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The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1
In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a man from Bethlehem in Judah departed to sojourn in the region of the Moabites with his wife and two children.(a)
2
He called himself Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and his two sons, the one Mahlon, and the other Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And entering into the region of the Moabites, they stayed there.
3
And Elimelech the husband of Naomi died; and she remained with her sons.
4
They took wives from among the Moabites, of whom one was called Orpah, and the other Ruth. And they lived there ten years.
5
And they both died, namely Mahlon and Chilion, and the woman was left alone, bereaved of her two children and her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6
And she arose so that she might journey to her native land, with both her daughters-in-law, from the region of the Moabites. For she had heard that the Lord had provided for his people and had given them food.
7
And so she departed from the place of her sojourn, with both her daughters-in-law, and having set out upon the way, she was about to return to the land of Judah.
8
She said to them, “Go to the home of your mother. May the Lord deal mercifully with you, just as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9
May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands, whom you will obtain by lot.” And she kissed them. They lifted up their voice, and began to weep,(b)
10
and to say, “We will journey with you to your people.”
11
But she answered them, “Return, my daughters. Why come with me? Do I have any more sons in my womb, so that you could hope for husbands from me?
12
Return, my daughters, go forth. For I am now exhausted by old age, and not fit for the bond of marriage. Even if I were to conceive on this night, and bear sons,(c)
13
if you were willing to wait until they were grown and had completed the years of adolescence, you would be elderly before you could marry. Do not do so, I beg you, my daughters. For your difficulties weigh upon me greatly, and the hand of the Lord has been set against me.”
14
In response, they lifted up their voice and began to weep again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and then turned back. Ruth clung to her mother-in-law.
15
Naomi said to her, “See, your kinswoman returns to her people, and to her gods. Hurry after her.”(d)
16
She answered, “Do not be against me, as if I would abandon you and go away; for wherever you will go, I will go, and where you will stay, I also will stay with you. Your people are my people, and your God is my God.
17
Whichever land will receive you dying, in the same I will die, and there I will have the place of my burial. May God cause these things to happen to me, and add more also, if anything except death alone should separate you and I.”(e) (f)
18
Therefore, Naomi saw that Ruth, being firmly resolved in her soul, was determined to go with her, and that she was unwilling to be dissuaded, and that nothing further could convince her to return to her own.(g)

The Return to Bethlehem

19
And so they set out together, and they came to Bethlehem. When they had entered the city, the news quickly spread among them all. And the women said, “This is that Naomi.”
20
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter). For the Almighty has greatly filled me with bitterness.(h)
21
I went out full and the Lord led me back empty. So then, why call me Naomi, whom the Lord has humbled and the Almighty has afflicted?”
22
Therefore, Naomi went with Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, from the land of her sojourn, and returned to Bethlehem, at the time of the first reaping of the barley.(i)

Footnotes

(a)1:1 The usual word for children is pueri, but this word can also mean servants. So the word liberis is used, which means children, but which can also mean free (i.e., not in servitude).(Conte)
(b)1:9 The word sortiturae is hard to translate because it refers to the idea that one obtains something by chance or good fortune, but also under the Providence of God. The expression “obtain by lot” is metaphorical; women did not cast lots to obtain husbands. Notice that the word virorum or vir is used to mean husband. The word vir is related to the word virtus, meaning strength or virtue. Though the word vir is often used to mean man or husband, it is also somewhat complimentary in nature, since it is related to the word virtus. This is analogous to the English word gentleman; it refers to a man in a somewhat complimentary fashion. The word used to simply refer to a man without such a built-in compliment is homo (singular) or homines (plural).(Conte)
(c)1:12 The word vinculo literally means chain, as in the chain of marriage.(Conte)
(d)1:15 To her gods, etc:Noemi did not mean to persuade Ruth to return to the false gods she had formerly worshipped: but by this manner of speech, insinuated to her, that if she would go with her, she must renounce her false gods and return to the Lord the God of Israel.(Challoner)
(e)1:17 Or, the place of my grave. The things that she asks God to cause to happen to her, if she lets anything separate her from her mother-in-law are not specified by the author of this book. In the actual conversation, Ruth would not literally have said “these things,” but would have indicated what sort of bad things should come upon her if she fails to do as she said. This telling of the story of Ruth by the author leaves out this detail of the conversation.(Conte)
(f)1:17 The Lord do so and so, etc:A form of swearing usual in the history of the Old Testament, by which the person wished such and such evils to fall upon them, if they did not do what they said.(Challoner)
(g)1:18 Or, being obstinate in soul.(Conte)
(h)1:20 The text in parentheses is probably not original to the Hebrew text, since the meaning of these Hebrew names would not need to be explained to those who could understand Hebrew.(Conte)
(i)1:22 The barley is reaped in the springtime in Israel. Planting must occur in the autumn, because the only appreciable rainfall occurs in winter.(Conte)
(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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