Ruth 1
1 It happened in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
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.
2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Kilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
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.
3 Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 And they took for themselves wives from the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they lived there about ten years.
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 Mahlon and Kilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 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 that YHWH had visited his people in giving them bread.
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.
7 She went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
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.
8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May YHWH deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
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.
9 YHWH 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 voice, and wept.
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 They said to her, "No, but we will return with you to your people."
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 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?
“Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
12 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;
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,
13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of YHWH has gone out against me."
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!”
14 They lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people, but Ruth clung to her.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 She said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people, and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
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.
17 where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried. YHWH do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."
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!”
18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. It happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they asked, "Is this Naomi?"
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.
20 She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi. Call me Marah; for Shaddai has dealt very bitterly with me.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 I went out full, and YHWH has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since YHWH has testified against me, and Shaddai has afflicted me?"
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?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
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.
