| International Standard Version | NET 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 of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. |
| 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. | 2(Now the man's name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there. |
| 3Then Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. | 3Sometime later Naomi's husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. |
| 4Each of her sons married Moabite women: one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. After they lived there about ten years, | 4So her sons married Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) And they continued to live there about ten years. |
| 5both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving Naomi alone with neither her husband nor her two sons. | 5Then Naomi's two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. So the woman was left all alone--bereaved of her two children as well as 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. | 6So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the LORD had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops. |
| 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. | 7Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return 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. | 8Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother's home! May the LORD show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands 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 home of a new husband!" Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. |
| 10They both replied to her, "No! We'll go back with you to your people." | 10But they said to her, "No! We will return 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, "Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might 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, | 12Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again. Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive 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!" | 13surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! No, my daughters, you must not return with me. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. For the LORD is afflicting 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. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. |
| 15Naomi told Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law!" | 15So Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!" |
| 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, "Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become 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." | 17Wherever you die, I will die--and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!" |
| 18When Naomi observed Ruth's determination to travel with her, she ended the conversation. | 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade 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?" | 19So the two of them journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem. Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem When they entered Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival. The women of the village said, "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. | 20But she replied to them, "Don't call me 'Naomi'! Call me 'Mara' because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. |
| 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 left here full, but the LORD has caused me to return empty-handed. Why do you call me 'Naomi,' seeing that the LORD has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer?" |
| 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 returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) |
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