Elimelech of Bethlehem going with his wife Noemi, and two sons, into
the land of Moab, dieth there. His sons marry wives of that country and
die without issue. Noemi returneth home with her daughter in law Ruth,
who refuseth to part with her.
1:1. In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there
came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to
sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
1:2. He was named Elimelech, and his wife Noemi: and his two sons, the
one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And
entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.
1:3. And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her
sons.
1:4. And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called
Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years,
1:5. And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was
left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.
1:6. And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country, with
both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked
upon his people, and had given them food.
1:7. Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with
both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the
land of Juda,
1:8. She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers, the Lord deal
mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
1:9. May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands whom
you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice,
and began to weep,
1:10. And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.
1:11. But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come ye with me?
have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me?
1:12. Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent
with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this
night, and bear children,
1:13. If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man’s
estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my
daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress,
and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
1:14. And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha
kissed her mother in law, and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother
in law.
1:15. And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her
people, and to her gods, go thou with her.
To her gods, etc.... Noemi did not mean to persuade Ruth to return to
the false gods she had formerly worshipped: but by this manner of
speech, insinuated to her, that if she would go with her, she must
renounce her false gods and return to the Lord the God of Israel.
1:16. She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave
thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where
thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and
thy God my God.
1:17. The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die:
and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more
also, if aught but death part me and thee.
The Lord do so and so, etc.... A form of swearing usual in the history
of the Old Testament, by which the person wished such and such evils to
fall upon them, if they did not do what they said.
1:18. Then Noemi seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with
her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to
her friends:
1:19. So they went together, and came to Bethlehem. And when they were
come into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the
women said: This is that Noemi.
1:20. But she said to them: Call me not Noemi (that is, beautiful,) but
call me Mara (that is, bitter), for the Almighty hath quite filled me
with bitterness.
1:21. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then
do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled, and the Almighty hath
afflicted?
1:22. So Noemi came with Ruth, the Moabitess, her daughter in law, from
the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the
beginning of the barley harvest.