RUTH 1:1-22

1:1 Now in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah went down to dwell as a sojourner in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

1:2 And the man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

1:3 And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

1:4 And they took wives for themselves from among the Moabite women. One’s name was Orpah, and the second’s name was Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

1:5 And both Mahlon and Chilion died, and the woman was left without her two children and her husband.

1:6 Then she rose up with her daughters-in-law in order to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that Jehovah had visited His people by giving them food.

1:7 So she went forth from the place where she had been, along with her two daughters-in-law; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

1:8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go and return, each of you, to your mother’s house. May Jehovah deal kindly with you, just as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

1:9 May Jehovah grant you to find rest, each of you in the house of your husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice and wept.

1:10 And they said to her, No, we will return with you to your people.

1:11 And Naomi said, Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

1:12 Return, my daughters, go; for I am too old to have a husband. If I said, I have hope; even if I had a husband tonight and even bore sons;

1:13 Would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having a husband? No, my daughters; it has been far more bitter for me than it should be for you, for the hand of Jehovah has gone forth against me.

1:14 And they lifted up their voice and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

1:15 And she said, Your sister-in-law has now returned to her people and to her gods; return with your sister-in-law.

1:16 But Ruth said, Do not entreat me to leave you and turn away from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you dwell, I will dwell; and your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

1:17 Where you die, I will die; and there will I be buried. Jehovah do so to me, and more as well, if anything but death parts me from you.

1:18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she ceased speaking to her about it.

1:19 So the two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them; and the women said, Is this Naomi?

1:20 And she said to them, Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara; for the All-sufficient One has dealt very bitterly with me.

1:21 I went out full, but Jehovah has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, when Jehovah has afflicted me and the All-sufficient One has dealt harshly with me?

1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.