Ruth 1

1In the days when the judges judged, famine struck the land. A certain man from Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the fields of Moab—he, his wife, and his two sons.

2The man was named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They arrived in the fields of Moab and stayed there.

3Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

4They took Moabite wives; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth; and they lived there about ten years.

5Mahlon and Chilion both died too, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

6She arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that Yahweh had visited his people by giving them bread.

7She set out from the place where she had been staying, her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went along the road to return to the land of Judah.

8Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you to her mother's house; may Yahweh show kindness to you, as you have shown it to the dead and to me."

9May Yahweh give you—and may you find—rest as a wife in the house of her husband. She kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.

10They said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people."

11Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they might become husbands for you?"

12Return, my daughters; go—for I have grown too old to have a husband. If I should say, “There is hope for me,” even if I should have a husband tonight and even bear sons;

13Would you wait for them until they grow up? Would you hold back from marrying? No, my daughters; it is very bitter to me, more than to you, for the hand of Yahweh has gone out against me.

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

15She said, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods—return after your sister-in-law."

16Ruth said, "Do not press me to forsake you or turn back from following you, for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay; your people will be my people, and your God my God."

17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do thus to me, and more also, if anything but death separates between me and you.

18When she saw that she was resolute to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

19Both of them went until they arrived in Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was abuzz about them, and they said, "Is this Naomi?"

20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has greatly embittered me."

21I left full, and Yahweh has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since Yahweh has humbled me and the Almighty has harmed me?

22Naomi returned with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law who had come back from the fields of Moab, and they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.