< Lute 1 >

1 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho naʻe pule ai ʻae kau fakamaau, naʻe tō ʻae honge ki he fonua. Pea ko e tangata ʻe tokotaha ʻo Petelihema Siuta naʻe ʻalu ia ke ʻāunofo ʻi he fonua ʻo Moape, ʻa ia, mo hono uaifi, mo hono ongo foha ʻe toko ua.
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 Pea ko e hingoa ʻoe tangata ko ʻElimeleki, pea ko e hingoa ʻo hono uaifi ko Naomi, pea ko e hingoa ʻo hono ongo foha ko Maloni mo Kilioni, ko e kau ʻIfalemi ʻo Petelihema Siuta. Pea naʻa nau haʻu ki he fonua ko Moape, ʻo nofo ʻi ai.
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 Pea naʻe pekia ʻa ʻElimeleki ko e husepāniti ʻo Naomi; pea naʻe nofo pe ia mo ʻene ongo tama.
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 Pea naʻa na ʻomi hona uaifi mei he kau fefine Moape; ko e hingoa ʻoe tokotaha ko Opa, pea ko hono hingoa ʻoe tokotaha ko Lute: pea naʻa nau nonofo ʻi ai ʻi he taʻu ʻe hongofulu nai.
who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
5 Pea naʻe pekia ai ʻa Māloni mo Kilioni fakatouʻosi pē; pea naʻe toʻo pehē mei he fefine ʻa ʻene ongo tama mo hono husepāniti.
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and Naomi was left alone, without husband or sons.
6 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ia mo ʻene ongo taʻahine ʻi he fono, koeʻuhi ke hiki ia mei he fonua ko Moape: he kuo ne ongoʻi ʻi he fonua ko Moape kuo ʻaʻahi ʻe Sihova ki hono kakai ʻi he foaki kiate kinautolu ʻae meʻakai.
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 Ko ia naʻa ne ʻalu atu ai mei he potu naʻe ʻi ai ia, mo ʻene ongo taʻahine ʻi he fono mo ia; pea naʻa nau ʻalu atu pe ʻi he hala ke fononga ki he fonua ʻo Siuta.
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Naomi ki heʻene ongo taʻahine ʻi he fono, “Mo ō fakatouʻosi pe ʻo foki atu taki taha ki he fale ʻo ʻene faʻē: ke fai ʻofa ʻa Sihova kiate kimoua, ʻo hangē ko ia kuo mo fai ki he pekia, pea mo au.
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 Ke tuku ʻe Sihova ke mo ʻilo ʻae fiemālie fakatouʻosi pe ʻi he fale ʻo homo husepāniti.” Pea naʻe toki ʻuma ia kiate kinaua; pea naʻa na hiki hona leʻo, ʻo tangi.
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 Pea naʻa na pehē kiate ia, “Ko e moʻoni te ma ō mo koe ki ho kakai.
and said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’
11 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Naomi, “ʻA ʻeku ongo taʻahine mo foki atu: ko e hā te tau ō ai mo au? He ʻoku kei toe ha tama ʻi hoku fatu, koeʻuhi ke na hoko ko homo husepāniti?
But Naomi said, ‘Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still bear sons who might become your husbands?
12 Mo foki atu ʻa ʻeku ongo taʻahine, pea ʻalu ʻi homo hala: he kuo u motuʻa fau ke toe maʻu ha husepāniti. Ka ne u pehē ʻeau, ʻOku ou ʻamanaki lelei, pea ka ne maʻu ʻeau ha husepāniti he poōni foki, pea u fanauʻi ʻae tama tangata;
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 He te mo tatali ki ai ke ʻoua ke na tupu? Te mo faʻa tatali ki ai, pea ʻoua naʻa maʻu ha husepāniti? ʻE ʻikai, ʻa ʻeku ongo taʻahine; he ʻoku ou mamahi lahi koeʻuhi ko kimoua ʻi heʻene mafao mai ʻae nima ʻo Sihova kiate au.”
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 Pea naʻa na hiki hake hona leʻo, ʻo toe tangi: pea ʻuma ʻa Opa ki heʻene faʻē ʻi he fono; ka naʻe pikitai ʻa Lute kiate ia.
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 Pea pehē ʻe ia, “Vakai, kuo toe liu atu ʻa ho tokoua ʻi he fono ki hono kakai, pea ki hono ngaahi ʻotua: ke ke foki koe ʻo muimui atu ki ho tokoua ʻi he fono.”
‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and to her own gods. Go along with her!’
16 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Lute, “ʻOua naʻa ke kole ke u liʻaki koe, pe ke u foki mei heʻeku muimui ʻiate koe: he ko e potu ʻoku ke ʻalu ki ai, te ta ō ai; pea ko e potu te ke mohe ai, te ta mohe ai: ko ho kakai ʻe hoko ko hoku kakai, pea ko ho ʻOtua ko hoku ʻOtua:
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 Ko e potu te ke mate ai, te u mate ai, pea te u tanu ʻi ai: ke fai pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, pea lahi hake, ʻo kapau ʻe ai ha meʻa te ta māvae ai mo koe ka ko e mate pe.”
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 Pea ʻi heʻene vakai ʻoku loto mālohi pe ia ke na ō mo ia, naʻe tuku ʻene kei lea ki ai.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 Pea ko ia, naʻa na ō ai ke na hoko ki Petelihema. Pea ʻi heʻena hoko ki Petelihema, pea pehē, naʻe ngatū ʻae kolo kotoa pē koeʻuhi ko kinaua, pea nau fepehēʻaki, “Ko Naomi eni?”
So they journeyed on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival stirred the whole town, and the women said, ‘Can this be Naomi?’
20 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “ʻOua naʻa ui au ko Naomi kae ui au ko Mala: he kuo fai fakamamahi lahi kiate au ʻe he Māfimafi.
‘Do not call me Naomi,’ she said to them, ‘call me Mara, for the Almighty has given me a bitter lot.
21 Naʻaku ʻalu kituʻa kuo u fonu, pea kuo toe ʻomi au ʻe Sihova ki ʻapi kuo u maha: pea koeʻumaʻā hoʻomou ui au ko Naomi, he kuo tukuakiʻi au ʻe Sihova, pea kuo fakamamahiʻi au ʻe he Māfimafi?”
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 Ko ia naʻe liu mai ʻa Naomi, mo Lute ko e fefine Moape, ko ʻene tama ʻi he fono naʻe haʻu mo ia, ʻaia naʻe haʻu mei he fonua ko Moape: pea naʻa na hoko ki Petelihema ʻi he kamataʻanga ʻoe ututaʻu paʻale.
So Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, returned from Moab. They reached Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

< Lute 1 >