Found Family: Noemi & Ruth, Ruth 1:1-17

Although this passage is often used in modern weddings, it depicts a deep and loving bond not between spouses, but between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. Regardless of whether our support network is comprised of blood relatives or found family, it is important to acknowledge and appreciate those who love us and appreciate us.

* In diebus unius iudicis, quando iudices praerant, facta est fames in terra.

·         In the days of one of the judges (when judges were the government structure of Israel), there was a famine in the land.

* Abiitque homo de Bethlehem Iuda, ut peregrinaretur in regione Moabitide cum uxore sua ac duobus liberis.

·         One man from Bethlehem in Juda left to travel with his wife and two sons to the land of the Moabites.

* Ipse vocabatur Elimelech, et uxor eius Noemi: et duo filii, alter Mahalon, et alter Chelion, Ephrathei de Bethlehem Iuda.

·         This man was named Elimelech, and his wife was named Noemi. Their two kids were named Mahalon and Chelion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem.

* Ingressique regionem Moabitidem, morabantur ibi.

·         They traveled to the land of the Moabites and dwelled there.

* Et mortuus est Elimelech maritus Noemi: remansitque ipsa cum filiis.

·         When Noemi’s husband Elimelech died, it was just her and her two sons.

* Qui acceperunt uxores Moabitidas, quarum una vocabatur Orpha, altera vero Ruth.

·         Her sons married Moabite women; one was named Orpha and the other was named Ruth.

* Manseruntque ibi decem annis, et ambo mortui sunt, Mahalon videlicet et Chelion: remansitque mulier orbata duobus liberis ac marito.

·         They lived there for ten years, but then both of her sons Mahalon and Chelion died. Now the poor woman was bereft of both her husband and her two sons.

* Et surrexit ut in patriam pergeret cum utraque nuru sua de regione moabitide: audierat enim quod respexisset Dominus populum suum, et dedisset eis escas.

·         She took it upon herself to travel back to her homeland with both of her daughers-in-law, for she had heard that the Lord had protected his people, and had provided them with food [i.e., the famine had ended].

* Egressa est itaque de loco peregrinationis suae, cum utraque nuru: et iam in via revertendi posita in terram Iuda, dixit ad eas: Ite in domum matris vestrae faciat vobiscum Dominus misericordiam, sicut fecistis cum mortuis et mecum.

·         She got up and left, and when she was about to travel, she told her daughters-in-law, “Go back home to the home of your mothers. May the Lord take pity on you, just as you have taken pity on both the dead [i.e., your husbands] as well as me.”

* “…Det vobis invenire requiem in domibus virorum, quos sortiturae estis.” Et osculate est eas.

·         “May he give to you peace in the home of your husbands, when you remarry.” And she kissed them.

* Quae elevata voce flere coeperunt, et dicere: “Tecum pergemus ad populum tuum.”

·         They began to cry, and wept, “We will go with you to your people.”

* Quibus illa respondit: “Revertimini, filiae mea, cur venitis mecum? Num ultra habeo filios in utero meo, ut viros ex me sperare possitis? Revertimini, filiae meae, et abite: iam enim senectute confecta sum, nec apta vinculo coniugali: etiamsi possem hac nocte concipere, et parere filios, si eos expectare velitis donec crescent, et annos pubertais impleant, ante eritis vetulae quam nubatis.

·         She responded to them, “My daughters, go back home. Why would you want to go with me? I don’t have any more children in my womb, so you can’t hope for future husbands from me. Go back home, my daughters, and leave me. I am worn out with old age, and too old to get married again. Even if I could conceive a child tonight, and give birth to sons, if you wanted to wait for them to get old enough to marry them, you’d be too old to marry them.”

* “…Nolite, quaeso, filiae meae: quia vestra angustia magis me premit, et egressa est manus Domini contra me.”

·         I beg you, daughters, please don’t stay, for your difficulties weigh upon my heart more than my own, and the Lord has set his hand against me.”

* Elevata igitur voce, rursum flere coeperunt: Orpha osculata est socrum, ac reversa est: Ruth adhaesit socrui suae; cui dixit Noemi: “En reversa est cognata tua ad populum suum, et ad deos suos, vade cum ea.”

·         They both wailed and began to weep. Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, and left her. Ruth, however, clung to her mother-in-law. Noemi told her, “Go on now, she’s travelling back to your kin, and to your own gods. Go with her.”

* Quae respondit: Ne adverseris mihi ut relinquam te et abeam: quocumque enim perrexeris, pergam, et ubi morata fueris, et ego pariter morabor. Populus tuus populus meus, et Deus tuus Deus meus. Quae te terra morientem susceperit, in ea moriar: ibique locum accipiam sepulturae. Haec mihi faciat Dominus, et haec addat, si non sola mors me et te seperaverit.

·         Ruth responded: “Don’t keep me from you, or make me leave. Wherever you will go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live there, too. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. The land that holds your tomb will also accept mine. May the Lord grant me these things, and add one more thing: that only death should ever separate you and me.”

--Ruth 1:1-17