Keraia
History

Ruth 1

Naomi Becomes a Widow

1In 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.

1And it came to pass in the days of the judging of the judges, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man went from Bethlehem in Judah to dwell in the fields of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

2The 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.

2And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. And they went out into the fields of Moab and were there.

3Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons,

3And Elimelech the husband of Naomi died, and she was left, and her two sons.

4who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth.

And after they had lived in Moab about ten years,

4And they took for them wives of the Moabitesses: The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the second was Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.

5And the two of them also died, Mahlon and Chilion. And the woman was left from her two sons and from her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6When 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.

6And she rose, she and her daughters-in-law, and she returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in a field of Moab that YHWH had attended to His people, to give bread to them.

7Accompanied 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.

7And she went out from the place where she was there, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went in the way to return to the land of Judah.

8Then 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, as you have shown to your dead and to me.

8And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, turn back, each woman to the house of her mother. May YHWH do with you loving devotion, as you have done with the dead and with me.

9May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.”

And she kissed them as they wept aloud

9May YHWH give to you, and may you find rest, each woman in the house of her husband.” And she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and they wept.

10and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

10And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

11But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?

11And Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still unto me sons in my bowels, that they may be your husbands?

12Return 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,

12Turn back, my daughters, go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say there is to me hope, and if I should have tonight a husband and also should bear sons,

13would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

13would you wait for them until that they were grown? Would you shut yourselves off from being wife to a man? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter for me from you, for the hand of YHWH has gone out against me.”

14Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

14And they lifted up their voice and they wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, and 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.”

15And she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

16But 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.

16And Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back from following after you. For to wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people are my people, and your God my God.

17Where 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.”

17Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. And may YHWH do to me, and ever so more, if death does part between you and between me.”

18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.

18And she saw that she was determined to go with her, and she stopped speaking to her.

The Return to Bethlehem

19So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women of the town exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

19And the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, as they came to Bethlehem, that all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me.

20And she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for Shaddai has dealt exceedingly bitterly with me.

21I 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.”

21I went out full, and YHWH has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since YHWH has testified against me, and Shaddai has afflicted me?”

22So 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.

22And Naomi turned back, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who turned back from the fields of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.