路得記 1

¹當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.

²這人名叫以利米勒，他的妻名叫拿俄米；他兩個兒子，一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連，都是猶大伯利恆的以法他人。他們到了摩押地，就住在那裡。The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.

³後來拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了，剩下婦人和她兩個兒子。Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,

⁴這兩個兒子娶了摩押女子為妻，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，在那裡住了約有十年。who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,

⁵瑪倫和基連二人也死了，剩下拿俄米，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

⁶她就與兩個兒婦起身，要從摩押地歸回；因為她在摩押地聽見耶和華眷顧自己的百姓，賜糧食與他們。When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.

⁷於是她和兩個兒婦起行離開所住的地方，要回猶大地去。Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.

⁸拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。願耶和華恩待你們，像你們恩待已死的人與我一樣！Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.

⁹願耶和華使你們各在新夫家中得平安！」於是拿俄米與她們親嘴。她們就放聲而哭，May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud

¹⁰說：「不然，我們必與你一同回你本國去。」and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

¹¹拿俄米說：「我女兒們哪，回去吧！為何要跟我去呢？我還能生子作你們的丈夫嗎？But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?

¹²我女兒們哪，回去吧！我年紀老邁，不能再有丈夫；即或說，我還有指望，今夜有丈夫可以生子，Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,

¹³你們豈能等著他們長大呢？你們豈能等著他們不嫁別人呢？我女兒們哪，不要這樣。我為你們的緣故甚是愁苦，因為耶和華伸手攻擊我。」would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

¹⁴兩個兒婦又放聲而哭，俄珥巴與婆婆親嘴而別，只是路得捨不得拿俄米。Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵拿俄米說：「看哪，你嫂子已經回她本國和她所拜的神那裡去了，你也跟著你嫂子回去吧！」“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

¹⁶路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裡去，我也往那裡去；你在哪裡住宿，我也在那裡住宿；你的國就是我的國，你的　神就是我的　神。But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

¹⁷你在哪裡死，我也在那裡死，也葬在那裡。除非死能使你我相離！不然，願耶和華重重地降罰與我。」Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

¹⁸拿俄米見路得定意要跟隨自己去，就不再勸她了。When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

¹⁹於是二人同行，來到伯利恆。她們到了伯利恆，合城的人就都驚訝。婦女們說：「這是拿俄米嗎？」So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

²⁰拿俄米對他們說：「不要叫我拿俄米（就是甜的意思），要叫我瑪拉（就是苦的意思），因為全能者使我受了大苦。“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.

²¹我滿滿地出去，耶和華使我空空地回來。耶和華降禍與我；全能者使我受苦。既是這樣，你們為何還叫我拿俄米呢？」I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

²²拿俄米和她兒婦摩押女子路得，從摩押地回來到伯利恆，正是動手割大麥的時候。So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.