And it happenedוַיְהִיin the daysבִּימֵיwhen the judgesהַשֹּׁפְטִיםjudgedשְׁפֹטthat there wasוַיְהִיa famineרָעָבin the land;בָּאָרֶץand a manוַ אִישׁfrom Bethlehemמִבֵּית לֶחֶםof Judahיְהוּדָהwentיֵּלֶךְto reside as an alienלָגוּרin the fieldsבִּשְׂדֵיof Moab,מוֹאָבheהוּאand his wifeוְאִשְׁתּוֹand his twoוּשְׁנֵיsons.בָנָיו
The nameוְשֵׁםof the manהָאִישׁwasElimelech,אֱלִימֶלֶךְand the nameוְשֵׁםof his wifeאִשְׁתּוֹNaomi,נָעֳמִיand the nameוְשֵׁםof his twoשְׁנֵי וsonsבָנָיMahlonמַחְלוֹןand Chilion;וְכִלְיוֹןthey wereEphrathitesאֶפְרָתִיםfrom Bethlehemמִבֵּית לֶחֶםof Judah.יְהוּדָהThey cameוַיָּבֹאוּintothe fieldsשְׂדֵיof Moabמוֹאָבand stayedוַיִּהְיוּthere.שָׁם
ThenוַElimelech,אֱלִימֶלֶךְNaomi’sנָעֳמִיhusband,אִישׁdied,יָּמָתand sheוַ הִיאandוּher twoשְׁנֵי הָsonsבָנֶיwere left.תִּשָּׁאֵר
They tookוַיִּשְׂאוּfor themselvesלָהֶםMoabiteמֹאֲבִיּוֹתwives;נָשִׁיםthe nameשֵׁםof the oneהָאַחַתwasOrpah,עָרְפָּהand the nameוְשֵׁםof the secondהַשֵּׁנִיתRuth.רוּתAnd they livedוַיֵּשְׁבוּthereשָׁםaboutכְּtenעֶשֶׂרyears.שָׁנִים
Thenוַboth of them,שְׁנֵיהֶםMahlonמַחְלוֹןand Chilion,וְכִלְיוֹןalsoגַםdied,יָּמוּתוּand the womanוַ הָאִשָּׁהwas leftתִּשָּׁאֵרwithoutמִher twoשְּׁנֵי הָsonsיְלָדֶיand withoutוּמֵher husband.אִישָׁהּ
Then sheוַ הִיאaroseתָּקָםwith her daughters-in-lawוְכַלֹּתֶיהָand returnedוַתָּשָׁבfrom the fieldsמִשְּׂדֵיof Moab,מוֹאָבforכִּיshe had heardשָׁמְעָהin the fieldבִּשְׂדֵהof MoabמוֹאָבthatכִּיYHWHיְהוָהhad attended toפָקַדhis peopleאֶת עַמּוֹby givingלָתֵתthemלָהֶםbread.לָחֶם
So she went outוַתֵּצֵאfromמִןthe placeהַמָּקוֹםwhereאֲשֶׁר שָׁמָּהshe had been,הָיְתָהand her twoוּשְׁתֵּי הָdaughters-in-lawכַלֹּתֶיwith her,עִמָּהּand they wentוַתֵּלַכְנָהon the roadבַדֶּרֶךְto returnלָשׁוּבtoאֶלthe landאֶרֶץof Judah.יְהוּדָה
And Naomiוַ נָעֳמִיsaidתֹּאמֶרto her twoלִשְׁתֵּי הָdaughters-in-law,כַלֹּתֶי“Go,לֵכְנָהreturn,שֹּׁבְנָהeachאִשָּׁהto the houseלְבֵיתof her mother.אִמָּהּMay YHWHיְהוָהdoיַעַשׂloyal loveחֶסֶדwith you,עִמָּכֶםasכַּאֲשֶׁרyou have doneעֲשִׂיתֶםwithעִםthe deadהַמֵּתִיםand with me.וְעִמָּדִי
May YHWHיְהוָהgrantיִתֵּןyouלָכֶםthat you findוּמְצֶאןָrest,מְנוּחָהeachאִשָּׁהinthe houseבֵּיתof her husband.”אִישָׁהּThen she kissedוַתִּשַּׁקthem,לָהֶןand they lifted upוַתִּשֶּׂאנָהtheir voiceקוֹלָןand wept.וַתִּבְכֶּינָה
And they saidוַתֹּאמַרְנָהto her,לָּהּ“No;ratherכִּיwith youאִתָּךְwe will returnנָשׁוּבto your people.”לְעַמֵּךְ
But Naomiוַ נָעֳמִיsaid,תֹּאמֶר“Return,שֹׁבְנָהmy daughters.בְנֹתַיWhyלָמָּהwould you goתֵלַכְנָהwith me?עִמִּיDo I still haveהַעוֹד לִיsonsבָנִיםin my wombבְּמֵעַיthat they could becomeוְהָיוּhusbandsלַאֲנָשִׁיםfor you?לָכֶם
