Naomi’s Husband and Sons Die

1Now it happened in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the fields of Moab [†]with his wife and his two sons. 2The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they came to the fields of Moab and remained there. 3Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5Then [†]both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and her husband.

Ruth Is Determined to Go with Naomi

6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law and returned from the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that [†]Yahweh had visited His people to give them [†]food. 7So she went forth from 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 Judah. 8And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May Yahweh [†]show lovingkindness with you as you have [†]shown with the dead and with me. 9May Yahweh grant that you may 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, but we will return with you to your people.” 11But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 13would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is more bitter for me than for you, for the hand of Yahweh has gone forth against me.” 14And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16But Ruth said, “Do not press me to forsake you in turning back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may Yahweh do to me, and more, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18So she saw that she was determined to go with her, and she [†]said no more to her.

19Then they both went until they came to Bethlehem. Now it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and [†]the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20She said to them, “Do not call me [†]Naomi; call me [†]Mara, for [†]the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21I went out full, but Yahweh has caused me to return empty. Why do you call me Naomi? Yahweh has answered against me, and [†]the Almighty has brought calamity against me.”

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