Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab
1 Now it came to pass, in the days whenthe judges ruled, that there wasa famine in the land. And a certain man ofBethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country ofMoab, he and his wife and his two sons.
2 The name of the manwasElimelech, the name of his wifewasNaomi, and the names of his two sonswereMahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they wentto the country of Moab and remained there.
3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the onewasOrpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.
5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
Naomi Returns with Ruth
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 that theLordhadvisited His people bygiving them bread.
7 Therefore she went out from 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.
8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,“Go, return each to her mother’s house.TheLorddeal kindly with you, as you have dealtwith the dead and with me.
9 TheLordgrant that you may findrest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me?Arethere still sons in my womb,that they may be your husbands?
12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope,ifI should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,
13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes thatthe hand of theLordhas gone out against me!”
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruthclung to her.
15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back toher people and to her gods;return after your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth said:
# “Entreat me not to leave you,
Ortoturn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
# Your peopleshallbemy people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
# TheLorddo so to me, and more also,
Ifanythingbutdeath parts you and me.”
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, thatall the city was excited because of them; and the women said,“Isthis Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full,and theLordhas brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since theLordhas testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehemat the beginning of barley harvest.