Ruth 1
1 In diebus unius judicis, quando judices præerant, facta est fames in terra. Abiitque homo de Bethlehem Juda, ut peregrinaretur in regione Moabitide cum uxore sua ac duobus liberis.
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 Ipse vocabatur Elimelech, et uxor ejus Noëmi: et duo filii, alter Mahalon, et alter Chelion, Ephrathæi de Bethlehem Juda. Ingressique regionem Moabitidem, morabantur ibi.
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 Et mortuus est Elimelech maritus Noëmi: remansitque ipsa cum filiis.
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 Qui acceperunt uxores Moabitidas, quarum una vocabatur Orpha, altera vero Ruth. Manseruntque ibi decem annis,
who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
5 et ambo mortui sunt, Mahalon videlicet et Chelion: remansitque mulier orbata duobus liberis ac marito.
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and Naomi was left alone, without husband or sons.
6 Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret cum utraque nuru sua de regione Moabitide: audierat enim quod respexisset Dominus populum suum, et dedisset eis escas.
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 Egressa est itaque de loco peregrinationis suæ, cum utraque nuru: et jam in via revertendi posita in terram Juda,
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 dixit ad eas: Ite in domum matris vestræ: faciat vobiscum Dominus misericordiam, sicut fecistis cum mortuis, et mecum.
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 Det vobis invenire requiem in domibus virorum quos sortituræ estis. Et osculata est eas. Quæ elevata voce flere cœperunt,
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 et dicere: Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.
and said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’
11 Quibus illa respondit: Revertimini, filiæ meæ, cur venitis mecum? num ultra habeo filios in utero meo, ut viros ex me sperare possitis?
But Naomi said, ‘Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still bear sons who might become your husbands?
12 Revertimini, filiæ meæ, et abite: jam enim senectute confecta sum, nec apta vinculo conjugali: etiamsi possem hac nocte concipere, et parere filios,
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 si eos expectare velitis donec crescant, et annos pubertatis impleant, ante eritis vetulæ quam nubatis. Nolite, quæso, filiæ meæ: quia vestra angustia magis me premit, et egressa est manus Domini contra me.
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 Elevata igitur voce, rursum flere cœperunt: Orpha osculata est socrum, ac reversa est; Ruth adhæsit socrui suæ:
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 cui dixit Noëmi: En reversa est cognata tua ad populum suum, et ad deos suos, vade cum ea.
‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and to her own gods. Go along with her!’
16 Quæ respondit: Ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam: quocumque enim perrexeris, pergam, et ubi morata fueris, et ego pariter morabor. Populus tuus populus meus, et Deus tuus Deus meus.
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 Quæ te terra morientem susceperit, in ea moriar: ibique locum accipiam sepulturæ. Hæc mihi faciat Dominus, et hæc addat, si non sola mors me et te separaverit.
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 Videns ergo Noëmi quod obstinato animo Ruth decrevisset secum pergere, adversari noluit, nec ad suos ultra reditum persuadere:
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 profectæque sunt simul, et venerunt in Bethlehem. Quibus urbem ingressis, velox apud cunctos fama percrebruit: dicebantque mulieres: Hæc est illa Noëmi.
So they journeyed on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival stirred the whole town, and the women said, ‘Can this be Naomi?’
20 Quibus ait: Ne vocetis me Noëmi (id est, pulchram), sed vocate me Mara (id est, amaram), quia amaritudine valde replevit me Omnipotens.
‘Do not call me Naomi,’ she said to them, ‘call me Mara, for the Almighty has given me a bitter lot.
21 Egressa sum plena, et vacuam reduxit me Dominus. Cur ergo vocatis me Noëmi, quam Dominus humiliavit, et afflixit Omnipotens?
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 Venit ergo Noëmi cum Ruth Moabitide nuru sua, de terra peregrinationis suæ: ac reversa est in Bethlehem, quando primum hordea metebantur.
So Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, returned from Moab. They reached Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
