Ruth 1

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² Long ago, for the time wey before Israel no get king, famine dey the land, One man of Bethlehem Judah travel go Moab with him wife and their two sons. A man wey dem dey call Elimelech leave Bethlehem town wey dey Judah. Him, him wife, and him two sons move go country of Moab. The man wife name na Naomi, and him two sons na Mahlon and Chilion. Dem come from Ephrathah family for Bethlehem in Judah. The family travel go hill country of Moab and stay there.

³ Elimelech, Naomi husband come die, naso e remain her with her two sons,

⁴ and dem marry two Moabite woman, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years

⁵ Mahlon and Chilion come die too.

⁶ After some time, Naomi here say God don bless him people with good harvest; naso she begin dey ready to leave Moab with her daughter-in-law.

⁷ Dem begin dey go back to Judah together, but for road

⁸ she tell them say, “Make una go back and stay with una mothers. God go dey good to una as una don dey good to me.

⁹ He go give una another husband and una own home. Naomi kiss them. Dem cry

¹⁰ and say, “We wan go with you and stay with your people.”

¹¹ But she reply say, “My daughters, why una no wan go back home? Wetin be the good wey e go do for una if una go with me? Shey una think say I fit get more sons for una to marry?

¹² Una must go back home, because I don old pass person wey fit marry again. Even if I marry tonight, and get more sons later,

¹³ shey una go wait make dem mature to marry them? No my daughters! Life hard for me pass as e be for una, because God don turn against me.”

¹⁴ Dem cry again. Orpah kiss her mother-in-law and she go, but Ruth stay with her.

¹⁵ Naomi come tell Ruth say, “See, your sister-in-law don dey go back to her people and her gods! Shey you no go follow her?”

¹⁶ Ruth come answer say, “Abeg no tell me to leave you and go back home! I go follow you go where you go, I go live where you live, your people go be my people, your God go be my God.

¹⁷ I go die where you die and make dem bury for your side. Make God punish me, if I allow anything but death separate me from you.

¹⁸ When Naomi see say Ruth don make up her mind to follow her, she stop to dey tell to go back.

¹⁹ Dem reach Bethlehem, and the people dey happy to see them. The women wey dey live for there say, “Na Naomi be this?”

²⁰ She come tell them say, “make una no dey call me Naomi again! Call me Mara, because God don make my life bitter.

²¹ I get everything when I commot, but God don bring me back with nothing. How una go still dey call me Naomi, when God don turn against me and make life hard for me?”

²² Dem just begin dey harvest barley when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law enter Bethlehem.