1Engang under dommertiden i Israel blev landet ramt af en voldsom hungersnød. En mand ved navn Elimelek af Efrat-slægten flyttede derfor fra Betlehem i Juda til Moabs land for at bo der som fremmed sammen med sin kone, No’omi, og deres to sønner, Malon og Kiljon.3Mens de boede i Moab, døde Elimelek, så No’omi sad alene tilbage med sine to sønner.4De to unge mænd fandt sig hver en kone blandt moabitterne. Malon giftede sig med en pige, der hed Ruth, og Kiljon giftede sig med Orpa. Da de havde boet i Moab i hen ved ti år, døde både Malon og Kiljon, og No’omi var nu helt alene—uden mand og børn.6På den tid fik hun at vide, at Herren havde forbarmet sig over sit folk, så der igen var mad at få i Juda. Derfor besluttede hun at forlade Moab og vende tilbage til sit hjem i Betlehem. Sammen med sine to svigerdøtre begav hun sig af sted ad vejen til Juda.8Da de havde gået et stykke tid, sagde No’omi til sine svigerdøtre: „Det er bedst, I går hjem til jeres forældre. Må Herren vise jer sin godhed på grund af den godhed, I har vist mod mine to sønner og mig,9og må han hjælpe jer begge til at blive gift igen og få et godt og trygt hjem.” Så kyssede hun dem farvel, og de brast i højlydt gråd.10„Men vi vil gerne følge med dig hjem til dit folk!” sagde de to unge kvinder.11„Nej, I må hellere vende tilbage til jeres eget folk,” svarede No’omi. „Jeg har jo ikke andre sønner, I kan blive gift med.12Derfor er det bedst, at I vender tilbage til jeres familier. Jeg er for gammel til at gifte mig igen—og selv om jeg gjorde, og jeg blev gravid og fødte sønner med det samme,13ville I så vente til de blev voksne? Nej, mine piger! For mig er det mere bittert end for jer, for det er Herrens hånd, som har ramt mig med denne tragedie!”14Så græd de igen. Orpa kyssede nu sin svigermor farvel og vendte om for at gå tilbage til sit barndomshjem, men Ruth ville ikke forlade No’omi.15„Se, din svigerinde er allerede på vej tilbage til sit folk og sin gud,” sagde No’omi. „Du må hellere følge med.”16Men Ruth svarede: „Tving mig ikke til at forlade dig! Hvor du går hen, vil jeg gå med. Dit hjem skal være mit hjem, dit folk skal være mit folk, og din Gud skal være min Gud.17Og når jeg engang dør, vil jeg begraves ved din side. Må Herren straffe mig, hvis jeg tillader noget andet end døden at skille os!”18Da No’omi så, at Ruth var fast besluttet på at gå med, holdt hun op med at forsøge at overtale hende.19De to fortsatte så rejsen og ankom til Betlehem. Der blev røre i hele byen ved deres ankomst. „Jamen, er det ikke No’omi?” udbrød byens kvinder.20Men No’omi sagde: „Kald mig ikke længere No’omi*—kald mig hellere Mara!* Den almægtige Gud har gjort mit liv bittert.21Da jeg rejste herfra, havde jeg hele min familie, men nu vender jeg alene tilbage. Kald mig ikke No’omi, for Herren har dømt mig og ladet denne tragedie ramme mig!”22Således vendte No’omi tilbage til Betlehem, og hun havde sin svigerdatter med fra Moabs land. Byghøsten var netop begyndt, da de ankom.
English Standard Version
Naomi Widowed
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.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.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.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.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.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?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.”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.”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.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.”18And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
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?”20She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;* call me Mara,* for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.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?”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.
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