1Cuando los jueces gobernaban en Israel, un hombre llamado Elimélec, de Belén de Judá, se fue a causa del hambre que azotaba al país y se estableció en la tierra de Moab.2Con él se fueron su esposa Noemí, y sus dos hijos Majlón y Quilión. Todos ellos efrateos.3Estando en Moab murió Elimélec, y Noemí quedó con sus dos hijos.4-5Los dos jóvenes, Quilión y Majlón, se casaron con Orfa y Rut respectivamente, que eran moabitas, y residieron allí unos diez años. Algún tiempo después ambos hombres murieron, y Noemí quedó sola, sin esposo y sin hijos.6-7Decidió regresar a Israel con sus dos nueras, porque había oído decir que el SEÑOR había nuevamente bendecido a su pueblo con muy buenas cosechas.8Pero después de comenzado el viaje de regreso, Noemí dijo a sus dos nueras: ―¿Por qué no regresan mejor a casa de sus padres? Quizás Dios las recompense por la fidelidad que han mostrado a sus maridos y a mí.9Tal vez él las bendiga y les conceda que tengan otro matrimonio feliz. Y las besó. Pero ellas se pusieron a llorar.10―No —dijeron—. Queremos ir contigo y vivir en tu pueblo.11Pero Noemí replicó: ―Es mejor que regresen a su pueblo. Yo no voy a tener más hijos que puedan casarse con ustedes.[1] (Dt 25:5)12No, hijas mías, regresen a casa de sus padres, porque yo soy demasiado vieja para tener marido. Y aun si ello fuera posible, y yo pudiera concebir esta noche y dar a luz hijos,13¿esperarían ustedes a que ellos crecieran? No, por supuesto que no, queridas hijas mías. ¡No saben cuánto siento que el SEÑOR me haya castigado de esta manera y que esto les cause dolor!14Nuevamente se pusieron a llorar, y Orfa besó a su suegra para despedirse, y regresó a su pueblo natal. Sin embargo, Rut siguió junto a Noemí.15―Mira —le dijo Noemí—, tu concuña ha regresado a su pueblo y a sus dioses. Tú deberías hacer lo mismo.16Pero Rut replicó: ―No me pidas que te deje y me aparte de ti; adondequiera que tú vayas iré yo, y viviré donde tú vivas; tu pueblo será mi pueblo, y tu Dios será mi Dios.17Quiero morir donde tú mueras, y ser sepultada allí. Y que Dios me castigue si no cumplo mi promesa. Nada nos separará, ¡ni siquiera la muerte!18Cuando Noemí se dio cuenta de que Rut estaba decidida y que no podría persuadirla en sentido contrario, ya no intentó convencerla.19Al llegar ambas a Belén, el pueblo se conmovió. ―¿Es realmente Noemí? —preguntaban las mujeres.20Pero ella contestaba: ―No me llamen Noemí. Llámenme Mara (Noemí significa “dulce”; Mara significa “amarga”), porque el Todopoderoso me ha dado gran amargura.21Salí de aquí llena, y el SEÑOR me ha devuelto vacía. ¿Por qué habría de llamarme Noemí cuando el SEÑOR me ha vuelto la espalda y me ha enviado tal calamidad?22El regreso de ellas de Moab y su llegada a Belén coincidió con el tiempo de la cosecha de la cebada.
1In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. (Gn 12:10; Gn 26:1; Gn 43:1; Jue 2:16; Jue 17:7; 2 R 8:1)2The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. (Gn 35:19)3But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.4These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years,5and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. (Ex 3:16; Ex 4:31; Sal 132:15; Lc 1:68)7So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.8But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. (Jos 2:12; Jos 2:14; Jue 1:24; Rt 1:5; Rt 2:20)9The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. (Rt 3:1)10And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”11But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? (Gn 38:11; Dt 25:5)12Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons,13would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” (Jue 2:15; Job 19:21; Sal 32:4; Sal 38:2; Sal 39:10)14Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.15And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” (Jue 11:24; 1 R 11:7; Jer 48:7; Jer 48:13; Jer 48:46)16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (Rt 2:11)17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (1 S 3:17; 1 S 25:22; 2 S 19:13; 1 R 2:23)18And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. (Hch 21:14)
Naomi and Ruth Return
19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” (Mt 21:10)20She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[1] call me Mara,[2] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. (Ex 15:23)21I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Job 1:21)22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. (Rt 2:23; 2 S 21:9)