< Rite 1 >

1 Na mikolo oyo bilombe bazalaki koyangela, nzala makasi ezalaki kati na mokili. Mobali moko ya Beteleemi ya Yuda, elongo na mwasi na ye mpe bana na ye mibale ya mibali, bakendeki kovanda na mboka Moabi.
It happened in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
2 Kombo ya mobali yango ezalaki « Elimeleki; » kombo ya mwasi na ye ezalaki « Naomi; » mpe bakombo ya bana na ye ya mibali ezalaki « Maaloni » mpe « Kilioni. » Bazalaki bato ya libota ya Efrate mpe bawutaki na Beteleemi ya Yuda. Bakendeki na Moabi mpe bavandaki kuna.
The name of the man was Elimelek, and the name of his wife was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion, who were Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. They arrived at the country of Moab and lived there.
3 Elimeleki, mobali ya Naomi, akufaki; mpe Naomi atikalaki ye moko elongo na bana na ye mibale ya mibali.
Then Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 Bana na ye mibale ya mibali babalaki basi ya Moabi: ya liboso, kombo na ye ezalaki « Oripa; » mpe ya mibale, « Rite. » Sima na bango kowumela kuna mibu pene zomi,
These sons took wives from the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there for about ten years.
5 Maaloni mpe Kilioni bakufaki. Naomi atikalaki ye moko, azangaki bana na ye mibale ya mibali mpe mobali na ye.
Then both Mahlon and Kilion died, leaving Naomi without her husband and without her two children.
6 Tango Naomi ayokaki wuta na Moabi ete Yawe ayaki mpo na kosunga bato na Ye na kopesa bango biloko ya kolia, ye elongo na babokilo na ye ya basi babongamaki mpo na kozonga na Yuda wuta na Moabi.
Then Naomi decided to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law and return to Judah because she had heard in the region of Moab that Yahweh had helped his people in need and had given them food.
7 Elongo na babokilo na ye mibale ya basi, Naomi alongwaki na esika oyo azalaki kovanda mpe azwaki nzela mpo na kozonga na mokili ya Yuda.
So she left the place where she had been with her two daughters-in-law, and they walked down the road to return to the land of Judah.
8 Bongo Naomi alobaki na babokilo na ye mibale ya basi: — Bozonga, moto na moto na ndako ya mama na ye. Tika ete Yawe asalela bino bolamu ndenge bosalaki bolamu epai ya bato oyo bakufaki mpe epai na ngai moko.
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return, each of you, to your mother's house. May Yahweh show kindness toward you, as you have shown kindness toward the dead and toward me.
9 Tika ete Yawe apesa na moko na moko na bino bopemi kati na ndako ya mobali mosusu. Bongo Naomi apesaki bango beze, mpe balelaki makasi.
May the Lord grant you that you find rest, each of you in the house of another husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and cried.
10 Sima, balobaki na ye: — Tokokende elongo na yo, epai ya bato na yo.
They said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people.”
11 Kasi Naomi azongiselaki bango: — Bana na ngai ya basi, bozonga na bandako na bino. Mpo na nini kolanda ngai? Boni, nakoki lisusu kobota bana mibali oyo bakoki kozala mibali na bino?
But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters! Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb for you, so that they may become your husbands?
12 Bana na ngai, bozonga epai na bino; nakomi mobange makasi, nakokoka lisusu kobala te. Ata soki nakanisi ete nazali nanu na elikya ya kobota, mpe, na butu ya lelo, nasangisi nzoto na mobali, mpe naboti bana mibali,
Turn back, my daughters, go your own way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said, 'I hope I get a husband tonight,' and then give birth to sons,
13 boni, bokokoka penza kozela kino bakokola? Bokokoba kaka kozanga kobala mpo na bango? Te, bana na ngai! Mawa na ngai ezali makasi koleka mawa na bino, pamba te loboko na Yawe eyokisi ngai pasi makasi.
would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you choose not to marry a husband? No, my daughters! It is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me.”
14 Tango bayokaki bongo, balelaki lisusu. Boye Oripa apesaki mama-bokilo na ye beze mpe mbote ya suka. Kasi Rite akangamaki kaka na ye.
Then her daughters-in-law lifted up their voices and cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell, but Ruth held on to her.
15 Naomi alobaki na Rite: — Tala, mbanda na yo azongi epai ya bato na ye mpe epai ya banzambe na ye; yo mpe zonga elongo na ye.
Naomi said, “Listen, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.”
16 Kasi Rite azongiselaki ye: — Kotindika ngai na makasi te ete natika yo to napengwa na nzela na yo; pamba te na esika nyonso oyo yo okokende nde ngai mpe nakokende, mpe na esika nyonso oyo yo okovanda nde ngai mpe nakovanda; bato na yo bakozala bato na ngai, mpe Nzambe na yo akozala Nzambe na ngai.
But Ruth said, “Do not make me go away from you, for where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17 Na esika oyo yo okokufa nde ngai mpe nakokufa, mpe na esika yango nde bakokunda ngai. Tika ete Yawe apesa ngai etumbu ya makasi soki eloko mosusu ekaboli biso longola kaka kufa.
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and even more, if anything but death ever separates us.”
18 Tango Naomi amonaki ete Rite atingami kaka kokende na ye elongo, atikaki kotindika ye na makasi.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped arguing with her.
19 Yango wana, bango mibale bakendeki kino bakomaki na Beteleemi. Tango bakomaki na Beteleemi, engumba mobimba eyokaki mawa mpo na bango. Mpe basi batunaki: — Oyo Naomi?
So the two traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. It happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town was very excited about them. The women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 Ye alobaki na bango: — Bobenga ngai lisusu Naomi te, kasi Mara; pamba te Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso ayokisi ngai mawa mingi.
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Bitter, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 Nazalaki na biloko ebele tango nakendeki, kasi Yawe azongisi ngai maboko pamba. Bongo mpo na nini kobenga ngai lisusu Naomi? Yawe ayokisi ngai pasi, mpe Nkolo-Na-Nguya-Nyonso ayokisi ngai mawa.
I went out full, but Yahweh has brought me home again empty. So why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has condemned me, that the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 Ndenge wana nde Naomi azongaki na Yuda wuta na Moabi, elongo na Rite, moto ya Moabi, bokilo na ye ya mwasi. Bakomaki na Beteleemi, na ebandeli ya tango oyo babukaka bambuma ya orje.
So Naomi and Ruth the Moabite woman, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

< Rite 1 >