< Rut 1 >

1 OR al tempo che i Giudici giudicavano, fu una fame nel paese. E un uomo di Bet-lehem di Giuda andò a dimorare nelle contrade di Moab, con la sua moglie, e con due suoi figliuoli.
During the time before kings ruled Israel, (there was a famine/the people there had nothing to eat). There was a man who lived there whose name was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi, and his sons’ names were Mahlon and Chilion. They were all from Bethlehem [town], from the Ephrath [clan] in Judah [region].
2 E il nome di quell'uomo [era] Elimelec, e il nome della sua moglie Naomi, e i nomi de' suoi due figliuoli Malon e Chilion; [ed erano] Efratei, da Bet-lehem di Giuda. Vennero adunque nelle contrade di Moab, e stettero quivi.
Because of the famine, they left Bethlehem and went east to [live for a while in] Moab [region].
3 Or Elimelec, marito di Naomi, morì, ed essa rimase co' suoi due figliuoli.
While they were there, Elimelech died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4 Ed essi si presero delle mogli Moabite; il nome dell'una [era] Orpa, e il nome dell'altra Rut; e dimorarono quivi intorno a dieci anni.
They married women from Moab. One of them was named Orpah, and the other one was named Ruth. But after they had lived in that area for about ten years,
5 Poi amendue, Malon e Chilion, morirono anch'essi; e quella donna rimase [priva] de' suoi due figliuoli, e del suo marito.
Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.
6 Allora ella si levò, con le sue nuore, e se ne ritornò dalle contrade di Moab; perciocchè udì, nelle contrade di Moab, che il Signore avea visitato il suo popolo, dandogli del pane.
One day while Naomi was in Moab, she heard someone say that Yahweh had helped his people in Israel and that now there was plenty of food to eat. So she prepared to return [to Bethlehem].
7 Ella adunque si partì dal luogo ove era stata, con le sue due nuore; ed erano in cammino, per ritornarsene al paese di Giuda.
She left the place where she had been living and started to walk [with her daughters-in-law] along the road back to Judah.
8 E Naomi disse alle sue due nuore: Andate, ritornatevene ciascuna alla casa di sua madre; il Signore usi inverso voi benignità, come voi l'avete usata inverso quelli che son morti, e inverso me.
Then as the three of them were walking, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you should turn around and go back to your mother’s home. You treated [your husbands] kindly [before] they died, and you have treated me kindly.
9 Il Signore conceda a ciascuna di voi di trovar riposo nella casa del suo marito. E le baciò. Ed esse, alzata la voce, piansero.
Now I desire that Yahweh will enable each of you to have another husband in whose home you will [feel] secure.” Then she kissed both of them, and they cried aloud.
10 E le dissero: Anzi noi ritorneremo teco al tuo popolo.
They each said, “No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.”
11 Ma Naomi disse: Figliuole mie, ritornatevene; perchè verreste voi meco? ho io ancora de' figliuoli in seno, che vi possano esser mariti?
But Naomi said, “No, my daughters, return home. (It will not do any good for you to come with me!/What good will it do for you to come with me?) [RHQ] Do you think I will get married again and have more sons who could become your husbands?
12 Ritornate, figliuole mie, andate; perciocchè io son troppo vecchia, per rimaritarmi; e, benchè io dicessi d'averne speranza, e anche questa notte fossi maritata, e anche partorissi figliuoli,
Even if I thought I could have another husband, and even if I got married today and became pregnant [EUP] tonight and later gave birth to sons,
13 aspettereste voi per ciò finchè fossero diventati grandi? stareste voi per ciò a bada senza maritarvi? No, figliuole mie; benchè ciò mi [sia] cosa molto più amara che a voi; perciocchè la mano del Signore è stata stesa contro a me.
would you remain single/unmarried until they grew up [and became old enough] for you to marry? No, my daughters, [you would not do that]. Your situations are bad [because your husbands have died, but it is possible that you will each marry again]. My situation is much worse, because Yahweh [SYN] has opposed me, [and now I am too old to get married again].”
14 Allora esse alzarono la voce, e piansero di nuovo. E Orpa baciò la sua suocera; ma Rut restò appresso di lei.
Then Ruth and Orpah cried again [because of what Naomi said]. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, [and left], but Ruth clung to Naomi.
15 E [Naomi le] disse: Ecco, la tua cognata se n'è ritornata al suo popolo, e a' suoi dii; ritornatene dietro alla tua cognata.
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16 Ma Rut rispose: Non pregarmi che io ti lasci, e me ne ritorni indietro da te: perciocchè dove tu andrai, andrò anch'io, e dove tu albergherai, albergherò anch'io; il tuo popolo [è] il mio popolo, e il tuo Dio [è] il mio Dio.
But Ruth replied, “No! Don’t urge me to leave you! I [want to] go with you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and the God you [worship] will be the God I [worship].
17 Dove tu morrai, morrò anch'io, e quivi sarò seppellita. Così mi faccia il Signore, e così mi aggiunga, se altro che la morte fa la separazione fra me a te.
Where you die, I will die. Where you are buried, I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me severely if I separate from you. I will be separated from you only [when one of us] dies.”
18 [Naomi] adunque, veggendo ch'ella era ferma d'andar seco, restò di parlargliene
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her [to return home].
19 Così camminarono amendue, finchè giunsero in Bet-lehem. E, quando vi furono giunte, tutta la città si commosse per cagion loro; e [le donne] dicevano: [E] questa Naomi?
So the two women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in town was excited [to see] them. The women [of the town] exclaimed, “(Can this be Naomi?/It is difficult to believe that this is Naomi!)” [RHQ]
20 Ma ella disse loro: Non mi chiamate Naomi, anzi chiamatemi Mara; perciocchè l'Onnipotente mi ha fatto avere di grandi amaritudini.
Naomi said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi, [which means ‘pleasant’]. Instead, call me Mara, [which means ‘bitter’], because God Almighty has made my life very unpleasant.
21 Io me ne andai piena, e il Signore mi ha fatta ritornar vuota. Perchè mi chiamereste Naomi, poichè il Signore ha testimoniato contro a me, e l'Onnipotente mi ha afflitta?
When I left here, I [felt] rich, [because I had a family]. But Yahweh has brought me back here and now I [feel] poor, [because I have no family]. Do not call me Naomi [RHQ]. [I feel as though] Yahweh has spoken against (OR, afflicted) me. Almighty [God] has caused me to experience a great tragedy.”
22 Naomi adunque se ne ritornò, con Rut Moabita, sua nuora, rivenendo dalle contrade di Moab. Ed esse arrivarono in Bet-lehem, in sul principio della ricolta degli orzi.
That [summarizes the account] of Naomi returning home along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, the woman from Moab. And [it happened that] when they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley [grain] harvest was just beginning.

< Rut 1 >