| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now there came a time of famine while judges were ruling in the land of Israel. A man from Bethlehem of Judah, his wife, and his two sons left to live in the country of Moab. | 1During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while. |
| 2The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and their two sons were named Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They journeyed to the country of Moab and lived there for some time. | 2The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife's name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the land of Moab and settled there. |
| 3Then Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. | 3Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. |
| 4Each of her sons married Moabite women: one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. After they lived there about ten years, | 4Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about 10 years, |
| 5both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi alone with neither her husband nor her two sons. | 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband. |
| 6She and her daughters-in-law prepared to return from the country of Moab, because she had heard while living there how the LORD had come to the aid of his people, giving them relief. | 6She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the LORD had paid attention to His people's need by providing them food. |
| 7So she left the place where she had been, along with her two daughters-in-law, and they traveled along the return road to the land of Judah. | 7She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah. |
| 8But along the way, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Each of you go back home. Return to your mother's house. May the LORD show his gracious love to you, as you have shown me and our loved ones who have died. | 8She said to them, "Each of you go back to your mother's home. May the LORD show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. |
| 9May the LORD grant each of you security in your new husbands' households." Then she kissed them good-bye, and they cried loudly. | 9May the LORD enable each of you to find security in the house of your new husband." She kissed them, and they wept loudly." |
| 10They both replied to her, "No! We'll go back with you to your people." | 10No," they said to her. "We will go with you to your people." |
| 11But Naomi responded, "Go back, my daughters. Why go with me? Are there still sons to be born to me as future husbands for you? | 11But Naomi replied, "Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? |
| 12So go on back, my daughters! Be on your way! I'm too old to remarry. If I were to say that I'm hoping for a husband tonight and then also bore sons this very night, | 12Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, |
| 13would you wait for them until they were grown? Would you refrain from marriage for them? No, my daughters! I'm more deeply grieved than you, because the LORD is working against me!" | 13would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the LORD's hand has turned against me." |
| 14They began to cry loudly again. So Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth remained with her. | 14Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. |
| 15Naomi told Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law!" | 15Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law." |
| 16But Ruth answered, "Stop urging me to abandon you and to turn back from following you. Because wherever you go, I'll go. Wherever you live, I'll live. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God. | 16But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow 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. |
| 17Where you die, I'll die and be buried. May the LORD do this to me—and more—if anything except death comes between you and me." | 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. |
| 18When Naomi observed Ruth's determination to travel with her, she ended the conversation. | 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her. |
| 19So they continued on until they reached Bethlehem. Now when the two of them arrived in Bethlehem, the entire town got excited at the news of their arrival and they asked one another, "Can this be Naomi?" | 19The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and the local women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"" |
| 20But Naomi replied, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara'! That's because the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. | 20Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara," she answered, "for the Almighty has made me very bitter. |
| 21I left here full, but the LORD brought me back empty. So why call me 'Naomi'? After all, the LORD is against me, and the Almighty has broken me." | 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced judgment on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" |
| 22So Naomi returned to Bethlehem from the country of Moab, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabite woman. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. | 22So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. |
|
