Ruth 1
1 There was a famine during the time when the judges ruled Israel, so a man left Bethlehem in Judah and went to live in exile in the country of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.
In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
2 His name was Elimelech, and his wife's name Naomi. His sons were called Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and lived there.
The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there.
3 However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
4 The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years.
5 both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.
6 So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the country of Moab and return home because she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people there with food.
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 She left the place where she had been living and with her two daughters-in-law set out on the road back to the land of Judah.
She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 However, as they left, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you, go back to your mother's homes, and may the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me, and to those who have died.
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
May the LORD grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
10 “No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”
11 “Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Go back home, my daughters, because I'm too old to marry again. Even if I were to sleep with a new husband tonight and had sons,
Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons,
13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you decide you weren't going to marry anyone else? No. The whole situation is more bitter for me than it is for you, for the Lord has turned against me!”
would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for the LORD’s hand has gone out against me.”
14 They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her.
15 “Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
She said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Please don't keep on telling me to leave you and go back. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me harshly if I let anything but death separate us!”
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So the two of them walked on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the whole town got excited. “Is this Naomi?” the women asked.
So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?”
20 She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I left here full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has condemned me, when the Almighty has brought disaster on me?”
I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 This is the way that Naomi returned from Moab with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
