae nan loh rhoi eh? Nangmih rhoi kah na va la aka poeh ham khaw ka ko khuiah camoe ka khueh pueng tih nim?
But Naomi said, ‘Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still bear sons who might become your husbands?
12 Ka canu rhoi mael rhoi lamtah cet rhoi laeh, ka patong coeng he, va khueh ham khaw kai hamla ngaiuepnah om ka ti koinih hlaempang pakhat ah ka va taengla ka om vetih ca kan sak sue,
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 Te te a rhoeng duela na lamso rhoi aya? Hlang la aka poeh pawt te na oei rhoi aya? Ka ca rhoi aw te moenih ta. BOEIPA kut loh kai n'nan coeng dongah kai tah nangmih rhoi lakah ka phaep uh phat coeng,” a ti nah.
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 A ol a huel tih koep a rhah uh phoeiah tah Orpah loh a mani te a mok. Tedae Ruth long tah khak a lingven.
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 Te vaengah, “Na maya tah a pilnam taeng neh a pathen taengla bal ke! na maya neh bal laeh,” a ti nah.
‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and to her own gods. Go along with her!’
16 Tedae Ruth loh, “Nang hnoo ham neh nang hnuk lamkah bal ham tah kai he nan doo pawt mako, na pongpa nah ah ka pongpa vetih na rhaehba nah ah ka rhaehba ni, na pilnam khaw ka pilnam van, na Pathen khaw ka Pathen ni.
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 Na duek nah ah ka duek saeh lamtah pahoi ng'up uh van saeh. BOEIPA loh kai taengah han saii saeh lamtah hang khoep nawn saeh. Kai laklo neh nang laklo ah duek long mah n'tuiphih nawn saeh,” a ti nah.
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 A taengah caeh ham a ning mangkhak te a hmuh vaengah voek ham khaw a toeng.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 Te dongah amih rhoi te Bethlehem a pha duela cet rhoi. Bethlehem a pha rhoi van neh amih rhoi kongah khopuei boeih te pangngawl tih, “Noami a te?,” a ti uh.
So they journeyed on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival stirred the whole town, and the women said, ‘Can this be Naomi?’
20 Tedae amih taengah tah, “Kai he Naomi la ng'khue uh boeh, Tlungthang loh kai mat m'phaep coeng dongah kai he Mara la ng'khue uh mai.
‘Do not call me Naomi,’ she said to them, ‘call me Mara, for the Almighty has given me a bitter lot.
21 Kai he khangrhueng la ka cet van dae BOEIPA loh kuttling la kai m'bal sak. Balae tih kai te Naomi la nang khue uh. BOEIPA loh kai n'doo tih Tlungthang loh kai soah thae a huet coeng,” a ti nah.
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 Naomi a bal vaengah Moab kho lamkah anih neh aka mael hmaih a langa Moab Ruth neh cangtun cangah cuek vaengah Bethlehem a pha rhoi.
So Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, returned from Moab. They reached Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

< Ruth 1 >