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)