1 N a 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.

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 N a, 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.

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

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

4 N a 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.

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

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

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

6 K atahi 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.

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 H eoi 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.

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

8 N a 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.

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 M a 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.

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

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

11 A no 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?

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 H oki 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;

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 T era 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.

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 N a 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.

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

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

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

16 N a 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;

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 K a 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.

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

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

19 H eoi 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?

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 N a 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.

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

21 K i 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?

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 H eoi 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.

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.