Ruth 1
1 in diebus unius iudicis quando iudices praeerant facta est fames in terra abiitque homo de Bethleem Iuda 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 Helimelech uxor eius Noemi e duobus filiis alter Maalon et alter Chellion Ephrathei de Bethleem Iuda 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 Helimelech maritus Noemi remansitque ipsa cum filiis
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 qui acceperunt uxores moabitidas quarum una vocabatur Orpha altera 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 Maalon videlicet et Chellion 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 suae cum utraque nuru et iam in via posita revertendi in terram Iuda
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 dixit ad eas ite in domum matris vestrae faciat Dominus vobiscum 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 sortiturae estis et osculata est eas quae elevata voce flere coeperunt
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 filiae mi 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 filiae mi abite iam enim senectute confecta sum nec apta vinculo coniugali etiam si 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 impleant pubertatis ante eritis vetulae quam nubatis nolite quaeso filiae mi quia vestra angustia me magis 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 coeperunt Orpha osculata socrum est ac reversa Ruth adhesit socrui suae
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 cui dixit Noemi 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 quae respondit ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam quocumque perrexeris pergam 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 quae te morientem terra susceperit in ea moriar ibique locum accipiam sepulturae haec mihi faciat Deus et haec 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 Noemi quod obstinato Ruth animo decrevisset secum pergere adversari noluit nec ultra ad suos reditum persuadere
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 profectaeque sunt simul et venerunt in Bethleem quibus urbem ingressis velox apud cunctos fama percrebuit dicebantque mulieres haec est illa Noemi
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 Noemi id est pulchram sed vocate me Mara hoc est amaram quia valde me amaritudine replevit 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 igitur vocatis me Noemi quam humiliavit Dominus et adflixit 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 Noemi cum Ruth Moabitide nuru sua de terra peregrinationis suae ac reversa est in Bethleem 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.
