The Book of Ruth

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)

In the days of one of the judges, when the judges ruled, there came a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Juda, went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.

He was named Elimelech, and his wife, Noemi: and his two sons, the one Mahalon, and the other Chelion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Juda. And entering into the country of Moab, they abode there.

And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons.

And they took wives of the women of Moab, of which one was called Orpha, and the other Ruth. And they dwelt there ten years.

And they both died, to wit, Mahalon and Chelion: and the woman was left alone, having lost both her sons and her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

And she arose to go from the land of Moab to her own country with both her daughters in law: for she had heard that the Lord had looked upon his people, and had given them food.

Wherefore she went forth out of the place of her sojournment, with both her daughters in law: and being now in the way to return into the land of Juda,

She said to them: Go ye home to your mothers: the Lord deal mercifully with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

May he grant you to find rest in the houses of the husbands which you shall take. And she kissed them. And they lifted up their voice and began to weep,

And to say: We will go on with thee to thy people.

But she answered them: Return, my daughters: why come ye with me? have I any more sons in my womb, that you may hope for husbands of me?

Return again, my daughters, and go your ways: for I am now spent with age, and not fit for wedlock. Although I might conceive this night, and bear children,

If you would wait till they were grown up, and come to man’s estate, you would be old women before you marry. Do not so, my daughters, I beseech you: for I am grieved the more for your distress, and the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

And they lifted up their voice, and began to weep again: Orpha kissed her mother in law and returned: Ruth stuck close to her mother in law.

And Noemi said to her: Behold thy kinswoman is returned to her people, and to her gods, go thou with her.

She answered: Be not against me, to desire that I should leave thee and depart: for whithersoever thou shalt go, I will go: and where thou shalt dwell, I also will dwell. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

The land that shall receive thee dying, in the same will I die: and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, and add more also, if aught but death part me and thee.

Then Noemi, seeing that Ruth was steadfastly determined to go with her, would not be against it, nor persuade her any more to return to her friends:

The Return to Bethlehem

So they went together and came to Bethlehem. And when they were come into the city, the report was quickly spread among all: and the women said: This is that Noemi.

But she said to them: Call me not Noemi, (that is, beautiful,) but call me Mara, (that is, bitter,) for the Almighty hath quite filled me with bitterness.

I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me back empty. Why then do you call me Noemi, whom the Lord hath humbled and the Almighty hath afflicted?

So Noemi came with Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law, from the land of her sojournment: and returned into Bethlehem, in the beginning of the barley harvest.

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)

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.

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.

Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

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.

Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

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.

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.

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.

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.

They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”

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?

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,

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.”

They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her.

She said, “Behold,(b) your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.”

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.

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.”

When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

The Return to Bethlehem

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?”

She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi.(d) Call me Mara,(e) for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

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?”

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.

(d)1:20 “Naomi” means “pleasant”.

(e)1:20 “Mara” means “bitter”.