The Book of
Ruth
1
1 In
the days when
the judges judged,
there was a
famine in the
land. A certain
man of Bethlehem
Judah went to
live in the
country of Moab
with his wife and
his two sons.
2 The
name of the
man was Elimelech,
and the name
of his wife Naomi.
The names of
his two sons
were Mahlon and
Chilion, Ephrathites of
Bethlehem Judah.
They came into
the country of
Moab and lived
there.
3 Elimelech,
Naomi’s husband, died;
and she was
left with her
two sons.
4 They
took for themselves wives
of the women of
Moab. The name
of the one
was Orpah, and
the name of
the other was
Ruth. They lived
there about ten
years.
5 Mahlon
and Chilion both
died, and the woman
was bereaved of
her two children
and of 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 the LORD
had visited his
people in giving
them bread.
7 She
went out of
the place where
she was, and
her two
daughters-in-law with
her. They went
on the way
to return to
the land of
Judah.
8 Naomi said
to her two
daughters-in-law, “Go,
return each of
you to her mother’s
house. May the
LORD deal kindly
with you, as
you have dealt
with the dead
and with me.
9 May
the LORD grant
you that you
may find rest,
each of you
in the house
of her husband.”
Then she kissed
them, and they
lifted up their
voices, and wept.
10 They said
to her, “No, but
we will return
with you to
your people.”
11 Naomi said,
“Go back, my
daughters. Why do
you want to go
with me? Do
I still have
sons in my
womb, that they
may be your
husbands?
12 Go
back, my daughters,
go your way;
for I am
too old to
have a husband. If
I should say, ‘I
have hope,’ if
I should even
have a husband
tonight, and
should also bear
sons,
13 would
you then wait
until they were
grown? Would you
then refrain from
having husbands? No,
my daughters, for
it grieves me seriously
for your sakes,
for the LORD’s
hand has gone
out against me.”
14 They
lifted up their
voices and wept
again; then Orpah
kissed her
mother-in-law, but
Ruth stayed with
her.
15 She said, “Behold,
your sister-in-law
has gone back
to her people
and to her god.
Follow your sister-in-law.”
16 Ruth said,
“Don’t urge me to
leave you, and
to return from
following you,
for where you go,
I will go;
and where you stay,
I will stay.
Your people will
be my people,
and your God
my God.
17 Where
you die, I
will die, and
there I will
be buried. May
the LORD do
so to me,
and more also,
if anything but
death parts you
and me.”
18 When Naomi
saw that she
was determined to
go with her,
she stopped urging
her.
19 So
they both went
until they came
to Bethlehem. When
they had come
to Bethlehem, all
the city
was excited about
them, and
they asked, “Is
this Naomi?”
20 She
said to them,
“Don’t call me
Naomi.
Call me Mara,
for the Almighty
has dealt very
bitterly with me.
21 I
went out full,
and the LORD
has brought me
home again empty.
Why do you
call me Naomi,
since the LORD has
testified against
me, and the
Almighty has
afflicted me?”
22 So
Naomi returned,
and Ruth the
Moabitess, her
daughter-in-law, with
her, who returned
out of the
country of Moab.
They came to
Bethlehem in the
beginning of
barley harvest.