Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Ruth 1:8 - 1:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:8-1:14:

  • Noongar: “But Naomi said to the two women, ‘You two, return to the houses of your mothers. May God bless you as you have blessed me and your dead husbands. May God bless and give you safety in the houses of your new husbands.’ She kissed them and they wept. They both said to her, ‘No, we will go with you to your people’. But Naomi said, ‘Go back to your homes, my daughters. Why will you come with me? I can have other sons in my womb, can I? They can become your husband, can they? Return, my daughters. I am an old woman. I am too old to marry another man. If I married today, and bore sons, you would wait for them to grow up, would you? And will you not marry other men? No, my daughters. This is more bitter for me, much more than for you, because the hand of God is hurting me.’ So they wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “While they were beginning to go on the way there, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law: ‘Now you go back to your original homes. I will pray to God to give you blessings, because you have loved me and you have loved your deceased husbands. Surely God will give you both to live in peace and have new husbands and families.’ When she had finished saying that, Naomi kissed her two daughters-in-law. Then they all cried together. But the two daughters-in-law said: ‘Not that, Mother! We want to go together with you, and go to your family.’ But Naomi answered them: ‘Why do you want to follow me? Do you think I can have other sons who could become your husbands? So, daughters-in-law, you both go back to your original families, because I am already old. I can not have another husband. If I had a husband this afternoon, and if I could bear more sons, do you want to wait for those sons to become adults? Could you wait that long? And would you not seek other husbands until my children were big enough for you to take them as your husbands? No, daughters-in-law. In my heart I feel sad for you, because God has done this to me.’ After that they wept together again. And Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and left her. But Ruth did not leave her mother-in-law.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “’And may the LORD grant that you(pl) could-marry again so-that you(pl) could-settle in your(pl) new home.’ Then Noemi kissed them. They wept aloud and said to Noemi, ‘We(excl) will-go with you(sg) when you(sg) return to your(sg) fellow-countrymen.’ But Noemi said, ‘You(pl) return-home to your-(own place), children. Why would- you(pl) still -come-with me? Do- you(pl) -think I can-marry again and can-give-birth to males whom you(pl) could-marry? That would/could- not -happen because I am old now. But for instance I could-marry tonight and some-time-later can- still -give-birth, then-what, are you(pl) going-to-wait until they had-grown-up? You(pl) would not marry yet just because of them? (It is) not possible, children. The truth (is), my life is more bitter than yours(pl), because the LORD causes- me -to-suffer.’ They wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and went-back-home,b but Ruth on-the-other-hand remained with Noemi.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then as the three of them were walking, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Each of you should turn around and go back to your mother’s home. You treated your husbands kindly before they died, and you have treated me kindly. Now I desire that Yahweh will enable each of you to have another husband in whose home you will feel secure.’ Then she kissed both of them, and they cried aloud. They each said, ‘No, we want to go with you as you return to your relatives.’ But Naomi said, ‘No, my daughters, return home. [It will not do any good for you to come with me!/What good will it do for you to come with me?] Do you think I will get married again and have more sons who could become your husbands? Even if I thought I could have another husband, and even if I got married today and became pregnant tonight and later gave birth to sons, would you remain single/unmarried until they grew up and became old enough for you to marry? No, my daughters, you would not do that. Your situations are bad because your husbands have died, but it is possible that you will each marry again. My situation is much worse, because Yahweh has opposed me, and now I am too old to get married again.’ Then Ruth and Orpah cried again because of what Naomi said. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, and left, but Ruth clung to Naomi.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 1:15 - 1:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:15-1:17:

  • Noongar: “Naomi said to Ruth, ‘Look! Your sister-in-law is returning to her family and her gods. Return with her.’ But Ruth said, ‘Don’t tell me to leave you or go away from you. Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die –- there they will bury me. May God strike me if I leave you before I die.'” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “So Naomi said to Ruth: ‘Here! Your sister has returned to the home of her mother and father, and she has returned to worship the gods of her country. Now you do like that also. You follow your sister.’But Ruth answered: ‘Please don’t drive me away. I want to go with you. Whatever place you go, I will go to that place also. Whatever place you live, I will live in that place also. Your family will be like my family also. Your God will be as my God also. Whatever place you die, I want to die in that place also. Whatever place they bury you, I want them to bury me in that place also. If we are still living but I leave you, I ask that God will give me heavy punishment and kill me.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Noemi said, ‘Look, your(sg) sister-in-law is now there-(distant), she has- now -returned to her fellow-countrymen and to her god, so you(pl) go with her.’ But Ruth replied, ‘Do- not -force me to leave you(sg), for wherever you(sg) go I will-go there too, and wherever you(sg) live I will-live there too. Your(sg) countrymen will-become my fellow-countrymen too, and your(sg) God will-become my God too. Where you(sg) will-die, there I will-die too and there also be-buried. May the LORD punish me very severely if I will-separate from you(sg), unless I will- now -die.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Naomi said to her, ‘Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!’ But Ruth replied, ‘No! Don’t urge me to leave you! I want to go with you. Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and the God you worship will be the God I worship. Where you die, I will die. Where you are buried, I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me severely if I separate from you. I will be separated from you only when one of us dies.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 1:18 - 1:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:18-1:21:

