1 Nos dias em que os juízes julgavam, houve uma fome na terra. Um homem de Betlém-Judá saiu a peregrinar no país de Moabe com sua mulher e seus dois filhos.2 Chamava-se o homem Elimeleque, e sua mulher Noemi, e chamavam-se seus dois filhos Malom e Quiliom; eram de Efrata de Betlém-Judá. Tendo entrado no país de Moabe, ficaram ali.3 Morreu Elimeleque, marido de Noemi; e ela ficou com seus dois filhos.4 Eles casaram com mulheres de Moabe, das quais uma se chamava Orfa, e a outra Rute; e ali moraram cerca de dez anos.5 Morreram ambos, Malom e Quiliom, ficando a mulher desamparada de seus dois filhos e de seu marido.6 Então se levantou ela com as noras, para voltar do país de Moabe, porque tinha ouvido que Jeová havia visitado ao seu povo, dando-lhe pão.7 Saiu do lugar em que estava com suas duas noras, e puseram-se a caminho de volta para a terra de Judá.8 Noemi disse a suas duas noras: Ide, voltai cada uma para a casa de sua mãe; use Jeová convosco de misericórdia, como vós o fizestes com os que morreram e comigo.9 Conceda-vos Jeová que acheis descanso, cada uma em casa de seu marido. Ela as beijou. Mas elas levantaram a voz e, chorando,10 responderam-lhe: Voltaremos contigo para o teu povo.11 Tornou-lhes Noemi: Voltai, minhas filhas; por que quereis ir comigo? Tenho eu ainda filhos no meu ventre, para que vos venham a ser maridos?12 Voltai, filhas minhas, ide-vos; porque sou velha demais para me casar. Ainda quando eu dissesse: Tenho esperança; ainda quando esta noite tivesse marido, e viesse a gerar filhos;13 esperá-los-íeis, porventura, até que fossem crescidos? abster-vos-íeis de terdes maridos? Não, minhas filhas, ainda que me é mais amargo a mim do que a vós, porque a mão de Jeová descarregou sobre mim.14 Então levantando a voz, tornaram a chorar. Orfa beijou a sua sogra; porém Rute se apegou a ela.15 Disse Noemi: Eis que voltou tua cunhada para o seu povo, e para os seus deuses, volta também tu após tua cunhada.16 Respondeu Rute: Não me instes que te abandone e deixe de te seguir: pois para onde quer que tu fores, irei eu; e onde quer que tu pousares, pousarei eu: o teu povo será o meu povo, e o teu Deus o meu Deus.17 Onde quer que tu morreres, morrerei eu, e ali serei sepultada. Isto me faça Jeová, e ainda mais, se outra coisa que a morte me separar de ti.18 Vendo Noemi que Rute estava tão firmemente resolvida a ir com ela, deixou de lhe falar.19 Assim caminharam ambas, até que chegaram a Betlém. Aconteceu que, ao chegarem ali, se comoveu toda a cidade por causa delas, e perguntavam as mulheres: É esta, porventura, Noemi?20 Respondeu-lhes ela: Não me chameis Noemi, chamai-me Mara, pois o Todo-poderoso me encheu de grande amargura.21 Eu saí daqui cheia, e Jeová me fez voltar vazia. Por que me chamais Noemi, visto que Jeová deu testemunho contra mim, e o Todo-poderoso me afligiu?22 Voltou Noemi com sua nora Rute, a moabita, que veio do país de Moabe; e chegaram a Betlém no princípio da sega de cevadas.

1 There was a famine in the land in the days when the judges ruled. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.2 The man was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi, and the two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They went to Moab and stayed there.3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. And she was left with her two sons.4 They took two women of Moab as their wives. One was Orpah and the other Ruth. They made their home there for about ten years.5 Mahlon and Chilion also died. Naomi was left all alone. She had no husband or sons.6 Some time later Naomi heard that Jehovah blessed his people by giving them good crops. So she got ready to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law.7 They started out together to go back to Judah.8 On the way she said to them: »Go back home and stay with your mothers. Jehovah should be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died.9 »May Jehovah make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home.« Then Naomi kissed them good-bye and they cried.10 They said to her: »No! We will go with you to your people.«11 »You must go back, my daughters,« Naomi replied. »Why do you want to come with me? Do you think I could have sons again for you to marry?12 »Return home, my daughters. I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought there was still hope, and got married and had sons,13 »would you wait for them to grow up? Would this keep you from marrying someone else? No, my daughters, you know that is not possible. Jehovah has turned against me. I feel sorry for you.«14 They started crying again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye and went back home. Ruth held on to her.15 Naomi said to her: »Ruth, your sister-in-law went back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her.16 Ruth replied: »Do not ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.17 »Wherever you die, I will die. That is where I will be buried. May Jehovah’s worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!«18 When she saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more.19 The two of them traveled to Bethlehem. When they arrived at Bethlehem the whole town was excited because of them. The women said: »Is this Naomi?«20 She said: »Do not call me Naomi meaning pleasant. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life bitter.21 »I went away full, and Jehovah sent me back empty. Why do you give me the name Naomi, seeing that Jehovah has given witness against me, and the Almighty has brought sorrow to me?«22 So Naomi came back out of the country of Moab. Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, came with her. They came to Bethlehem in the first days of the barley harvest.