Ruth 1
1 It happened in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
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 The name of the man was Elimelek, and the name of his wife was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion, who were Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. They arrived at the country of Moab and lived 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 Then Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
Thereupon died Elimelech Na'omi's husband; and she was left, with her two sons.
4 These sons took wives from the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there for about 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 Then both Mahlon and Kilion died, leaving Naomi without her husband and without her two children.
And then died also both of these, Machlon and Kilyon, and the woman was left [deprived] of her two children and her husband.
6 Then Naomi decided to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law and return to Judah because she had heard in the region of Moab that Yahweh had helped his people in need 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 So she left the place where she had been with her two daughters-in-law, and they walked down the road 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 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return, each of you, to your mother's house. May Yahweh show kindness toward you, as you have shown kindness toward the dead and toward 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 the Lord grant you that you find rest, each of you in the house of another husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and cried.
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 They said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people.”
And they said unto her, [No, ] for truly we will return with thee unto thy people.
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters! Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb for you, so that they may become your husbands?
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 Turn back, my daughters, go your own way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said, 'I hope I get a husband tonight,' and then give birth to 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 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you choose not to marry a husband? No, my daughters! It is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of Yahweh has gone out 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 Then her daughters-in-law lifted up their voices and cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell, but Ruth held on to her.
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, “Listen, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.”
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 But Ruth said, “Do not make me go away from you, for where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people, and your God will be 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 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and even more, if anything but death ever separates us.”
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 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped arguing with her.
When she thus saw that she was persisting to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 So the two traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. It happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town was very excited about them. The women said, “Is this 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. Call me Bitter, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
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, but Yahweh has brought me home again empty. So why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has condemned me, that the Almighty has afflicted me?”
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 So Naomi and Ruth the Moabite woman, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
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.
