Paragraph 1:19–21
1:19a
So: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces the next event in the story. Introduce the next event in a way that is natural in your language.
Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “they went on the two of them until they came to Bethlehem.”
If your language uses dual forms, you could use them here.
Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:
So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. (NET Bible)
-or-
They went on until they came to Bethlehem. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Naomi and Ruth travelled together to Bethlehem. (Easy English Bible)
1:19b
When they entered Bethlehem: This clause links the previous sentence with the event that happened next.
the whole city was stirred because of them: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stirred means “excited” or “agitated.” All the people of the town were very surprised to see Naomi return home after many years away.
Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:
the entire town was excited by their arrival (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
When they entered Bethlehem, all the people became very excited. (New Century Version)
1:19c
and: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces the next event.
the women of the city exclaimed: Here are some other ways to translate this:
The women who lived there asked (New Century Version)
-or-
and the women said (New Revised Standard Version)
Can this be Naomi?: This is a rhetorical question. It expresses surprise. The women were surprised that Naomi had come back after she had been gone for many years. There are at least three ways to translate this question to express surprise.
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Is it really Naomi? (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use a statement. For example:
Surely this cannot be Naomi!
• Use a statement followed by a tag question. For example:
This can’t be Naomi, can it? (God’s Word)
Some languages may have an idiom or phrase that expresses surprise. For example:
How on earth can this be Naomi?
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