Elimelech and His Family Move to Moab
1-2 Long ago, in the days before Israel had a king, there was a famine in the land. So a man named Elimelech, who belonged to the clan of Ephrath and who lived in Bethlehem in Judah, went with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion to live for a while in the country of Moab. While they were living there, 3 Elimelech died, and Naomi was left alone with her two sons, 4 who married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. About ten years later 5 Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left all alone, without husband or sons.
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
6 Some time later Naomi heard that the Lord had blessed his people by giving them good crops; so she got ready to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law. 7 They started out together to go back to Judah, but on the way 8 she said to them, “Go back home and stay with your mothers. May the Lord be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died. 9 And may the Lord make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home.”
So Naomi kissed them good-bye. But they started crying 10 and said to her, “No! We will go with you to your people.”
11 “You must go back, my daughters,” Naomi answered. “Why do you want to come with me? Do you think I could have sons again for you to marry? 12 Go back home, for I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought there was still hope, and so got married tonight and had sons, 13 would you wait until they had grown up? Would this keep you from marrying someone else? No, my daughters, you know that's impossible. The Lord has turned against me, and I feel very sorry for you.”
14 Again they started crying. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye and went back home, but Ruth held on to her. 15 So Naomi said to her, “Ruth, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Go back home with her.”
16 But Ruth answered, “Don't ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord's worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!”
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
19 They went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the whole town became excited, and the women there exclaimed, “Is this really Naomi?”
20 “Don't call me Naomi,” she answered; “call me Marah, because Almighty God has made my life bitter. 21 When I left here, I had plenty, but the Lord has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the Lord Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?”
22 This, then, was how Naomi came back from Moab with Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley harvest was just beginning.
1 In the time that the Iudges ruled, there was a dearth in the lande, and a man of Beth-lehem Iudah went for to soiourne in the countrey of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sonnes. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi: and the names of his two sonnes, Mahlon, and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem Iudah: and when they came into the land of Moab, they continued there. 3 Then Elimelech the husband of Naomi died, and she remayned with her two sonnes, 4 Which tooke them wiues of the Moabites: the ones name was Orpah, and the name of ye other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten yeeres. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion dyed also both twaine: so the woman was left destitute of her two sonnes, and of her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, and returned from the countrey of Moab: for she had heard say in the countrey of Moab, that the Lord had visited his people, and giuen them bread. 7 Wherefore shee departed out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her, and they went on their way to returne vnto the land of Iudah. 8 Then Naomi saide vnto her two daughters in lawe, Goe, returne eche of you vnto her owne mothers house: the Lord shew fauour vnto you, as ye haue done with the dead, and with me. 9 The Lord graunt you, that you may finde rest, either of you in the house of her husband. And when she kissed them, they lift vp their voice and wept. 10 And they saide vnto her, Surely we will returne with thee vnto thy people. 11 But Naomi saide, Turne againe, my daughters: for what cause will you go with me? are there any more sonnes in my wombe, that they may bee your husbands? 12 Turne againe, my daughters: go your way: for I am too olde to haue an husband. If I should say, I haue hope, and if I had an husband this night: yea, if I had borne sonnes, 13 Would yee tarie for them, till they were of age? would ye be deferred for them from taking of husbands? nay my daughters: for it grieueth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. 14 Then they lift vp their voyce and wept againe, and Orpah kissed her mother in lawe, but Ruth abode still with her. 15 And Naomi said, Beholde, thy sister in law is gone backe vnto her people and vnto her gods: returne thou after thy sister in lawe. 16 And Ruth answered, Intreate mee not to leaue thee, nor to depart from thee: for whither thou goest, I will goe: and where thou dwellest, I will dwell: thy people shall be my people, and thy God 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 ought but death depart thee and me. 18 Whe she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left speaking vnto her. 19 So they went both vntill they came to Beth-lehem: and when they were come to Beth-lehem, it was noysed of them through all the citie, and they said, Is not this Naomi? 20 And she answered them, Call me not Naomi, but call me Mara: for the Almightie hath giuen me much bitternes. 21 I went out full, and the Lord hath caused me to returne emptie: why call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath humbled me, and the Almightie hath brought me vnto aduersitie? 22 So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitesse her daughter in law with her, when she came out of the countrey of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barly haruest.