Ruth 1
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 dwell in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed to sojourn in the region of the Moabites with his wife and two children.
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.
He called himself Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and his two sons, the one Mahlon, and the other Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And entering into the region of the Moabites, they stayed there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
And Elimelech the husband of Naomi died; and she remained with her sons.
4 And they took for themselves wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years.
They took wives from among the Moabites, of whom one was called Orpah, and the other Ruth. And they lived there ten years.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
And they both died, namely Mahlon and Chilion, and the woman was left alone, bereaved of her two children 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 food.
And she arose so that she might journey to her native land, with both her daughters-in-law, from the region of the Moabites. For she had heard that the Lord had provided for his people and had given them food.
7 Therefore 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.
And so she departed from the place of her sojourn, with both her daughters-in-law, and having set out upon the way, she was about 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: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
She said to them, “Go to the home of your mother. May the Lord deal mercifully with you, just as you 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.
May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands, whom you will obtain by lot.” And she kissed them. They lifted up their voice, and began to weep,
10 And they said to her, Surely we will return with thee to thy people.
and to say, “We will journey with you to your 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?
But she answered them, “Return, my daughters. Why come with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb, so that you could hope for husbands from me?
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;
Return, my daughters, go forth. For I am now exhausted by old age, and not fit for the bond of marriage. Even if I were to conceive on this night, and bear sons,
13 Would ye wait for them till they should be grown? would ye restrain yourselves from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD hast gone out against me.
if you were willing to wait until they were grown and had completed the years of adolescence, you would be elderly before you could marry. Do not do so, I beg you, my daughters. For your difficulties weigh upon me greatly, and the hand of the Lord has been set against me.”
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clung to her.
In response, they lifted up their voice and began to weep again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and then turned back. Ruth clung to her mother-in-law.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law hath gone back to her people, and to her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
Naomi said to her, “See, your kinswoman returns to her people, and to her gods. Hurry after her.”
16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to turn away from following thee: for where thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
She answered, “Do not be against me, as if I would abandon you and go away; for wherever you will go, I will go, and where you will stay, I also will stay with you. Your people are my people, and your God is 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 any thing but death shall part thee and me.
Whichever land will receive you dying, in the same I will die, and there I will have the place of my burial. May God cause these things to happen to me, and add more also, if anything except death alone should separate you and I.”
18 When she saw that she was steadfastly resolved to go with her, then she finished speaking to her.
Therefore, Naomi saw that Ruth, being firmly resolved in her soul, was determined to go with her, and that she was unwilling to be dissuaded, and that nothing further could convince her to return to her own.
19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And so they set out together, and they came to Bethlehem. When they had entered the city, the news quickly spread among them all. And the women said, “This is that Naomi.”
20 And she said to them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter). For the Almighty has greatly filled me with bitterness.
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?
I went out full and the Lord led me back empty. So then, why call me Naomi, whom the Lord has humbled and the Almighty has afflicted?”
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 in the beginning of barley harvest.
Therefore, Naomi went with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, from the land of her sojourn, and returned to Bethlehem, at the time of the first reaping of the barley.
