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The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1
During the time that judges ruled Israel, there was a famine in that country. There was a man who lived in Israel named Elimelek who left Israel and went to live for a while in the country of Moab. He went with his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion.
2
Elimelek was from the clan of Ephrath that was living in the town of Bethlehem, in the region of Judah. They came to Moab and stayed there.
3
Then Elimelek died, and Naomi had only her two sons with her.
4
They married women from Moab. One of them was named Orpah and the other one was named Ruth. But after they had lived in that area for about ten years,
5
Mahlon and Kilion also died. So then Naomi was left alone without her sons or husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6
Then Naomi heard while still in Moab that Yahweh had helped his people and that now there was plenty of food in Israel. So she got ready to return to Bethlehem with her two daughters-in-law.
7
They left the place where they had been living and started to travel back to the land of Judah.
8
As they were walking, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Each of you should turn around and go back to your mother’s home. May Yahweh be as kind to you as you have been to me and our loved ones who have died.
9
I hope that he will allow each of you to have another husband in whose home you will be secure.” Then she kissed each of them, and they cried aloud.
10
They each said, “No, we want to return with you to your relatives.”
11
But Naomi said, “No, my daughters, return home. It will not do any good for you to come with me! It is not possible for me to have more sons who could become your husbands.
12
You should go back. It is too late for me to have another husband. Even if I got married today and had more sons,
13
would you remain unmarried until they grew up? No, my daughters! It makes me even more sad than you are, because Yahweh has sent me so much trouble.”
14
Then Ruth and Orpah started crying again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye and left, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi.
15
Naomi said to her, “Look! Your sister-in-law is going back to her relatives and to her gods! Go back with her!”
16
But Ruth replied, “No! Please do not ask me to go back and leave you! Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your relatives will be my relatives, and I will worship the God you worship.
17
Where you die, I will die. Where they bury you, they will bury me. May Yahweh punish me severely if I ever leave you. We will never be separated until one of us dies.”
18
When Naomi realized that Ruth was very determined to go with her, she stopped urging her to return home.

The Return to Bethlehem

19
So the two women continued walking until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived there, everyone in the town was very happy to see them. The women of the town exclaimed, “It is hard to believe that this is Naomi!”
20
Naomi said to them, “You should not call me Naomi any more, because it means ‘pleasant.’ Instead, call me Mara, because it means ‘bitter.’ God Almighty has made my life very bitter.
21
When I left here my life was full because I had a family. But Yahweh has brought me back here empty, without my family. Do not call me Naomi. Yahweh has punished me. God Almighty has caused a great tragedy to happen to me.”
22
So that is how Naomi returned home along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, the woman from Moab. And it happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the barley harvest was just beginning.
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(1 Timothy 5:3–16)
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.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

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 (a) 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,(b) 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(c) 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.

The Return to Bethlehem

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.(d) Call me Mara,(e) 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.

Footnotes

(a)1:6 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.
(b)1:15 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(c)1:16 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
(d)1:20 “Naomi” means “pleasant”.
(e)1:20 “Mara” means “bitter”.
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