Det skjedde i dommernes tid at det ble hungersnød i landet. En mann fra Betlehem i Juda dro med sin kone og sine to sønner for å bo som fremmede i Moabs land.

Now there came a time, in the days of the judges, when there was no food in the land. And a certain man went from Beth-lehem-judah, he and his wife and his two sons, to make a living-place in the country of Moab.

Mannens navn var Elimelek, hans kone het Noomi, og hans to sønner het Mahlon og Kiljon. De var Efratitter fra Betlehem i Juda. De kom til Moabs land og ble der en tid.

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and were there for some time.

Elimelek, Noomis mann, døde, og hun satt igjen med sine to sønner.

And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, came to his end; and only her two sons were with her.

De tok seg moabittiske kvinner til koner. Den ene het Orpa, og den andre het Rut. De ble boende der i omtrent ti år.

And they took two women of Moab as their wives: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they went on living there for about ten years.

Så døde både Mahlon og Kiljon, og kvinnen satt igjen uten sine to sønner og sin mann.

And Mahlon and Chilion came to their end; and the woman was without her two sons and her husband.

Da brøt hun opp med sine svigerdøtre for å vende tilbake fra Moabs land, for hun hadde hørt at Herren hadde kommet sitt folk til hjelp og gitt dem brød.

So she and her daughters-in-law got ready to go back from the country of Moab, for news had come to her in the country of Moab that the Lord, in mercy for his people, had given them food.

Hun dro bort fra stedet der hun hadde bodd, og hennes to svigerdøtre fulgte henne. De la ut på veien for å vende tilbake til Juda.

And she went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.

Da sa Noomi til sine to svigerdøtre: «Vend tilbake, hver til sin mors hus! Må Herren være god mot dere, slik dere har vært mot de døde og mot meg.

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back to your mothers' houses: may the Lord be good to you as you have been good to the dead and to me:

Må Herren gi dere at dere finner ro, hver i sin manns hus.» Så kysset hun dem farvel, og de gråt høyt.

May the Lord give you rest in the houses of your husbands. Then she gave them a kiss; and they were weeping bitterly.

Men de sa til henne: «Nei, vi vil bli med deg tilbake til ditt folk.»

And they said to her, No, but we will go back with you to your people.

Men Noomi sa: «Vend om, mine døtre! Hvorfor vil dere gå med meg? Har jeg flere sønner i mitt liv som kan bli deres menn?

But Naomi said, Go back, my daughters; why will you come with me? Have I more sons in my body, to become your husbands?

Vend om, mine døtre, og gå! Jeg er for gammel til å få meg ektemann igjen. Om jeg enn sa: Jeg har håp, og fant en mann i natt og også fødte sønner,

Go back, my daughters, and go on your way; I am so old now that I may not have another husband. If I said, I have hopes, if I had a husband tonight, and might have sons,

skulle dere da vente til de ble voksne? Skulle dere holde dere tilbake for deres skyld og ikke få menn? Nei, mine døtre; Herrens hånd har rammet meg hardere enn dere.»

Would you keep yourselves till they were old enough? would you keep from having husbands for them? No, my daughters; but I am very sad for you that the hand of the Lord is against me.

Da gråt de igjen høyt. Orpa kysset sin svigermor farvel, men Rut ble hos henne.

Then again they were weeping; and Orpah gave her mother-in-law a kiss, but Ruth would not be parted from her.

Da sa Noomi: «Se, din svigerinne har vendt tilbake til sitt folk og sine guder. Vend tilbake du også, etter din svigerinne.»

And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods: go back after your sister-in-law.

Men Rut sa: «Tving meg ikke til å forlate deg eller vende tilbake fra å følge deg! For hvor du går, vil jeg gå, og hvor du bor, vil jeg bo. Ditt folk er mitt folk, og din Gud er min Gud.

But Ruth said, Give up requesting me to go away from you, or to go back without you: for where you go I will go; and where you take your rest I will take my rest; your people will be my people, and your God my God.

Hvor du dør, vil jeg dø, og der vil jeg bli begravet. Må Herren la det skje meg mye og mer enn det om noe annet enn døden skiller meg fra deg.»

Wherever death comes to you, death will come to me, and there will be my last resting-place; the Lord do so to me and more if we are parted by anything but death.

Da hun så at hun var fast bestemt på å gå med henne, talte hun ikke mer til henne om det.

And when she saw that Ruth was strong in her purpose to go with her she said no more.

Så gikk de begge videre til de kom til Betlehem. Da de kom til Betlehem, ble det oppstyr i hele byen over dem, og kvinnene sa: «Er dette Noomi?»

So the two of them went on till they came to Beth-lehem. And when they came to Beth-lehem all the town was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

Hun sa til dem: «Kall meg ikke Noomi, kall meg Mara, for den Allmektige har gjort livet meget bittert for meg.

And she said to them, Do not let my name be Naomi, but Mara, for the Ruler of all has given me a bitter fate.

Jeg dro ut full, men Herren har latt meg vende tilbake tom. Hvorfor kaller dere meg Noomi, når Herren har vitnet mot meg, og den Allmektige har latt det gå meg ille?»

I went out full, and the Lord has sent me back again with nothing; why do you give me the name Naomi, seeing that the Lord has given witness against me, and the Ruler of all has sent sorrow on me?

Slik kom Noomi tilbake fra Moabs land, sammen med sin svigerdatter, moabittkvinnen Rut. De kom til Betlehem ved begynnelsen av bygghøsten.

So Naomi came back out of the country of Moab, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her; and they came to Beth-lehem in the first days of the grain-cutting.