Ruth 1
1 In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed to sojourn in the region of the Moabites with his wife and two children.
And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land: and there went a certain man of Beth-lechem-judah to sojourn in the fields of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 He called himself Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and his two sons, the one Mahlon, and the other Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And entering into the region of the Moabites, they stayed there.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the name of his two sons Machlon and Kilyon, Ephrathites of Beth-lechem-judah. And they came into the fields of Moab, and remained there.
3 And Elimelech the husband of Naomi died; and she remained with her sons.
Thereupon died Elimelech Na'omi's husband; and she was left, with her two sons.
4 They took wives from among the Moabites, of whom one was called Orpah, and the other Ruth. And they lived there ten years.
And they took themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of one was 'Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
5 And they both died, namely Mahlon and Chilion, and the woman was left alone, bereaved of her two children and her husband.
And then died also both of these, Machlon and Kilyon, and the woman was left [deprived] of her two children and her husband.
6 And she arose so that she might journey to her native land, with both her daughters-in-law, from the region of the Moabites. For she had heard that the Lord had provided for his people and had given them food.
Then did she arise with her daughters-in-law, and returned homeward from the fields of Moab; for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had thought of his people in giving them bread.
7 And so she departed from the place of her sojourn, with both her daughters-in-law, and having set out upon the way, she was about to return to the land of Judah.
Therefore she went forth out of the place where she had been, and her two daughters-in-law [were] with her; and they went on their way to return unto the land of Judah.
8 She said to them, “Go to the home of your mother. May the Lord deal mercifully with you, just as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
Then said Na'omi unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each one to her mother's house: may the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9 May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands, whom you will obtain by lot.” And she kissed them. They lifted up their voice, and began to weep,
May the Lord grant unto you that ye may find rest, each one in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 and to say, “We will journey with you to your people.”
And they said unto her, [No, ] for truly we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 But she answered them, “Return, my daughters. Why come with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb, so that you could hope for husbands from me?
Then said Na'omi, Return back, my daughters; why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may become your husbands?
12 Return, my daughters, go forth. For I am now exhausted by old age, and not fit for the bond of marriage. Even if I were to conceive on this night, and bear sons,
Return back, my daughters, go; for I am too old to become [the wife] of any man; yea, if I were even to think, I have hope; should I even obtain this night a husband, and should also bear sons:
13 if you were willing to wait until they were grown and had completed the years of adolescence, you would be elderly before you could marry. Do not do so, I beg you, my daughters. For your difficulties weigh upon me greatly, and the hand of the Lord has been set against me.”
Would ye wait in hopes for them till they were grown? would ye debar yourselves for them so as not to become the wives of any man? not so, my daughters; for I feel much more bitter pain than you; because the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14 In response, they lifted up their voice and began to weep again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and then turned back. Ruth clung to her mother-in-law.
And they lifted up their voice and wept a long time; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth cleaved unto her.
15 Naomi said to her, “See, your kinswoman returns to her people, and to her gods. Hurry after her.”
And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is returned back unto her people, and unto her gods; return thou after thy sister-in-law.
16 She answered, “Do not be against me, as if I would abandon you and go away; for wherever you will go, I will go, and where you will stay, I also will stay with you. Your people are my people, and your God is my God.
But Ruth said, Urge me not to leave thee, to return from following thee; for whither thou goest, will I go; and where thou lodgest, will I lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17 Whichever land will receive you dying, in the same I will die, and there I will have the place of my burial. May God cause these things to happen to me, and add more also, if anything except death alone should separate you and I.”
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried; may the Lord do so to me, and may he so continue, if aught but death shall part me from thee.
18 Therefore, Naomi saw that Ruth, being firmly resolved in her soul, was determined to go with her, and that she was unwilling to be dissuaded, and that nothing further could convince her to return to her own.
When she thus saw that she was persisting to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 And so they set out together, and they came to Bethlehem. When they had entered the city, the news quickly spread among them all. And the women said, “This is that Naomi.”
So these two went until they came to Beth-lechem. And it came to pass, when they entered Beth-lechem, that all the city was in commotion about them, and people said, Is this Na'omi?
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter). For the Almighty has greatly filled me with bitterness.
And she said unto them, Call me not Na'omi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full and the Lord led me back empty. So then, why call me Naomi, whom the Lord has humbled and the Almighty has afflicted?”
I went out full, but empty hath the Lord brought me home again; why then will ye call me Na'omi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath sent me affliction?
22 Therefore, Naomi went with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, from the land of her sojourn, and returned to Bethlehem, at the time of the first reaping of the barley.
So did Na'omi return, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who had returned out of the fields of Moab; and they came to Beth-lechem at the beginning of the barley-harvest.
