1 Na i nga ra i whakarite ai nga kaiwhakarite, kua pa te matekai ki te whenua. A ka haere tetahi tangata o Peterehema Hura ki te whenua o Moapa noho ai; a ia, tana wahine, me ana tama tokorua.

2 Na, ko te ingoa o taua tangata, ko Erimereke, ko Naomi hoki te ingoa o tana wahine; ko nga ingoa hoki o ana tama tokorua, ko Maharono, ko Kiriono, he Eparati ratou, no Peterehema Hura. Na haere ana ki te whenua o Moapa, a noho ana i reira.

3 Na ka mate a Erimereke, te tahu a Naomi, a mahue iho ko ia, ratou ko ana tama tokorua.

4 Na ka tango wahine raua ma raua i roto i nga wahine o Moapa; ko Oropa te ingoa o tetahi, ko Rutu te ingoa o tetahi, a noho ana i reira, kotahi tekau nga tau.

5 Na ka mate raua tokorua, a Maharono raua ko Kiriono, a ko te wahine anake te putanga o ana tama tokorua, o tana tahu.

6 Katahi ia ka whakatika, ratou ko ana hunaonga, a hoki ana i te whenua o Moapa; i rongo hoki i te whenua o Moapa kua titiro mai a Ihowa ki tana iwi, kua hoatu e ia he taro ma ratou.

7 Heoi haere atu ana ia i te wahi i noho ai, ratou tahi ko ana hunaonga tokorua, a haere ana i te ara, hoki ana ki te whenua o Hura.

8 Na ka mea a Naomi ki ana hunaonga tokorua, Haere korua, e hoki ki nga whare o o korua whaea: ma Ihowa korua e atawhai; kia rite tana ki ta korua mahi ki nga tupapaku, ki ahau hoki.

9 Ma Ihowa e hoami ki a korua kia kite korua i te okiokinga i roto i te whare o tana tahu, o tana tahu. Na ka kihi ia i a raua, a rahi noa atu o ratou reo ki te tangi.

10 Na ka mea raua ki a ia, Engari me hoki tahi tatou ki tou iwi.

11 Ano ra ko Naomi, Hoki atu, e aku tamahine: kia haere tahi korua i ahau hei aha? he tama ano ianei enei kei roto i toku kopu hei tane ma korua?

12 Hoki atu, e aku tamahine, haere, kua ruruhitia nei hoki ahau, a e kore e whai tahu. Me i ki ahau, Kei te tumanako ahau, tera ano ahau e whai tane i tenei po, a ka whanau ano he tama maku;

13 Tera ranei korua e tatari ki a raua kia kaumatua ra ano? tera ranei e mau tonu korua ki a raua, a e whakakahore ki te tane? Kahore, e aku tamahine, nui noa atu hoki toku pouri ina whakaaro ki a korua; na te ringa hoki o Ihowa kua puta mai nei ki ahau.

14 Na ka puaki ano to ratou reo, a ka tangi. Na ka kihi a Oropa i tona hungawai; ko Rutu ia i piri ki a ia.

15 Na ka mea ia, Nana, kua hoki tou taokete ki tona iwi, ki ona atua: hoki atu, whaia tou taokete.

16 Na ka mea a Rutu, Kaua ra e tohe ki ahau kia whakarerea koe, kia hoki atu i te whai i a koe; ta te mea ka haere ahau ki tau wahi e haere ai, ka noho hoki ki tau wahi e noho ai; ko tou iwi hei iwi moku, ko tou Atua hei Atua moku;

17 Ka mate ahau ki te wahi e mate ai koe, ka tanumia hoki ki reira: kia meatia tenei e Ihowa ki ahau, etahi atu mea ano hoki, ina, ko te mate anake hei wehe i a taua.

18 A, i tona kitenga e u ana tona ngakau kia haere tahi raua, mutu ake tana korero ki a ia.

19 Heoi haere ana raua tokorua, a tae noa ki Peterehema. A, ka tae raua ki Peterehema, na ka oho katoa te pa ki a raua, ka mea nga wahine, Ko Naomi tenei?

20 Na ka mea ia ki a ratou, Kaua ahau e karangatia, ko Naomi; ko Mara ta koutou e karanga ai ki ahau: he kawa rawa hoki ta te Kaha Rawa mahi ki ahau.

21 Ki tonu ahau i toku haerenga atu; na kua whakahokia kautia mai e Ihowa. Na te aha ahau i karangatia ai ko Naomi e koutou, kua whakaaturia nei hoki toku he e Ihowa, kua tukinotia ahau e te Kaha Rawa?

22 Heoi hoki mai ana a Naomi raua tahi ko tana hunaonga, ko Rutu Moapi: hoki ana i te whenua o Moapa; a haere ana ki Peterehema i te timatanga o te kotinga parei.

1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 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 continued there. 3 And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; 13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; 17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. 18 And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and the women said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.