Ruth 1
1 And it came to pass when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land: and a man went from Bethleem Juda to sojourn in the land of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
There was a famine during the time when the judges ruled Israel, so a man left Bethlehem in Judah and went to live in exile in the country of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.
2 And the man's name [was] Elimelech, and his wife's name Noemin, and the names of his two sons Maalon and Chelaion, Ephrathites of Bethleem of Juda: and they came to the land of Moab, and remained there.
His name was Elimelech, and his wife's name Naomi. His sons were called Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went to the country of Moab and lived there.
3 And Elimelech the husband of Noemin died; and she was left, and her two sons.
However, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4 And they took to themselves wives, women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpha, and the name of the second Ruth; and they lived there about ten years.
The sons married Moabite women. One was called Orpah, the other was called Ruth. After about ten years,
5 And both Maalon and Chelaion died also; and the woman was left of her husband and her two sons.
both Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was left alone, without her two sons or her husband.
6 And she rose up and her two daughters-in-law, and they returned out of the country of Moab, for she heard in the country of Moab that the Lord [had] visited his people to give them bread.
So she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the country of Moab and return home because she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people there with food.
7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her: and they went by the way to return to the land of Juda.
She left the place where she had been living and with her two daughters-in-law set out on the road back to the land of Judah.
8 And Noemin said to her daughter-in-law, Go now, return each to the house of her mother: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
However, as they left, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you, go back to your mother's homes, and may the Lord be as kind to you as you have been to me, and to those who have died.
9 The Lord grant you that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband: and she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
May the Lord give you a good home with another husband.” She kissed them, and they all started to cry loudly.
10 And they said to her, We will return with you to your people.
“No! We want to go back with you to your people,” they replied.
11 And Noemin said, Return now, my daughters; and why do you go with me? have I yet sons in my womb to be your husbands?
“Why do you want to go back with me?” Naomi asked. “I'm not able to have any more sons for you to marry.
12 Turn now, my daughters, for I am too old to be married: for I said, Suppose I were married, and should bear sons;
Go back home, my daughters, because I'm too old to marry again. Even if I were to sleep with a new husband tonight and had sons,
13 would you wait for them till they should be grown? or would you refrain from being married for their sakes? Not so, my daughters; for I am grieved for you, that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.
would you wait for them to grow up? Would you decide you weren't going to marry anyone else? No. The whole situation is more bitter for me than it is for you, for the Lord has turned against me!”
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned to her people; but Ruth followed her.
They started crying loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth held on tightly to Naomi.
15 And Noemin said to Ruth, Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; turn now you also after your sister-in-law.
“Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back home with her,” said Naomi.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave you, or to return from following you; for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people [shall be] my people, and your God my God.
But Ruth replied, “Please don't keep on telling me to leave you and go back. Where you go, I will go. Where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.
17 And wherever you die, I will die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, [if I leave you], for death [only] shall divide between me and you.
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me harshly if I let anything but death separate us!”
18 And Noemin seeing that she was determined to go with her, ceased to speak to her any more.
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped telling Ruth to go home.
19 And they went both of them until they came to Bethleem: and it came to pass, when they arrived at Bethleem, that all the city rang with them, and they said, Is this Noemin?
So the two of them walked on until they reached Bethlehem. When they arrived there, the whole town got excited. “Is this Naomi?” the women asked.
20 And she said to them, Nay, do not call me Noemin; call me 'Bitter,' for the Mighty One has dealt very bitterly with me.
She said to them, “Don't call me Naomi! Call me Mara, for the Almighty has treated me very bitterly.
21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me back empty: and why call you me Noemin, whereas the Lord has humbled me and the Mighty One has afflicted me?
I left here full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has condemned me, when the Almighty has brought disaster on me?”
22 So Noemin and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab; and they came to Bethleem in the beginning of barley harvest.
This is the way that Naomi returned from Moab with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
