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The Book of Ruth

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Timothy 5:3–16)
1
It happened in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem of Judah went to 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 was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, who were Ephrathites of Bethlehem of Judah. They arrived at the country of Moab and lived there.
3
Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.
4
These sons took wives from the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there for about ten years.
5
Then both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi without her husband and without her two children.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6
Then Naomi decided to leave Moab with her daughters-in-law and return to Judah because she had heard in the region of Moab that Yahweh had helped his people in need and had given them food.
7
So she left the place where she had been with her two daughters-in-law, and they walked down the road to return to the land of Judah.
8
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return, each of you, to your mother’s house. May Yahweh show kindness toward you, as you have shown kindness toward the dead and toward me.
9
May the Lord grant you that you find rest, each of you in the house of another husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and cried.
10
They said to her, “No! We will return with you to your people.”
11
But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters! Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb for you, so that they may become your husbands?
12
Turn back, my daughters, go your own way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said, ‘I hope I get a husband tonight,’ and then give birth to sons,
13
would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you wait and not marry men now? No, my daughters! It greatly grieves me, much more than it grieves you, because the hand of Yahweh has turned against me.”
14
Then her daughters-in-law lifted up their voices and cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law farewell, but Ruth held on to her.
15
Naomi said, “Listen, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister-in-law.”
16
But Ruth said, “Do not make me go away from you, for where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay; 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 Yahweh punish me, and even more, if anything but death ever separates us.”
18
When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped arguing with her.

The Return to Bethlehem

19
So the two traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. It happened that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town was very excited about them. The women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Bitter, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21
I went out full, but Yahweh has brought me home again empty. So why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has condemned me, that the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22
So Naomi and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
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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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