Ruth 1

vayehi bime shefot hashofetim vayehi ra'av ba'arets vayyelekh ish mibbet lekhem yehudah lagur bisde mo'av hu ve'ishto ushene vanayw

In the days when the chieftains ruled, there was a famine in the land; and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the country of Moab.

veshem ha'ish elimelekh veshem ishto no'omi veshem shene-vanayw makhlon vekhilyon efratim mibbet lekhem yehudah vayyavo'u sede-mo'av vayyihyu-sham

The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the country of Moab and remained there.

vayyamot elimelekh ish no'omi vattisha'er hi ushene vaneha

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

vayyisu lahem nashim mo'aviyyot shem ha'akhat orpah veshem hashenit rut vayyeshevu sham ke'eser shanim

They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth, and they lived there about ten years.

vayyamutu gam-shenehem makhlon vekhilyon vattisha'er ha'isha mishene yeladeha ume'ishah

Then those two—Mahlon and Chilion—also died; so the woman was left without her two sons and without her husband.

vattaqom hi vekhalloteha vattashov missede mo'av ki shame'ah bisdeh mo'av ki-faqad Adonai et-ammo latet lahem lakhem

She started out with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab; for in the country of Moab she had heard that GOD had taken note of the people [of Israel] and given them food.

vattetse min-hammaqom asher hayetah-shammah ushete khalloteha immah vattelakhnah vadderekh lashuv el-erets yehudah

Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living; and they set out on the road back to the land of Judah.

vattomer no'omi lishte khalloteha lekhenah shovenah isha levet immah (yshh) [ya'as] Adonai immakhem khesed ka'asher asitem im-hammetim ve'immadi

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Turn back, each of you to her mother’s house. May GOD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me!

yitten Adonai lakhem umetsena menukhah isha bet ishah vattishaq lahen vattissenah qolan vattivkenah

May GOD grant that each of you find security in the house of a husband!” And she kissed them farewell. They broke into weeping

vattomarnah-llah ki-ittakh nashuv le'ammekh

and said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”

vattomer no'omi shovenah venotay lammah telakhnah immi ha'od-li vanim beme'ay vehayu lakhem la'anashim

But Naomi replied, “Turn back, my daughters! Why should you go with me? Have I any more sons in my body who might be husbands for you?

shovenah venotay lekhena ki zaqanti mihyot le'ish ki amarti yesh-li tiqvah gam hayiti hallaylah le'ish vegam yaladti vanim

Turn back, my daughters, for I am too old to be married. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I were married tonight and I also bore sons,

halahen tesabberenah ad asher yigdalu halahen te'agenah levilti heyot le'ish al benotay ki-mar-li me'od mikkem ki-yatse'ah vi yad-Adonai

should you wait for them to grow up? Should you on their account debar yourselves from marriage? Oh no, my daughters! My lot is far more bitter than yours, for GOD’s hand has struck out against me.”

vattissenah qolan vattivkenah od vattishaq orpah lakhamotah verut daveqah bah

They broke into weeping again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell. But Ruth clung to her.

vattomer hinneh shavah yevimtekh el-ammah ve'el-eloheha shuvi akhare yevimtekh

So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Go follow your sister-in-law.”

vattomer rut al-tifge'i-vi le'ozvekh lashuv me'akharayikh ki el-asher telekhi elekh uva'asher talini alin ammekh ammi velohayikh elohay

But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

ba'asher tamuti amut vesham eqqaver koh ya'aseh Adonai li vekhoh yosif ki hammavet yafrid beni uvenekh

Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more may GOD do to me if anything but death parts me from you.”

vattere ki-mitammetset hi lalekhet ittah vattekhdal ledabber eleha

When [Naomi] saw how determined she was to go with her, she ceased to argue with her;

vattelakhnah shetehem ad-bo'anah bet lakhem vayehi kevo'anah bet lekhem vattehom kol-ha'ir alehen vattomarnah hazot no'omi

and the two went on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city buzzed with excitement over them. The women said, “Can this be Naomi?”

vattomer alehen al-tiqrenah li no'omi qerena li mara ki-hemar shadday li me'od

“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, for Shaddai has made my lot very bitter.

ani mele'ah halakhti vereqam heshivani Adonai lammah tiqrenah li no'omi va-Adonai anah vi veshadday hera li

I went away full, and GOD has brought me back empty. How can you call me Naomi, when GOD has dealt harshly with me, when Shaddai has brought misfortune upon me!”

vattashov no'omi verut hammo'aviyyah khallatah immah hashavah missede mo'av vehemmah ba'u bet lekhem bitkhillat qetsir se'orim

Thus Naomi returned from the country of Moab; she returned with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabite. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.