Return,שֹׁבְנָהmy daughters,בְנֹתַיgo,לֵכְןָforכִּיI am too oldזָקַנְתִּי מִto belongהְיוֹתto a husband.לְאִישׁEven ifכִּיI said,אָמַרְתִּי‘I haveיֶשׁ לִיhope,’תִקְוָהeven ifגַּםI belongedהָיִיתִיto a husbandלְאִישׁtonightהַלַּיְלָהand alsoוְגַםgave birth toיָלַדְתִּיsons,בָנִים
would youהֲthereforeלָהֵןwaitתְּשַׂבֵּרְנָהuntilעַד אֲשֶׁרthey grew up?יִגְדָּלוּWould youהֲthereforeלָהֵןshut yourselves up,תֵּעָגֵנָהnotלְבִלְתִּיbelongingהֱיוֹתto a husband?לְאִישׁNo,אַלmy daughters,בְּנֹתַיforכִּיit is much more bitterמַר מְאֹדfor meלִיthan for you,מִכֶּםbecauseכִּיthe handיַדof YHWHיְהוָהhas gone outיָצְאָהagainst me.”בִי
They lifted upוַתִּשֶּׂנָהtheir voiceקוֹלָןand weptוַתִּבְכֶּינָהagain;עוֹדand Orpahוַ עָרְפָּהkissedתִּשַּׁקher mother-in-law,לַחֲמוֹתָהּbut Ruthוְרוּתclungדָּבְקָהto her.בָּהּ
And she said,וַתֹּאמֶר“Look,הִנֵּהyour sister-in-lawיְבִמְתֵּךְhas returnedשָׁבָהtoאֶלher peopleעַמָּהּand toוְאֶלher gods;אֱלֹהֶיהָreturnשׁוּבִיafterאַחֲרֵיyour sister-in-law.”יְבִמְתֵּךְ
But Ruthוַ רוּתsaid,תֹּאמֶר“Do notאַלpressתִּפְגְּעִיmeבִיto abandon you,לְעָזְבֵךְto turn backלָשׁוּבfrom following you;מֵאַחֲרָיִךְforכִּיwhereאֶל אֲשֶׁרyou go,תֵּלְכִיI will go,אֵלֵךְand whereוּבַאֲשֶׁרyou spend the night,תָּלִינִיI will spend the night.אָלִיןYour peopleעַמֵּךְismy people,עַמִּיand your Elohimוֵאלֹהַיִךְismy Elohim.אֱלֹהָי
Whereבַּאֲשֶׁרyou die,תָּמוּתִיI will die,אָמוּתand thereוְשָׁםI will be buried.אֶקָּבֵרSoכֹּהmay YHWHיְהוָהdoיַעֲשֶׂהto me,לִיand soוְכֹהmay he add,יֹסִיףifכִּיanything butdeathהַמָּוֶתseparatesיַפְרִידmeבֵּינִיand you.”וּבֵינֵךְ
When she sawוַתֵּרֶאthatכִּיsheהִיאwas determinedמִתְאַמֶּצֶתto goלָלֶכֶתwith her,אִתָּהּshe stoppedוַתֶּחְדַּלspeakingלְדַבֵּרto her.אֵלֶיהָ
Soוַthe two of themשְׁתֵּיהֶםwentתֵּלַכְנָהuntilעַדthey cameבֹּאָנָהtoBethlehem.בֵּית לָחֶםAnd it happened,וַיְהִיwhenכְּthey cameבֹאָנָהtoBethlehem,בֵּית לֶחֶםthat the wholeוַ כָּלcityהָעִירwas stirredתֵּהֹםbecause of them,עֲלֵיהֶןand they said,וַתֹּאמַרְנָה“Is thisהֲזֹאתNaomi?”נָעֳמִי
She saidוַתֹּאמֶרto them,אֲלֵיהֶן“Do notאַלcallתִּקְרֶאנָהmeלִיNaomi;נָעֳמִיcallקְרֶאןָmeלִיMara,מָרָאforכִּיShaddaiשַׁדַּיhas dealt very bitterlyהֵמַר מְאֹדwith me.לִי
Iאֲנִיwent awayהָלַכְתִּיfull,מְלֵאָהand emptyוְרֵיקָםYHWHיְהוָהhas broughtהֱשִׁיבַmeנִיback.הֱשִׁיבַWhyלָמָּהdo you callתִקְרֶאנָהmeלִיNaomi,נָעֳמִיwhen YHWHוַיהוָהhas testifiedעָנָהagainst meבִיand Shaddaiוְשַׁדַּיhas doneהֵרַעmeלִיharm?”הֵרַע
So Naomiוַ נָעֳמִיreturned,תָּשָׁבand Ruthוְרוּתthe Moabite,הַמּוֹאֲבִיָּהher daughter-in-law,כַלָּתָהּwith her,עִמָּהּwho returnedהַשָּׁבָהfrom the fieldsמִשְּׂדֵיof Moab.מוֹאָבAnd theyוְהֵמָּהcameבָּאוּtoBethlehemבֵּית לֶחֶםat the beginningבִּתְחִלַּתof the barleyשְׂעֹרִיםharvest.קְצִיר