  • Noongar: “When Naomi understood Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more. So those two returned to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, all the people were excited because of them, and the women said, ‘This one’s Naomi, isn’t she?’ She said to them, ‘I am not Naomi, I am called Mara because God has made my life bitter. I went away full but God brings me back empty. Why call me Naomi, God has attacked me and he has given me only sorrow.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “After Ruth said this, Naomi knew that surely Ruth really wanted to go with her. So Naomi did not say anything further. So the two of them went to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, all the people in the town were astonished in their hearts. And they asked: ‘Is this person really Naomi?’ But Naomi answered: ‘Now you must not call me Naomi any longer. Now you call me the name Mara, because God has caused me to meet great misfortune. When I left here I was blessed. But now God has caused me to return empty handed. Because God hates me and God has given me to meet great difficulties, so don’t call me Naomi any longer’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Noemi saw that Ruth was- really -determined to go with her, she just kept-silent. So the two of them continued to walk until they arrived in Betlehem. When they arrived there, the people were-stirred-up/became-excited/surprised.d The women said, ‘Is that really Noemi?’ Noemi said to them, ‘You(pl) do- not -call me Noemi, but you(pl) call me Mara, for the Almighty God has-caused- my life -to-become- very -bitter. When- I -left here I had everything, but the LORD caused- me -to-return empty-handed. Therefore you(pl) do- not -call me Noemi anymore, for the LORD Almighty has-caused- me -to-suffer.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her to return home. So the two women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in town was excited to see them. The women of the town exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi?/It is difficult to believe that this is Naomi!’ Naomi said to them, ‘Don’t call me Naomi, which means ‘pleasant’. Instead, call me Mara, which means ‘bitter’, because God Almighty has made my life very unpleasant. When I left here, I felt rich, because I had a family. But Yahweh has brought me back here and now I feel poor, because I have no family. Do not call me Naomi. I feel as though Yahweh has spoken against (OR, afflicted) me. Almighty God has caused me to experience a great tragedy.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 1:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:22:

  • Noongar: “So Naomi returned from Moab. Ruth of Moab, her son’s wife, she accompanied her. They returned to Bethlehem at the time people were harvesting the wheat.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “So Naomi returned to her own country. And Ruth, her daughter-in-law returned with her also. Ruth was a Moabite. The two of them arrived in Bethlehem at the time when they were just starting to harvest grain from the fields in that country.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The harvest-season for barley was-just beginning when Noemi arrived in Betlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabnon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “That summarizes the account of Naomi returning home along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, the woman from Moab. And it happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley grain harvest was just beginning.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 2:10 - 2:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:10-2:13:

  • Noongar: “So Ruth fell on her face and said to him, ‘What good did I do that you saw me and are merciful to me? I am a stranger.’ But Boaz replied, ‘Many people have told me everything you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband died. You left your father and mother and your heart land and came here, to a people you don’t know. May God bless you. May the God of Israel give you everything good because you come to shelter under his wings.’ Then Ruth said, ‘My lord, may I always be good in your eyes. I am not your worker, I am not like your young women, but you are good to me and speak gently to me.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “After Boaz said this, then Ruth bent down and bowed her knees in front for Boaz. And Ruth said: ‘You don’t have any responsibility toward me, so why should help me like this. I am a person from another country, so why do you still help me very much.’ But Boaz answered her: ‘I have heard already the good things you have done for your mother-in-law from the time that your husband died. And I know that you left your mother and father and the country of your birth. So you came to live with other people, people you did not know. All of these good thing you did, I ask God to give you every blessing. This God is the God of Israel. And you have believed him also. So now it is as though you were under the wing of God.’After that Ruth answered: ‘O sir! Please let me be favored in your sight. You have comforted my heart. And you have spoken well toward me as though I were one of your own servants. Even though I am not one of you servants.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Ruth knelt to Boaz as (a) respect and said, ‘Why are you(sg) so very kind to me wherein I am actually/as-a-matter-of-fact just a foreigner?’ Boaz replied, ‘Someone(s) has told me (about) all that you(sg) have-done for your(sg) mother-in-law since the death of your(sg) husband, how you(sg) left your(sg) father and mother and the place where you(sg) were born in-order to live with the people whom you(sg) did- not -know. So may the LORD repay you(sg) for what you(sg) have-done. May you(sg) receive a big reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, whom you(sg) seek-refuge.’ Ruth said, ‘You(sg) are very kind/nice to me, sir, for you(sg) pleased me and have-spoken kindly even-though I am not one of your(sg) servants.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When he said that, she knelt down in front of him in respect, with her face touching the ground. She exclaimed, ‘Why are you acting so kindly toward me, by paying attention to me? I am not even a Jew; I am a foreigner!’ Boaz replied, ‘People have told me all about what you have done for your mother-in-law. They told me that you left your parents and your homeland, and you came here to live among people whom you did not know before. I hope/desire that Yahweh will repay you for what you have done. You have put yourself in the care of Yahweh, like a little bird puts itself under its mother’s wings. I desire that he will reward you very greatly.’ She replied, ‘Sir, I hope you will continue to act kindly toward me. You have comforted/encouraged me, even though I am lower in status than any of your servant girls.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 2:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:14:

