1 N os dias em que os juízes governavam, houve uma fome na terra; pelo que um homem de Belém de Judá saiu a peregrinar no país de Moabe, ele, sua mulher, e seus dois filhos.

In the days when there were judges to rule, there was a time of no food in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to visit the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

2 C hamava-se este homem Elimeleque, e sua mulher Noêmi, e seus dois filhos se chamavam Malom e Quiliom; eram efrateus, de Belém de Judá. Tendo entrado no país de Moabe, ficaram ali.

The name of the man was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi. And the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the land of Moab and stayed there.

3 E morreu Elimeleque, marido de Noêmi; e ficou ela com os seus dois filhos,

But Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. And she was left with her two sons,

4 o s quais se casaram com mulheres moabitas; uma destas se chamava Orfa, e a outra Rute; e moraram ali quase dez anos.

who married Moabite women. The name of one was Orpah. The name of the other was Ruth. After living there about ten years,

5 E morreram também os dois, Malom e Quiliom, ficando assim a mulher desamparada de seus dois filhos e de seu marido.

both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left without her two children and her husband. Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

6 E ntão se levantou ela com as suas noras, para voltar do país de Moabe, porquanto nessa terra tinha ouvido que e Senhor havia visitado o seu povo, dando-lhe pão.

Then Naomi got ready to return from the land of Moab with her daughters-in-law. She had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had brought food to His people.

7 P elo que saiu de lugar onde estava, e com ela as duas noras. Indo elas caminhando para voltarem para a terra de Judá,

So she left with her two daughters-in-law and went on the way toward the land of Judah.

8 d isse Noêmi

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, each one of you return to your own mother’s house. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have done with the dead and with me.

9 O Senhor vos dê que acheis descanso cada uma em casa de seu marido. Quando as beijou, porém, levantaram a vóz e choraram.

May the Lord help you to find a home, each in the family of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they cried in loud voices.

10 E disseram-lhe: Certamente voltaremos contigo para o teu povo.

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

11 N oêmi, porém, respondeu: Voltai, minhas filhas; porque ireis comigo? Tenho eu ainda filhos no meu ventre, para que vos viessem a ser maridos?

But Naomi said, “Return to your people, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I have more sons within me, who could become your husbands?

12 V oltai, filhas minhas; ide-vos, porque já sou velha demais para me casar. Ainda quando eu dissesse: Tenho esperança; ainda que esta noite tivesse marido e ainda viesse a ter filhos.

Return, my daughters. Go. For I am too old to have a husband. If I had hope, if I should have a husband tonight and give birth to sons,

13 e sperá-los-íeis até que viessem a ser grandes? deter-vos-íeis por eles, sem tomardes marido? Não, filhas minhas, porque mais amargo me é a mim do que a vós mesmas; porquanto a mão do Senhor se descarregou contra mim.

would you wait until they were grown? Would you not marry until then? No, my daughters. It is harder for me than for you. For the hand of the Lord is against me.”

14 E ntão levantaram a voz, e tornaram a chorar; e Orfa beijou a sua sogra, porém Rute se apegou a ela.

Then they cried again in loud voices. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law. But Ruth held on to her.

15 P elo que disse Noêmi: Eis que tua concunhada voltou para o seu povo e para os seus deuses; volta também tu após a tua concunhada.

Naomi said, “See, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods. Return after your sister-in-law.”

16 R espondeu, porém, Rute: Não me instes a que te abandone e deixe de seguir-te. Porque aonde quer que tu fores, irei eu; e onde quer que pousares, ali pousarei eu; o teu povo será o meu povo, o teu Deus será o meu Deus.

But Ruth said, “Do not beg me to leave you or turn away from following you. I will go where you go. I will live where you live. Your people will be my people. And your God will be my God.

17 O nde quer que morreres, morrerei eu, e ali serei sepultada. Assim me faça o Senhor, e outro tanto, se outra coisa que não seja a morte me separar de ti.

I will die where you die, and there I will be buried. So may the Lord do the same to me, and worse, if anything but death takes me from you.”

18 V endo Noêmi que de todo estava resolvida a ir com ela, deixou de lhe falar nisso.

When Naomi saw that Ruth would do nothing but go with her, she said no more to her.

19 A ssim, pois, foram-se ambas, até que chegaram a Belém. E sucedeu que, ao entrarem em Belém, toda a cidade se comoveu por causa delas, e as mulheres perguntavam: É esta, porventura, Noêmi?

So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. The whole town of Bethlehem was happy because of them. The women said, “Is this Naomi?”

20 E la, porém, lhes respondeu: Não me chameis Noêmi; chamai-me Mara, porque o Todo-Poderoso me encheu de amargura.

She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara. For the All-powerful has brought much trouble to me.

21 C heia parti, porém vazia o Senhor me fez tornar. Por que, pois, me chamais Noêmi, visto que o Senhor testemunhou contra mim, e o Todo-Poderoso me afligiu?

I went out full. But the Lord has made me return empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has spoken against me. The All-powerful has allowed me to suffer.”

22 A ssim Noêmi voltou, e com ela Rute, a moabita, sua nora, que veio do país de Moabe; e chegaram a Belém no principio da sega da cevada.

So Naomi returned. And her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite woman, returned with her from the land of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley gathering time.