| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. | 1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab. |
| 2The man's name was Elimelek, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. | 2The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of Moab and settled there. |
| 3Now Elimelek, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. | 3Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, |
| 4They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, | 4who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, |
| 5both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. | 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband. |
| 6When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. | 6When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had attended to His people by providing them with food, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab. |
| 7With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. | 7Accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road leading back to the land of Judah. |
| 8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. | 8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you loving devotion, as you have shown to your dead and to me. |
| 9May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud | 9May the LORD enable each of you to find rest in the home of your new husband.” And she kissed them as they wept aloud |
| 10and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people." | 10and said, “Surely we will return with you to your people.” |
| 11But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? | 11But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands? |
| 12Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me--even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-- | 12Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, |
| 13would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has turned against me!" | 13would you wait for them to grow up? Would you refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” |
| 14At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. | 14Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. |
| 15"Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." | 15“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.” |
| 16But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. | 16But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following 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 will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." | 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” |
| 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. | 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her. |
| 19So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?" | 19So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” |
| 20"Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. | 20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. |
| 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." | 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.” |
| 22So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. | 22So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. |
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