1حَدَثَ فِي أَيَّامِ حُكْمِ الْقُضَاةِ أَنَّهُ صَارَ جُوعٌ فِي الأَرْضِ، فَذَهَبَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَيْتِ لَحْمِ يَهُوذَا لِيَتَغَرَّبَ فِي بِلاَدِ مُوآبَ هُوَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ وَابْنَاهُ.2وَاسْمُ الرَّجُلِ أَلِيمَالِكُ، وَاسْمُ امْرَأَتِهِ نُعْمِي، وَاسْمَا ابْنَيْهِ مَحْلُونُ وَكِلْيُونُ أَفْرَاتِيُّونَ مِنْ بَيْتِ لَحْمِ يَهُوذَا. فَأَتَوْا إِلَى بِلاَدِ مُوآبَ وَكَانُوا هُنَاكَ.3وَمَاتَ أَلِيمَالِكُ رَجُلُ نُعْمِي، وَبَقِيَتْ هِيَ وَابْنَاهَا.4فَأَخَذَا لَهُمَا امْرَأَتَيْنِ مُوآبِيَّتَيْنِ، اسْمُ إِحْدَاهُمَا عُرْفَةُ وَاسْمُ الأُخْرَى رَاعُوثُ. وَأَقَامَا هُنَاكَ نَحْوَ عَشَرِ سِنِينٍ.5ثُمَّ مَاتَا كِلاَهُمَا مَحْلُونُ وَكِلْيُونُ، فَتُرِكَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ مِنِ ابْنَيْهَا وَمِنْ رَجُلِهَا.6فَقَامَتْ هِيَ وَكَنَّتَاهَا وَرَجَعَتْ مِنْ بِلاَدِ مُوآبَ، لأَنَّهَا سَمِعَتْ فِي بِلاَدِ مُوآبَ أَنَّ الرَّبَّ قَدِ افْتَقَدَ شَعْبَهُ لِيُعْطِيَهُمْ خُبْزاً.7وَخَرَجَتْ مِنَ الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي كَانَتْ فِيهِ وَكَنَّتَاهَا مَعَهَا، وَسِرْنَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ لِلرُّجُوعِ إِلَى أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا.8فَقَالَتْ نُعْمِي لِكَنَّتَيْهَا، اذْهَبَا ارْجِعَا كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ إِلَى بَيْتِ أُمِّهَا. وَلْيَصْنَعِ الرَّبُّ مَعَكُمَا إِحْسَاناً كَمَا صَنَعْتُمَا بِالْمَوْتَى وَبِي.9وَلْيُعْطِكُمَا الرَّبُّ أَنْ تَجِدَا رَاحَةً كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ فِي بَيْتِ رَجُلِهَا. فَقَبَّلَتْهُمَا، وَرَفَعْنَ أَصْوَاتَهُنَّ وَبَكَيْنَ.10فَقَالَتَا لَهَا، إِنَّنَا نَرْجِعُ مَعَكِ إِلَى شَعْبِكِ.11فَقَالَتْ نُعْمِي، ارْجِعَا يَا بِنْتَيَّ. لِمَاذَا تَذْهَبَانِ مَعِي. هَلْ فِي أَحْشَائِي بَنُونَ بَعْدُ حَتَّى يَكُونُوا لَكُمَا رِجَالاً.12اِرْجِعَا يَا بِنْتَيَّ وَاذْهَبَا لأَنِّي قَدْ شِخْتُ عَنْ أَنْ أَكُونَ لِرَجُلٍ. وَإِنْ قُلْتُ لِي رَجَاءٌ أَيْضاً بِأَنِّي أَصِيرُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ لِرَجُلٍ وَأَلِدُ بَنِينَ أَيْضاً،13هَلْ تَصْبِرَانِ لَهُمْ حَتَّى يَكْبُرُوا. هَلْ تَنْحَجِزَانِ مِنْ أَجْلِهِمْ عَنْ أَنْ تَكُونَا لِرَجُلٍ. لاَ يَا بِنْتَيَّ. فَإِنِّي مَغْمُومَةٌ جِدّاً مِنْ أَجْلِكُمَا لأَنَّ يَدَ الرَّبِّ قَدْ خَرَجَتْ عَلَيَّ.14ثُمَّ رَفَعْنَ أَصْوَاتَهُنَّ وَبَكَيْنَ أَيْضاً. فَقَبَّلَتْ عُرْفَةُ حَمَاتَهَا، وَأَمَّا رَاعُوثُ فَلَصِقَتْ بِهَا.15فَقَالَتْ، هُوَذَا قَدْ رَجَعَتْ سِلْفَتُكِ إِلَى شَعْبِهَا وَآلِهَتِهَا. اِرْجِعِي أَنْتِ وَرَاءَ سِلْفَتِكِ.16فَقَالَتْ رَاعُوثُ، لاَ تُلِحِّي عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَتْرُكَكِ وَأَرْجِعَ عَنْكِ، لأَنَّهُ حَيْثُمَا ذَهَبْتِ أَذْهَبُ وَحَيْثُمَا بِتِّ أَبِيتُ. شَعْبُكِ شَعْبِي وَإِلَهُكِ إِلَهِي.17حَيْثُمَا مُتِّ أَمُوتُ وَهُنَاكَ أَنْدَفِنُ. هَكَذَا يَفْعَلُ الرَّبُّ بِي وَهَكَذَا يَزِيدُ. إِنَّمَا الْمَوْتُ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكِ.18فَلَمَّا رَأَتْ أَنَّهَا مُشَدِّدَةٌ عَلَى الذَّهَابِ مَعَهَا كَفَّتْ عَنِ الْكَلاَمِ إِلَيْهَا.19فَذَهَبَتَا كِلْتَاهُمَا حَتَّى دَخَلَتَا بَيْتَ لَحْمٍ. وَكَانَ عِنْدَ دُخُولِهِمَا بَيْتَ لَحْمٍ أَنَّ الْمَدِينَةَ كُلَّهَا تَحَرَّكَتْ بِسَبَبِهِمَا، وَقَالُوا، أَهَذِهِ نُعْمِي.20فَقَالَتْ لَهُمْ، لاَ تَدْعُونِي نُعْمِيَ بَلِ ادْعُونِي مُرَّةَ، لأَنَّ الْقَدِيرَ قَدْ أَمَرَّنِي جِدّاً.21إِنِّي ذَهَبْتُ مُمْتَلِئَةً وَأَرْجَعَنِيَ الرَّبُّ فَارِغَةً. لِمَاذَا تَدْعُونَنِي نُعْمِيَ وَالرَّبُّ قَدْ أَذَلَّنِي وَالْقَدِيرُ قَدْ كَسَّرَنِي.22فَرَجَعَتْ نُعْمِي وَرَاعُوثُ الْمُوآبِيَّةُ كَنَّتُهَا مَعَهَا، الَّتِي رَجَعَتْ مِنْ بِلاَدِ مُوآبَ، وَدَخَلَتَا بَيْتَ لَحْمٍ فِي ابْتِدَاءِ حَصَادِ الشَّعِيرِ.
1Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.2And 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 Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.3And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.4And 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 dwelled there about ten years.5And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.6Then 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 the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.7Wherefore 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.8And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.9The LORD 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.10And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?12Turn again, my daughters, go your way ; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;13Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.15And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or 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:17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.19So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.21I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.