Ruth 1

Si Elimelec at ang Kanyang Sambahayan sa Moab

1-2 Nang ang Israel ay pinamumunuan pa ng mga hukom, nagkaroon ng taggutom sa buong bayan. Kaya't ang mag-asawang Elimelec at Naomi na mga taga-Bethlehem, Juda ay pansamantala munang nanirahan sa Moab kasama ang kanilang mga anak na sina Mahlon at Quelion. Ang pamilyang ito ay mula sa angkan ng Efrata. 3 Namatay sa Moab si Elimelec at naiwang biyuda si Naomi. Ang dalawa nilang anak 4 ay nakapag-asawa naman ng mga Moabita, sina Orpa at Ruth. Ngunit pagkalipas ng mga sampung taon,

5 namatay rin sina Mahlon at Quelion, kaya't si Naomi ay naulila sa asawa't mga anak.

Bumalik sa Bethlehem si Naomi Kasama si Ruth

9-10 Itulot nawa ni Yahweh na kayo'y makapag-asawang muli at magkaroon ng panibagong pamilya.” At sila'y hinagkan ni Naomi bilang pamamaalam.
Ngunit napaiyak ang mga manugang at sinabi sa kanya, “Hindi namin kayo iiwan. Sasama kami sa inyong bayan.”
11 Sumagot si Naomi, “Mga anak, huwag na kayong sumama sa akin. Bumalik na kayo sa inyong mga magulang. Hindi na ako magkakaanak pa upang inyong mapangasawa. 12 Umuwi na kayo. Matanda na ako para mag-asawang muli. Kahit na umaasa akong makakapag-asawang muli, o kahit pa ngayong gabi ako mag-asawa't magkaanak, 13 mahihintay ba ninyo silang lumaki? Alam ninyong ito'y hindi mangyayari. Kaya, mag-asawa na kayo ng iba. Pinabayaan ako ni Yahweh, at hindi ko nais na madamay kayo sa aking kasawian.”

14 Pagkasabi nito'y lalo silang nag-iyakan. At hinagkan ni Orpa ang kanyang biyenan, at nagpaalam na.t Ngunit nagpaiwan si Ruth.
15 Sinabi ni Naomi kay Ruth, “Ang bilas mo'y nagbalik na sa kanyang bayan at sa kanyang mga diyos. Umuwi ka na rin.” 16 Sumagot si Ruth, “Huwag po ninyong hilinging iwanan ko kayo. Hayaan na ninyo akong sumama sa inyo. Saanman kayo pumunta, doon ako pupunta. Kung saan kayo tumira, doon din ako titira. Ang inyong bayan ang magiging aking bayan. Ang inyong Diyos ang magiging aking Diyos. 17 Kung saan kayo mamatay, doon ako mamamatay, at doon din ako malilibing. Parusahan sana ako ni Yahweh ng pinakamabigat na parusa kung papayagan kong magkalayo tayo maliban na lamang kung paghiwalayin tayo ng kamatayan!”

18 Nang matiyak ni Naomi na hindi talaga magbabago ang isip ni Ruth na sumama sa kanya, hindi na siya tumutol.

19 Kaya't nagpatuloy sila ng paglalakbay. Pagdating nila sa Bethlehem, nagulat ang lahat. “Hindi ba't si Naomi ito?” tanong ng kababaihan.
20 Sumagot naman si Naomi, “Huwag na ninyo akong tawaging Naomi.t Tawagin ninyo akong Mara,t sapagkat ako'y pinabayaang magdusa ng Makapangyarihang Diyos.

21 Masagana ang buhay namin ni Elimelec nang umalis dito. Ngunit ibinalik ako ni Yahweh na walang anumang dala. Huwag na ninyo akong tawaging Naomi sapagkat ako'y binigyan ng Makapangyarihang Diyos ng matinding kasawian sa buhay!”
22 Iyan ang nangyari kaya't mula sa Moab ay nagbalik si Naomi kasama si Ruth, ang manugang niyang Moabita. Nang dumating sila sa Bethlehem ay simula na ng anihan ng sebada.

RUTH 1

Ruth Is Loyal to Naomi

1-2 Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the clan of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed in Israel, they moved to the country of Moab.t And while they were there,

3 Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.
4 Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later,

5 Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.
6-7 When Naomi heard that the [Lord] had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there, 8 Naomi said to them, “Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you've always been kind to me. I pray that the [Lord] will be just as kind to you.

9 May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own.”
Naomi kissed them. They cried

10 and said, “We want to go with you and live among your people.”
11 But she replied, “My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry?t 12 You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons,

13 would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the [Lord] has turned against me.”t
14 They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her.

15 Naomi then said to Ruth, “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?”

16 Ruth answered,
“Please don't tell me
to leave you
and return home!
I will go where you go,
I will live where you live;
your people will be my people,
your God will be my God.

17 I will die where you die
and be buried beside you.
May the [Lord] punish me
if we are ever separated,
even by death!”t

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.

19 They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, “Can this really be Naomi?”
20 Then she told them, “Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, t because God has made my life bitter.

21 I had everything when I left, but the [Lord] has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?”
22 The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.