1And it came to be, in the days when the rulers ruled, that there was a scarcity of food in the land. And a man from Bĕyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah, went to sojourn in the fields of Mo’aḇ, he and his wife and his two sons.

2And the name of the man was Elimeleḵ, and the name of his wife was Na‛omi, and the names of his two sons were Maḥlon and Kilyon – Ephrathites of Bĕyth Leḥem, Yehuḏah. And they went to the fields of Mo’aḇ and came to be there.

3And Elimeleḵ, husband of Na‛omi, died. And she was left with her two sons.

4And they took wives of the women of Mo’aḇ, the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

5And Maḥlon and Kilyon also died, both of them, so the woman was bereaved of her two sons and of her husband.

6And she rose up, with her daughters-in-law, and returned from the fields of Mo’aḇ, for she had heard in the fields of Mo’aḇ that יהוה had visited His people in giving them bread.

7And she left the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. And they went on the way to return to the land of Yehuḏah.

8And Na‛omi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. יהוה show kindness to you, as you have shown to the dead and to me.

9“יהוה grant that you find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

10And they said to her, “No, we shall go back with you to your people.”

11But Na‛omi said, “Go back, my daughters, why go with me? Have I still sons in my womb, that they should become 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 expectancy, even if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,

13would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you shut yourselves up, not to have a husband? No, my daughters, for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of יהוה has gone out against me!”

14And they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her mighty ones. Go back, follow your sister-in-law.”

16But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or to go back from following after you. For wherever you go, I go; and wherever you stop over, I stop over. Your people is my people, and your Elohim is my Elohima.

17“Where you die, I die, and there I shall be buried. יהוה do so to me, and more also – for death itself parts you and me.”

18And when she saw that she was strengthening herself to go with her, she ceased to speak to her.

19And both of them went until they came to Bĕyth Leḥem. And it came to be, when they had come to Bĕyth Leḥem, that all the city was moved because of them, and they said, “Is this Na‛omi?”

20And she said to them, “Do not call me Na‛omi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

21“I went out filled, and יהוה has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Na‛omi, since יהוה has witnessed against me, and the Almighty has done evil to me?”

22Thus Na‛omi returned, and Ruth the Mo’aḇitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the fields of Mo’aḇ, and they came to Bĕyth Leḥem at the beginning of barley harvest.