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.

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.

3 Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with 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,

5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

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.

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.

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.

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

10 and said, “Surely we will return with you to your 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?

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,

13 would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

14 Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”

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.

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.”

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

19 So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite 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.”

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.

1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2 And the name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and 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 the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

7 Wherefore 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 unto the land of Judah.

8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each [of you] in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? [are] there yet [any more] sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12 Turn again, my daughters, go [your way]; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, [if] I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, [or] to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people [shall be] my people, and thy God my God:

17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, [if ought] but death part thee and me.

18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

19 ¶ So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, [Is] this Naomi?

20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why [then] call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

1 In the days of the judges there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went into the country of Moab, with his wife and two sons.

2 And his name was Elimelech, and Naomi his wife, and Mahlon and Chilion his two sons, Ephrathites, of Bethlehemjudah. And when they were come into the land of Moab, they abode there.

3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died, and she was left with her two sons.

4 they took Moabitish women. One was named Arpa, and the other Ruth. And when they had dwelt there about ten years,

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died, both of them; and the woman was left unto both the sons, and to her husband.

6 And she arose with her two cords, and departed out of the land of Moab: for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited his people, and given them bread.

7 And she went out of the place where she was, and her two cords with her. And she went by the way, that she might return into the land of Judah,

8 And she said unto her two cords, Go and return, every one to her mother's house: the LORD have mercy on you, as ye have had mercy on the dead, and on me.

9 The LORD grant that ye may find rest, every one in her husband's house. And kissed them. And they lifted up their voice, and wept.

10 And said unto her, We will go with thee unto thy people.

11 And Naomi said, Return, my daughters; why will ye go with me? How can I have children in my womb to be your husbands?

12 Return, my daughters, and go; for I am now too old to take a husband. And if I say, It is to be hoped that I shall take a husband this night, and bring forth children,

13 How can ye wait till they be grown up? How will ye pardon, that ye should not take men? Not so, my daughters: for I am very sorry for you, because the hand of the LORD is gone out upon me.

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept more. And Arpah kissed her sister in law: but Ruth abode with her.

15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is turned unto her people, and unto her God: turn thou also after thy sister in law.

16 And Ruth said, Speak not to me, that I should leave thee, and turn from thee. Whither thou goest, I will go: whither thou stayest, I will stay. Thy people are my people, and thy God is my God.

17 Where thou diest, there die I also; there will I be buried also. The LORD do this for me, and this for me: Death shall separate me from thee.

18 And when she saw that she was minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her of it.

19 So the two went together until they came to Bethlehem. And when they were come to Bethlehem, all the city was moved about them, saying, Is this Naomi?

20 And she said unto them: Call me not Naomi, but Mara: for the Almighty hath greatly grieved me.

21 I went out full, but the LORD brought me home empty. Why then call ye me Naomi, when the LORD hath humbled me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

22 And it came to pass about the time of the barley harvest, that Naomi and Ruth the Moabitess, her wife, returned from the land of Moab unto Bethlehem.