¹Zvino namazuva okutonga kwavatongi nzara yakanga iripo panyika. Mumwe murume weBheterehemu-judha akandogara panyika yaMoabhu, iye nomukadzi wake navanakomana vake vaviri.

¹And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

²Zita romurume rakanga riri Erimereki, nezita romukadzi wake Naomi; mazita avanakomana vake vaviri aiva Maroni naKirioni, vaEfurata veBheterehemu-judha. Ivo vakasvika panyika yaMoabhu, vakagarako.

²And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

³Zvino Erimereki murume waNaomi, akafa, iye akasiiwa navanakomana vake vaviri.

³And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

⁴Ivo vakazviwanira vakadzi kuvaMoabhu; zita romumwe raiva Oripa, nezita romumwe Rute; vakagarako makore anenge gumi.

⁴And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.

⁵Maroni naKirioni vakafawo, vose vari vaviri, mukadzi akasiiwa asina vanakomana vake vaviri nomurume wake.

⁵And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.

⁶Ipapo akasimuka navakadzi vavana vake, achida kubva kunyika yaMoabhu; nekuti wakange anzwa achiri panyika yaMoabhu, kuti Jehovha wakarangarira vanhu vake, akavapa zvokudya.

⁶Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread.

⁷Akabva kwaakanga ari navakadzi vavana vake vaviri, vakafamba nenzira inodzokera kunyika yaJudha.

⁷And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

⁸Zvino Naomi akati kuvakadzi vavana vake vaviri, Endai, dzokerai mumwe nomumwe kumba kwamai vake; Jehovha ngaakuitirei zvakanaka, sezvamakaitira vakafa neniwo.

⁸And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

⁹Jehovha ngaakuzorodzei, mumwe nomumwe mumba momurume wake. Akavatsvoda, ivo vakachema kwazvo.

⁹Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

¹⁰Vakati kwaari, Kwete, tichaenda nemwi kana modzokera kuvanhu venyu.

¹⁰And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people.

¹¹Naomi akati, Dzokai, vana vangu, muchaendereiko neni? Ini ndichina vamwe vanakomana mumuviri wangu vangazova varume venyu here?

¹¹And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

¹²Dzokai, vana vangu, endai henyu, nekuti ini ndachembera, handingawanikwi nomurumezve. Kunyangwe ndikati; ndichine tariro kuti ndingabereka vanakomana, kana ndaiva nomurume usiku hwuno,

¹²Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons;

¹³mungavamirira kusvikira vakura here? Mungaramba kuwanikwa navamwe varume naizvozvo here? Kwete, vana vangu, nekuti zvinovava kwazvo kwandiri kupfuura imwi, nekuti ruoko rwaJehovha runorwa neni.

¹³would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me.

¹⁴Ipapo vakachemazve kwazvo, Oripa akatsvoda vamwene vake, asi Rute wakavanamatira.

¹⁴And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵Akati, Tarira, vakoma vako vadzokera kuvanhu vako, nokunamwari wake; dzoka newewo, utevere vakoma vako.

¹⁵And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law.

¹⁶Rute akati, Musandirwaririra kuti ndikusiyei, ndirege kukuteverai; nekuti pamunoenda neni ndichaendapowo; pamunovata, neni ndichavatapowo; navanhu venyu vachava vanhu vangu, naMwari wenyu achava Mwari wangu;

¹⁶And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God;

¹⁷pamunondofira, ndipo pandichandofira neniwo, ndipo pandichavigwawo; Jehovha ngaandirove, arambe achidaro, kana imwi neni tikaparadzaniswa nechinhu, asi norufu chete.

¹⁷where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.

¹⁸Zvino wakati achiona kuti watsungirira kwazvo kuenda naye, akarega kuzotaura naye.

¹⁸And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.

¹⁹Naizvozvo ivavo vaviri vakafamba kusvikira paBheterehemu. Zvino vakati vachisvika paBheterehemu, guta rose rikashamiswa pamusoro pavo; vakadzi vakati, Uyu ndiye Naomi here?

¹⁹So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and [the women] said, Is this Naomi?

²⁰Akati kwavari, Regai kundiidza Naomi, asi mundiidze Mara, nekuti waMasimbaose wakandiitira zvinovava kwazvo.

²⁰And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

²¹Ndakabuda ndizere, Jehovha akandidzoserazve kumusha ndisina chinhu; munondiidzireiko Naomi, Jehovha zvaakandipupurira mhosva, waMasimbaose zvaakandimanikidza?

²¹I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

²²Naizvozvo Naomi akadzoka naRute muMoabhu, mukadzi womwana wake, vachibva kunyika yaMoabhu; vakasvika paBheterehemu vanhu votanga kukohwa bhari.

²²So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.