  • Noongar: “When the people were eating, Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Come here. Eat, and dip your bread in the vinegar.’ So Ruth sat by the wheat workers and Boaz handed her the bread the workers had cooked. She ate well, belly full, and some bread was left over.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “When they were eating, Boaz said to Ruth: ‘You take rice/bread and dip it into the sauce here.’ So Ruth ate and was filled, an she kept back some of it.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When (it was) now time to eat, Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Come, you(sg) get some food and dip (it) in the vinegar.’ Therefore Ruth sat-down together with the harvesters, and Boaz handed her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full, and she still had some-left-over.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At mealtime, Boaz said to her, ‘Come over here. Take some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar and eat it.’ Then when she sat down with the men who had been harvesting, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all the grain she wanted, and had some left over.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 2:15 - 2:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:15-17:

  • Noongar: “When Ruth stood up to gather more wheat, Boaz said to his young men, ‘You let her gather wheat between the bundles of wheat. Do not shame her. You must pull out more wheat for her, and drop the wheat for her and not tell her off.’ Ruth gathered the seeds in the wheat-field until evening, then she beat what she had gathered, and she got a full dish of wheat.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “When Ruth got up to go glean again, Boaz said to the men who worked for him: ‘Let this young woman glean in the places where the bundles are. And don’t say anything to her. And you drop two or three stalks and leave them for her to pick up. And don’t say anything at all to her.’ So Ruth gleaned in the field until late afternoon. Then in the evening she beat the heads of grain and had a large basket full of unhusked grain.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Ruth now got-up to glean again the heads-of-grain, Boaz commanded his men, ‘Even if Ruth gleans among the bundles of heads-of-grain/(sheaves), you(pl) do- not -put- her -to-shame. You(pl) should- even -take-out some heads-of-grain for her from the bundles and leave (them) for her, and you(pl) do- not -rebuke/scold her.’ So Ruth gleaned heads-of-grain until the sun set. And when she had- already -threshed the barley which she had-gathered, these were about half a sack. ” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “As she stood up to start gathering grain again, Boaz ordered his workers, ‘Even if she gathers some grain near the bundles of grain that have been cut, do not scold her. Instead, pull out some stalks of grain from the bundles, and leave them on the ground for her to pick up, and do not rebuke her.’ So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. Then she threshed/beat with a stick the barley that she had gathered, to separate the kernels from the stalks, and the barley filled a large basket.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Ruth 2:18 - 2:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:18-20:

  • Noongar: “Ruth took the wheat to her house, and Naomi saw what she had gathered. Then Ruth gave her mother-in- law the bread she had not eaten herself. Her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where did you gather wheat? Where did you work today? May God bless the man who saw you.’ So Ruth told her mother-in-law everything about the man and his wheatfield. Ruth said, ‘This man is called Boaz.’ Naomi said to her daughter, ‘May God bless this man. He has not stopped being merciful to people living and dead.’ Naomi then told Ruth, ‘This man is our relative, our right-way man.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “Then he brought the grain back to the town. She brought to her mother-in-law the grain she had gleaned. And Ruth brought out the leftover food that she had kept back and gave that to her mother-in-law.Her mother-in-law asked her: ‘Today where did you glean this? Whose field did you glean in? I ask God to give blessing to the one who helped you.’ After that Ruth told her mother-in-law: ‘That man who allowed me to glean in his field today was named Boaz.’Then Naommi said to her daughter-in-law: ‘May God give him blessings. Surely God has not given up doing good to those still living and to those still living and to those who have died.” And Naomi said: ‘Surely this person is from our clan also very near to us.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “She brought these/it back-home to town and showed-(it) to her mother-in-law Noemi. Then she took-out her leftover food and gave (it) to Noemi. Noemi asked her, ‘Where did you(sg) glean some heads-of-grain earlier? Whose field? Blessed is the man who treated you(sg) well.’ Ruth told Noemi that she gleaned there in the field of a man whose name was Boaz. Noemi said to Ruth, ‘May the LORD bless Boaz. He continued to show his kindness to the people who are still alive and to the dead-ones already.’ And she also said, ‘That Boaz is our(incl) close relative; he is one (of those) who has (a) responsibility to-take-care of us(incl).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “She carried it back to town, and showed to her mother-in-law how much she had gathered. Ruth also showed to her the grain that was left over after she had eaten enough from what Boaz had given her at lunchtime. Her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where did you gather grain today? In whose field did you work? God will surely bless the man who was kind to you.’ Then Ruth told her about the man in whose field she had been working. She said, ‘The name of the man who owns the field where I worked today is Boaz.’ Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless him! He has not stopped acting kindly toward us, who are still living, and to our husbands who have died.’ Then she added, ‘That man is a close relative of Elimelech; he is one of those who has a responsibility to help those who are his relatives.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)