Rut 1
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Hambre en Judá
1 1-2 Cuando los jefes gobernaban en Israel, hubo una época de hambre en Judá. Había un hombre llamado Elimélec, efrateo[a] que vivía en Belén[b], el cual tuvo que emigrar al país de Moab con su mujer y sus dos hijos. Su esposa se llamaba Noemí y sus dos hijos se llamaban Majlón y Quilión. Por causa del hambre, ellos se fueron a vivir al país de Moab y allí permanecieron.
3 Elimélec murió dejando sola a Noemí y a sus dos hijos. 4 Después, ellos se casaron con mujeres moabitas; una se llamaba Orfa y la otra Rut. Pasaron alrededor de diez años y 5 Majlón y Quilión también murieron. Así que Noemí quedó sola, pues no tenía esposo ni hijos.
Noemí vuelve a casa
6 Cuando Noemí se enteró de que el SEÑOR le había dado una buena cosecha a su pueblo, ella y sus dos nueras se prepararon para irse de Moab. 7 Así que Noemí se fue con sus dos nueras del lugar donde había vivido antes y juntas se dispusieron a recorrer el camino de vuelta a Judá.
8 Pero entonces Noemí les dijo a sus dos nueras:
—¿No quieren volver cada una a su casa con su mamá? Ustedes han sido muy buenas conmigo y con sus esposos. ¡Que así también el SEÑOR sea bueno y leal con ustedes! 9 ¡Que el SEÑOR permita que encuentren esposos y tengan un hogar feliz!
Luego Noemí las besó, pero ellas rompieron en llanto, 10 y le dijeron:
—No, nosotras queremos regresar contigo a tu pueblo.
11 Noemí les dijo:
—Por favor, váyanse, hijas mías. ¿Por qué tienen que irse conmigo? No me quedan más hijos que puedan casarse con ustedes. 12 ¡Váyanse! ¡Regresen a su tierra, hijas! Además, ya estoy demasiado vieja para quedar embarazada.[c] Y aunque tuviera esa esperanza y quedara embarazada esta misma noche, 13 tendrían ustedes que esperar hasta que mis hijos llegaran a ser hombres antes de casarse con ellos. No puedo obligarlas a que esperen tanto tiempo sin esposo porque la vida es más dura para mí que para ustedes, pues el SEÑOR está en contra mía.[d]
14 Entonces ellas empezaron a llorar. Orfa se despidió con un beso de su suegra y se fue, pero Rut se quedó junto a ella.
15 Noemí dijo:
—Mira, tu concuñada regresó con su gente y con sus dioses. Síguela.
16 Pero Rut le dijo:
—¡No me obligues a abandonarte y separarme de ti!
»A donde vayas tú, iré yo;
y donde vivas tú, viviré yo.
Tu pueblo será mi pueblo,
y tu Dios será mi Dios.
17 Donde mueras tú,
moriré yo y seré sepultada.
¡Que el SEÑOR me castigue con severidad
si no cumplo con esta promesa:
sólo la muerte nos separará![e]
18 Noemí se dio cuenta de que Rut estaba muy decidida a irse con ella, y dejó de discutir. 19 Así que las dos emprendieron el camino hasta que llegaron a Belén. Al llegar se formó un alboroto, todo el pueblo hablaba de ellas. Las mujeres decían:
—¿No es esa Noemí?
20 Pero ella les decía:
—No me llamen Noemí[f], llámenme Mara[g]
porque Dios Todopoderoso me ha dado tristeza.
21 Cuando me fui de aquí,
tenía en abundancia;
pero ahora regreso sin nada
porque así lo quiso el SEÑOR.
Por eso ustedes no deben llamarme Noemí,
porque el SEÑOR Todopoderoso ha sido muy duro conmigo.
22 Así fue como Noemí y Rut, su nuera moabita, regresaron de Moab. Llegaron a Belén cuando comenzaba la cosecha de cebada.
Footnotes
- 1:1-2 efrateo Natal de Efrata, otro nombre que se le daba a Belén. Posiblemente esa población fue fundada por un hombre de nombre Efraín. Ver 4:11.
- 1:1-2 Belén Un pequeño pueblo en Judá de donde era originario el rey David.
- 1:12 quedar embarazada Textualmente estar con un hombre.
- 1:13 porque la vida […] contra mía o eso me haría más triste por causa de ustedes. El SEÑOR está en contra mía.
- 1:17 ¡Que el SEÑOR […] nos separará! Textualmente Así me haga YAVÉ, y aun me añada, que sólo la muerte hará separación entre tú y yo.
- 1:20 Noemí Este nombre significa feliz o agradable.
- 1:20 Mara Este nombre significa amargada o triste.
Ruth 1
King James Version
1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And 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 Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 And 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 dwelled there about ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6 Then 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 the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore 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.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 The Lord 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.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or 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:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19 So 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 they said, Is this Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
Ruth 1
New King James Version
Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab
1 Now it came to pass, in the days when (A)the judges [a]ruled, that there was (B)a famine in the land. And a certain man of (C)Bethlehem, Judah, went to [b]dwell in the country of (D)Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—(E)Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went (F)to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they [c]dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
Naomi Returns with Ruth
6 Then 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 that the Lord had (G)visited[d] His people by (H)giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, (I)“Go, return each to her mother’s house. (J)The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt (K)with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find (L)rest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, (M)that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that (N)the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth (O)clung to her.
15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to (P)her people and to her gods; (Q)return after your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth said:
(R)“Entreat[e] me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
(S)Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
(T)The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”
18 (U)When she saw that she [f]was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that (V)all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, (W)“Is this Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me [g]Naomi; call me [h]Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, (X)and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and [i]the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem (Y)at the beginning of barley harvest.
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
