< Ruth 1 >

1 There was a famine during the time when the judges ruled Israel, so a man left Bethlehem in Judah and went to live in exile in the country of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.
Ɛberɛ a na atemmufoɔ di Israel so no, ɛkɔm baa asase no so. Ɔbarima bi a ɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda ne ne yere ne ne mmammarima baanu tutu firii asase no so kɔtenaa Moab.
2 His name was Elimelech, and his wife's name Naomi. His sons were called Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and lived there.
Na ɔbarima no din de Elimelek ɛnna ne yere nso din de Naomi. Ne mmammarima baanu no nso, na wɔn din de Mahlon ne Kilion. Wɔyɛ Efratifoɔ a wɔfiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda. Wɔkɔɔ Moab kɔtenaa hɔ.
3 However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
Ɛbaa sɛ Naomi kunu Elimelek wuiɛ ma ɛkaa ne mmammarima baanu no.
4 The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
Wɔwarewaree Moabfoɔ mmaa. Na ɔbaako din de Orpa na deɛ ɔka ho no nso din de Rut. Wɔtenaa hɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mfeɛ edu no,
5 both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
Mahlon ne Kilion nso wuwuiɛ. Enti, ɛmaa Naomi tenaa ase a wahwere ne mmammarima baanu no ne ne kunu.
6 So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the country of Moab and return home because she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people there with food.
Ɛberɛ a ɔtee wɔ Moab hɔ sɛ Awurade abɛdom ne nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ Yuda na wama wɔn aduane no, Naomi ne ne nsenom yi yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ wɔrefiri Moab asane akɔ ne kurom.
7 She left the place where she had been living and with her two daughters-in-law set out on the road back to the land of Judah.
Ɔne ne nsenom baanu yi tutu firii beaeɛ hɔ faa ɛkwan a ɛde wɔn bɛkɔ akɔsi Yuda so.
8 However, as they left, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you, go back to your mother's homes, and may the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me, and to those who have died.
Afei, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ ne nsenom yi sɛ, “Monsane nkɔ mo maamenom fie. Awurade ne mo nni no yie sɛdeɛ mo ne awufoɔ ne me dii no yie no.
9 May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
Awurade mmoa mo mu biara na ɔnnya ɔhome wɔ okunu foforɔ fie.” Afei, ɔfefee wɔn ano na wɔn nyinaa maa wɔn nne so suiɛ.
10 “No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
Na wɔka kyerɛɛ Naomi sɛ, “Yɛne wo bɛsane akɔ wo nkurɔfoɔ nkyɛn.”
11 “Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
Nanso, Naomi kaa sɛ, “Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mo ne me kɔ? Merekɔwo mmammarima bio a wɔbɛtumi awareware mo anaa?
12 Go back home, my daughters, because I'm too old to marry again. Even if I were to sleep with a new husband tonight and had sons,
Me mma, monsane nkɔ fie. Manyini, sɛ meware kunu bio a, ɛrenyɛ yie. Mpo, sɛ medwene sɛ anidasoɔ bi wɔ hɔ ma me sɛ nso anadwo yi ara mɛnya kunu na me ne no wo mmammarima a,
13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you decide you weren't going to marry anyone else? No. The whole situation is more bitter for me than it is for you, for the Lord has turned against me!”
mobɛtwɛn kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛnyinyini? Mobɛtena atwɛn wɔn anaa? Dabi, me mma. Asɛm no yɛ den ma me sen mo, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ayi ne nsa afiri me so!”
14 They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
Wɔsane twaa adwo bio. Afei, Orpa fee nʼase ano de gyaa no kwan, nanso Rut bebaree Naomi sɛ ɔne no bɛtena.
15 “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
Nanso, Naomi ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ, wo kora asane kɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ ne nʼanyame nkyɛn. Ɛsɛ sɛ wo nso woyɛ saa ara.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Please don't keep on telling me to leave you and go back. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
Na Rut buaa sɛ, “Nhyɛ me sɛ memfiri wo nkyɛn nsane nkɔ. Baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ hɔ bi na baabiara a wobɛtena no nso, mɛtena hɔ bi. Wo nkurɔfoɔ bɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ na wo Onyankopɔn ayɛ me Onyankopɔn.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me harshly if I let anything but death separate us!”
Baabi a wobɛwuo no, mɛwu hɔ bi na wɔasie me hɔ. Sɛ mamma owuo antete me ne wo ntam na ɛnam biribi foforɔ biara so a, Awurade ntwe mʼaso.”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
Enti, Naomi hunuu sɛ Rut ayɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔne no bɛkɔ no, ɔgyaa ne pɛ maa no.
19 So the two of them walked on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the whole town got excited. “Is this Naomi?” the women asked.
Ɛno enti, wɔn baanu no toaa wɔn akwantuo no so. Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Betlehem no, wɔn enti kuro mu no nyinaa bɔɔ twi. Mmaa no bisaa sɛ, “Naomi nie anaa?”
20 She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Mommfrɛ me Naomi, na mmom, momfrɛ me Mara, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ama asetena ayɛ nwono ama me.
21 I left here full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has condemned me, when the Almighty has brought disaster on me?”
Merefiri ha akɔ no na mewɔ biribiara nanso, Awurade de me aba fie nsapan. Adɛn enti na mofrɛ me Naomi wɔ ɛberɛ a Awurade ama me ahunu amane na Otumfoɔ de saa abɛbrɛsɛ yi aba me so?”
22 This is the way that Naomi returned from Moab with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Enti, Naomi firi Moab baeɛ a, nʼase Rut, Moabni babunu ka ne ho. Wɔduruu Betlehem atokotwa berɛ ahyɛaseɛ no mu.

< Ruth 1 >