ルツ記 1
1 士師の世ををさむる時にあたりて國に饑饉たありければ一箇の人その妻と二人の男子をひきつれてベテレヘムユダを去りモアブの地にゆきて寄寓る
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 その人の名はエリメレクその妻の名はナオミその二人の男子の名はマロンおよびキリオンといふベテレヘムユダのエフラテ人なり 彼等モアブの地にいたりて其處にをりしが
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 ナオミの夫エリメレク死てナオミとその二人の男子のこさる
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons,
4 彼等おのおのモアブの婦人を妻にめとる その一人の名はオルパといひ一人の名はルツといふ 彼處にすむこと十年許にして
who married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,
5 マロンとキリオンの二人もまた死り 斯ナオミは二人の男子と夫に後れしが
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and Naomi was left alone, without husband or sons.
6 モアブの地にて彼ヱホバその民を眷みて食物を之にたまふと聞ければその媳とともに起ちてモアブの地より歸らんとし
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 その在ところを出たりその 二人の媳これとともにあり 彼等ユダの地にかへらんと途にすすむ
As they were setting out together on the journey to Judah,
8 爰にナオミその二人の媳にいひけるは汝らはゆきておのおの母の家にかへれ 汝らがかの死たる者と我とを善く待ひしごとくにねがはくはヱホバまたなんぢらを善くあつかひたまへ
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 ねがはくはヱホバなんぢらをして各々その夫の家にて安身處をえせしめたまへと 乃ちかれらに接吻しければ彼等聲をあげて哭き
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 之にいひけるは我ら汝とともに汝の民にかへらんと
and said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’
11 ナオミいひけるは女子よ返れ 汝らなんぞ我と共にゆくべけんや 汝らの夫となるべき子猶わが胎にあらんや
But Naomi said, ‘Go back, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Can I still bear sons who might become your husbands?
12 女子よかへりゆけ 我は老たれば夫をもつをえざるなり 假設われ指望ありといふとも今夜夫を有つとも而してまた子を生むとも
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 汝等これがために其子の生長までまちをるべけんや 之がために夫をもたずしてひきこもりをるべけんや 女子よ然すべきにあらず 我はヱホバの手ののぞみてわれを攻しことを汝らのために痛くうれふるなり
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 彼等また聲をあげて哭く 而してオルパはその姑に接吻せしがルツは之を離れず
Then they again wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 是によりてナオミまたいひけるは視よ汝の妯娌はその民とその神にかへり往く 汝も妯娌にしたがひてかへるべし
‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her own people and to her own gods. Go along with her!’
16 ルツいひけるは汝を棄て汝をはなれて歸ることを我に催すなかれ我は汝のゆくところに往き汝の宿るところにやどらん 汝の民はわが民汝の神はわが神なり
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 汝の死るところに我は死て其處に葬らるべし 若死別にあらずして我なんぢとわかれなばヱホバわれにかくなし又かさねてかくなしたまへ
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 彼 媳が固く心をさだめて己とともに來らんとするを見しかば之に言ふことを止たり
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she ceased urging her to return.
19 かくて彼等二人ゆきて終にベテレヘムにいたりしがベテレヘムにいたれる時 邑こぞりて之がためにさわぎたち婦女等是はナオミなるやといふ
So they journeyed on until they came to Bethlehem. Their arrival stirred the whole town, and the women said, ‘Can this be Naomi?’
20 ナオミかれらにいひけるは我をナオミ(樂し)と呼なかれ マラ(苦し)とよぶべし 全能者痛く我を苦め給ひたればなり
‘Do not call me Naomi,’ she said to them, ‘call me Mara, for the Almighty has given me a bitter lot.
21 我盈足て出たるにヱホバ我をして空くなりて歸らしめたまふ ヱホバ我を攻め全能者われをなやましたまふに汝等なんぞ我をナオミと呼や
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 斯ナオミそのモアブの地より歸れる 媳モアブの女ルツとともに歸り來れり 即ち彼ら大麥刈の初にベテレヘムにいたる
So Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, returned from Moab. They reached Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
