Ruth 1
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
And it came to pass when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land: and a man went from Bethleem Juda to sojourn in the land of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
And the man's name [was] Elimelech, and his wife's name Noemin, and the names of his two sons Maalon and Chelaion, Ephrathites of Bethleem of Juda: and they came to the land of Moab, and remained there.
3 Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
And Elimelech the husband of Noemin died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
And they took to themselves wives, women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpha, and the name of the second Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.
And both Maalon and Chelaion died also; and the woman was left of her husband and her two sons.
6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.
And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord [had] visited his people to give them bread.
7 Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her: and they went by the way to return to the land of Juda.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me.
And Noemin said to her daughter-in-law, Go now, return each to the house of her mother: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
The Lord grant you that ye may find rest each of you in the house of her husband: and she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
And they said to her, We will return with thee to thy people.
11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?
And Noemin said, Return now, my daughters; and why do ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands?
12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons;
13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
would ye wait for them till they should be grown? or would ye refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters; for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.
14 Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
And Noemin said to Ruth, Behold, thy sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; turn now thou also after thy sister-in-law.
16 But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following thee; for whithersoever thou goest, I will go, and wheresoever thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people [shall be] my people, and thy God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
And wherever thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, [if I leave thee], for death [only] shall divide between me and thee.
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.
And Noemin seeing that she was determined to go with her, ceased to speak to her any more.
19 So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
And they went both of them until they came to Bethleem: and it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethleem, that all the city rang with them, and they said, Is this Noemin?
20 “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.
And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me 'Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty: and why call ye me Noemin, whereas the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
So Noemin and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethleem in the beginning of barley harvest.
