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The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
2
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there.
3
Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,
4
who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,
5
both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6
When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab.
7
Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah.
8
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion,(a) as you have shown to your dead and to me.
9
May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud
10
and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
11
But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?
12
Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
13
would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
14
Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
15
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
16
But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
18
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

The Return to Bethlehem

19
So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
20
“Do not call me Naomi,(b)” she replied. “Call me Mara,(c) because the Almighty (d) has dealt quite bitterly with me.
21
I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”
22
So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Footnotes

(a)1:8 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.
(b)1:20 Naomi means pleasant.
(c)1:20 Mara means bitter.
(d)1:20 Hebrew Shaddai; also in verse 21
(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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