Ruth 1
1
Naomi Widowed
1In the days #Judg. 2:16 when the judges ruled there was #Gen. 12:10; 26:1; 43:1; 2 Kgs. 8:1 a famine in the land, and a man of #See Judg. 17:7Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were #Gen. 35:19Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that #Ex. 3:16; 4:31; Luke 1:68 the Lord had visited his people and #Ps. 132:15given them food. 7So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord #Josh. 2:12, 14; Judg. 1:24 deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with #ver. 5; ch. 2:20the dead and with me. 9The Lord grant that you may find #ch. 3:1rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb #Gen. 38:11; Deut. 25:5that they may become your husbands? 12Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that #Judg. 2:15; [Job 19:21; Ps. 32:4; 38:2; 39:10]the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to #Judg. 11:24; 1 Kgs. 11:7; Jer. 48:7, 13, 46her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. #[ch. 2:11, 12]Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. #1 Sam. 3:17; 25:22; 2 Sam. 19:13; 1 Kgs. 2:23May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18#[Acts 21:14]And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
Naomi and Ruth Return
19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, #[Matt. 21:10]the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;#1:20 Naomi means pleasant call me #Ex. 15:23Mara,#1:20 Mara means bitter for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21#Job 1:21I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem #2 Sam. 21:9; [ch. 2:23]at the beginning of barley harvest.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Ruth 1
1
1In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
2He was named Elimelech, and his wife, Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.
3And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.
4And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years.
5And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.
6And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters-in-law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.
7Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters-in-law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda,
8She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers: The Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands which you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice and began to weep,
10And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.
11But she answered them: Return, my daughters. Why come ye with me? Have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me?
12Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children,
13If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man's estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.
14And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again. Orpha kissed her mother-in-law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother-in-law.
15And Noemi said to her: Behold, thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her.
16She answered: Be not against me to desire that I should leave thee and depart. For whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
17The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee.
18Then Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends.
19So they went together and came to Bethlehem. And when they were come into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said: This is that Noemi.
20But she said to them: Call me not Noemi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter), for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.
21I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then do you call me, Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled and the Almighty hath afflicted?
22So Noemi came with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.