In the days ^awhen the judges governed Israel, there was ^ba famine in the land of Canaan. And a certain man ^cof Bethlehem in Judah went to live temporarily in the ¹country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech and his wife’s name was Naomi and his two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went ^ato the country of Moab and stayed there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left a widow with her two sons. 4 They took wives from the Moabite women; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years; 5 and then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so the woman Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she set out with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in Moab how the LORD had ^ataken care of His people of Judah in ^bgiving them food. 7 So she left the place where she was living, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they started on the way back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you return to your mother’s house. ^aMay the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown kindness to the dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that you find rest, each one in the home of her husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye, and they wept aloud. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will go with you to your people in Judah.” 11 But Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters, why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that ^amay become your husbands? 12 Go back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, and if I actually had a husband tonight and even gave birth to sons, 13 would you wait until they were grown? Would you go without marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more ¹difficult for me than for you, because ^athe LORD’S hand has gone against me.”

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

15 Then Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her ^agods; turn back and follow your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. 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 ^athe LORD do the same to me as He has done to you, and more also, if anything but death separates me from you.” 18 When ^aNaomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, ^athe whole city was ¹stirred because of them, and the women asked, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (sweetness) ; call me Mara (bitter) , for ^athe Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness. 21 I left full with a husband and two sons, but ^athe LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned from the country of Moab, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law. And they arrived in Bethlehem at ^athe beginning of the barley harvest.

Now it came about in the days ^awhen the judges ¹governed, that there was ^ba famine in the land. And a man ^cof Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab ²with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they ^aentered the land of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then ¹both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had ^avisited His people by ^bgiving them food. 7 So she departed 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 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to ¹your mother’s house. ^aMay the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept. 10 However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that ^athey may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because ^athe hand of the LORD has come out against me.”

14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her ^agods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May ^athe LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates ¹me from you.” 18 When ^ashe saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.

19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, ^aall the city was stirred because of them, and ¹the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me ¹Naomi; call me ²Mara, for ^3athe Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, but ^athe LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and ¹the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at ^athe beginning of barley harvest.

Now it happened in the days ^awhen the judges judged, that there was ^ba famine in the land. And a certain man ^cof Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab ¹with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they ^acame to the fields of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then ¹both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law and returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that ¹Yahweh had ^avisited His people to ^bgive them ²food. 7 So she went forth 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 of you to her mother’s house. ^aMay Yahweh ¹show lovingkindness with you as you have ²shown with the dead and with me. 9 May Yahweh grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that ^athey may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is more bitter for me than for you, for ^athe hand of Yahweh has gone forth against me.” 14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her ^agods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may ^aYahweh do to me, and more, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 So ^ashe saw that she was determined to go with her, and she ¹said no more to her.

19 Then they both went until they came to Bethlehem. Now it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, ^aall the city was stirred because of them, and ¹the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me ¹Naomi; call me ²Mara, for ^3athe Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, but ^aYahweh has caused me to return empty. Why do you call me Naomi? Yahweh has answered against me, and ¹the Almighty has brought calamity against me.”

22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the fields of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at ^athe beginning of barley harvest.